Assistant Practitioner LBS-008

Job Description

Job Category : Social & Health Care Qualified
Location : Queens Road 1, Southwark Council
Hours Per Week : 36.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:00
Salary: £17.90
to complete short breaks reviews for under 18’s and care act reviews for over 18’s

This post is contracted to Southwark Social Services department and will be based in the All Age Disability (0-25) / Learning Disability (25+) Service within Adult Social Care. Assistant Practitioner roles work with children, young people and adults aged 25+ who have an eligible social care needs.
The post will work with all Council departments and NHS Southwark as well as other partners.

Responsibilities

1. To undertake reviews both inside and outside of Southwark, ensuring that an individuals care and support plans are updated and outcome focussed and relevant to the individuals identified goals. This will involve goal setting and identifying people’s strengths, abilities and choices as part of a strength based approach.
2. To ensure both Children’s and Adults statutory requirements are met for reviews, and undertake direct work with service users and their families/carers in line with established support plans.
3. To identify through supervision where cases require further assessment and re-allocation to a social worker.
4. To promote access to paid employment, training, rehabilitation, social and leisure opportunities as part of promoting each person’s independence and social inclusion.
5. To identify risk and undertake risk assessments where safeguarding concerns are evidenced or suspected.
6. To have an understanding of and be able to identify safeguarding concerns as part of the review process, escalating and taking appropriate action in line with the council’s policies and protocols.
7. To support people to increase their independence with tasks within the home. This may include coaching people to be better able to manage home care tasks, budget, pay bills or other similar activities.
8. To communicate effectively and sensitively with people and carers, regardless of their spoken language or communication status. Adapt communication techniques as the situation demands making best use of Directorate informational resources and other methods of communication.
9. To work across agencies and professional boundaries to ensure a whole systems approach to assessment and intervention. Assist people to maximise their independence and co work with colleagues and external professionals to support people to achieve their potential.
10. To write reports, case records and correspondence in line with departmental guidelines and policy and to undertake all administrative duties relating to the social care function. This will include accessing and inputting data into departmental databases, and electronic recording systems.
11. To recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles. To challenge appropriately when discrimination is in evidence.
12. Ensure value for money principles are applied in all areas of service delivery in consultation with supervisor, manager and partner agencies.
13. Undertake other duties appropriate to the post and grade that may reasonably be required from time to time.

Knowledge, including educational qualifications:
1. Knowledge of the principles of empowerment and promoting independence
2. Knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance and the social work and care management practice, particularly relating to safeguarding practice
3. Knowledge of disabilities and the impact they can have on individuals’ lives
4. Able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of law and guidance relevant to adults social care practice, particularly relating to safeguarding practice
5. Knowledge and awareness of issues relating to communities from diverse backgrounds.

Experience:
1. Experience of formulating and implementing support plans and reviewing their effectiveness
2. Experience of working in a person centred way to enable service users to achieve their goals, outcomes and maximise their independence
3. Experience of successful working in an integrated manner, including team working and partnership to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people and/or adults
4. Experience of supporting service users to identify and realise their goals
5. Experience of safeguarding
6. Experience of working with children and young people / adults in a range of settings including managing challenging behaviour
7. Experience of working with a wide variety of professionals and agencies to enable adults to achieve outcomes and maximise their independence

Aptitudes, Skills & Competencies:
1. Good interpersonal skills and the ability to encourage positive working relationships with staff and colleagues
2. Literacy skills to enable the post holder to produce high quality non-standard correspondences, taking and producing generic and safeguarding minutes
3. Numeric skills to enable the post holder to collate and analyse complex information, and produce good quality data that is easily understood by others
4. Ability to organise and prioritise own and other’s work, responding to changing priorities and deadlines