Advanced Social Worker (Children)

Job Description

Job Category: Social Care Qualified
Location: Badminton Road Council Offices, South Gloucestershire Council
Hours Per Week: 18.50
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:00
Salary: £28.14

***** This is a part time role, limited to 18.5 hours however this can be worked either 2.5 days each week or an alternating pattern of 2 full days one week, 3 full days the next to give a rolling average within budget ****

0-18 Children with Disabilities Team:
The 0-18 Children with Disabilities social care team within the 0-25 service has several functions, one of which is to provide information, advice and support to children, young people, their families and carers to enable children with disabilities to enjoy and achieve social inclusion. The team has a duty to safeguard vulnerable children and young people and to assess need, develop plans and provide services where appropriate.
We will then review these plans regularly to ensure that outcomes are being achieved.

The 0-18 Children with Disabilities social care team undertakes statutory social work in the areas of Child protection, Children in Need and the initial stages of Looked after Children, as well as working within the Public Law outline and Care proceedings on occasion.

Job Purpose:
To provide support and supervision to a range of professionals, contributing to the development of good practice or to coordinate a specific unit or service supporting individuals, in order to deliver high standards of personalised care services.

Key Responsibilities:
• You will ensure vulnerable children and young people with a significant impairment or disability are identified, protected and supported to achieve positive outcomes through the provision of well planned, integrated and coordinated services.
• You will have experience of court work, as candidates will need, or be willing to develop experience and skills to assess a persons capacity and authorise any deprivation of liberty before the courts
• You will be a qualified social worker with relevant Social Work England registration to practice and a good understanding of asset and strengths based approaches to social work.

Previous experience in a Children with Disabilities team is preferred, but those with Child Protection experience will also be considered.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
1. You will hold a professional qualification and where necessary a professional registration
2. You will have considerable relevant post qualifying, practical experience in similar service areas and/or to have achieved a relevant post qualifying award
3. You will demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation, developments of social care policy, regulations, and codes of practice, systems, initiatives, processes and procedures
4. You will have an ability to supervise others
5. You will have good relationship building skills, which may involve dealing with emotive situations
6. You will have financial experience or training to carry out associated financial assessments
7. If relevant: you will have experience of care assessment
8. You will have a good level of general IT skills and the ability to use, or be trained in the use of,  appropriate specialist in-house software packages

Person Specification:
Essential:
• Recognised and relevant professional qualification e.g. DipSW, CQSW, CSS.   Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (KSE 1).
• Considerable post qualifying (relevant) experience in a local authority child care setting  (KSE 2)
• Evidence of on-going continuous professional development and knowledge of current legislation and practice relating to children and young people’s services (KSE 3)
• The ability to mentor or supervise staff (KSE 4)
• Effective communication and relationship building skills, including handling difficult and sensitive issues (KSE 5).
• Excellent Assessment and Analytical Skills (KSE 7)
• Effective care planning skills to produce child and outcome focussed plans for children (KSE 2 & 7)

Desirable:
• You will have achieved a relevant post qualifying award (KSE 2).