Adults SC – Social Worker – Northern Area

Job Description

Job Category: Social Care – Qualified
Location: County Hall North, West Sussex County Council
Hours Per Week: 37.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:30

We will pay either £35 per hour and £150 per week expenses, or £38 per hour (no expenses).

Location: Mid Sussex

Job Description:
In this varied and challenging role, you will work with both Health & Social Care colleagues to provide an excellent Social Work Service.
In West Sussex we have a real focus on strengths-based approaches and community led support; both yourself and the team will be working hard to support people to regain their skills and independence following their hospital admission, wherever possible.

As an experienced Social Worker, your focus will be on delivering statutory social work service. This includes undertaking complex work, and ensuring work is delivered in a timely manner. You will work collaboratively with individuals and effectively into the future. You will remain up to date and compliant with all relevant legislation and adhere to organisational procedures, policies, codes of conduct and the values of West Sussex. You will also carry a small complex case load and supervise a small number of staff within the team, including supporting our duty function.

The role will involve you working with the Northern area Social work teams. These teams comprise the Mid-Sussex, Horsham and Crawley teams, working out of County Hall North and Crawley Library (if designated to work with the Crawley team). To provide an accountable statutory social work service to those people who access or need the service to include assessment, planning and review. The worker is expected to work within organisational, policy and legislative requirements.

Key Accountabilities
• Act as a professional representative for the service by working with a focus on delivering services to those people who access or need the service, acting with integrity, professionalism and respect on behalf of the organisation, ensuring at all times that the needs of individuals are paramount.
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• Prepare for, and work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to assess their needs and circumstances, implement care packages and evaluate and monitor progress considering best value care package options.
• Participate in a help desk/duty system and manage a caseload under regular supervision. Assess needs, risks and options taking into account legal and other requirements. Work effectively in partnership with other staff and voluntary agencies and gain a good understanding of all the relevant health, voluntary and private services in the area.
• Report any allegation or suspicions of abuse or potential abuse of a vulnerable person to an immediate manager or supervisor. Contribute to Safeguarding Investigations and child/adult protection planning where appropriate.
• Use professional knowledge to negotiate with and on behalf of those people who access or need the service and with a wide range of providers and other professionals.
• Ensure effective implementation of department policies and procedures in line with statutory responsibilities.
• Maintain accurate records of all work undertaken and produce case reports and correspondence for a variety of audiences including meetings, conferences, court, panels and other agencies.
• To contribute to initiatives and development work as required.
• To develop effective working relationships and communicate effectively with those people who access or need the service, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals in order to deliver the appropriate interventions.
• Prepare for, attend, contribute and participate fully in supervision.
• Support Family Aides/Community Support Workers and sessional workers in providing care and support for vulnerable people and their families as required. Assist in supervision and mentoring of students as appropriate.
• Ensure the best value use of resources particularly when commissioning work.
• Responsible for small expenditures from an agreed budget when appropriate. E.g. making necessary purchases in relation to situations arising with people who access or need the service.
• Responsible for the care of, accuracy, confidentiality, security and maintenance of all individuals’ records and related manual and/or computerised information, including highly sensitive and confidential adult/child protection issues.
• Support equality and diversity and respect individuals, carers and colleagues regardless of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic origin. Challenge oppressive practice and behaviour.
• Remain up to date and compliant with all relevant legislation and adhere to organisational procedures, policies and professional codes of conduct in order to uphold a high quality seamless service. Identify own continuing professional development needs and strive to meet these.
• Equalities – Supports equality and diversity and respects anyone in contact with, working for and using the services provided by West Sussex County Council regardless of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic origin.

It is a generic SW role – They will be undertaking general social work within a locality team as per the role profile. We work with customers from 18 to end of life irrespective of conditions.

Work that will be undertaking will include but not limited to:
• Adult Safeguardings
• Care Act Assessments and reviews
• Mental capacity Assessments
• Working and contributing to a duty rota as required

The candidate will be expected to spend 2-3 days per week doing visits, and the rest of the time can be worked from home.