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https://fa-euxi-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/3805/?utm_medium=jobshare/details?sType=NhsJobs#/reference/3805

Salary: £37,930 - £39,835 (Inclusive of 5% Market Supplement)

Hours per week: 37 hours

Rolling advert: We're continuously reviewing and interviewing applicants weekly for this job posting. We will stop accepting applications when sufficient applications have been received.

Children In Care Service Empowering Young Lives

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic, forward-thinking Social Worker to become an integral part of our Children in Care Team in the South of Wiltshire.

Main duties of the job

Dedicated to improving the lives of looked-after children and meeting the unique needs of the most vulnerable, we received an 'Outstanding' rating from Ofsted in September 2023, with positive inspection feedback for our service.

As part of the Children in Care Team, you will play a vital role in supporting looked-after children and care leavers. You will work closely with children, families, and partner agencies to deliver tailored support, ensuring each child's needs are met in a safe, inclusive, and empowering way.

We have a package to support our care-experienced young people (called the Local Offer) and have creative ways young people can influence our services and enhance inclusion (such as The Leaving Care Forum).

We are looking for a registered Social Worker with a thorough understanding of the needs of children in care. Our ideal candidate will have up-to-date knowledge of key child care legislation, guidance, and best practices relating to the protection and support of children and young people.

Experience in completing assessments, reports, and care plans for children identified as vulnerable or in need will be essential.

Join our innovative local authority, where you can further your career aspirations. Together, we will continue making a positive impact on the lives of the children and families in Wiltshire.

About us

Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. That's why we focus on getting the things that matter to our people right.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To undertake person-centred social work/community care assessments for children and young adults with customers and to plan for the provision of support and/ or services with customers in order to assist them to meet their outcomes and to live as independently as possible, fulfilling their individual potential.
• To ensure accurate and timely recording of all information/assessment activity onto the Social Care records database in accordance with work targets set by the Team Manager and Assistant Team Manager
• To be the Primary worker with case responsibility for Children in Need, Children Looked After, and when appropriate, Children in Need of Protection, depending upon the function of the dedicated team
• To operate within the County policy and keep up to date with social work methods, practice developments, new legislation and procedures, including the Children's Act 2004, Children & Families Act 2014, Every Child Matters and Care Matters agenda, The Care Act 2014, NHS and social care legislation.
• To be responsible for the day to day interpretation of and implementation of statutory duties and departmental policy and procedures in the provision of services to children and young adults
• To be allocated work from the Team Manager or any person delegated to act on their behalf based on eligibility criteria and to hold case management responsibility for this work.
• To have a well-developed understanding of assessment and the management of risks for adults and to be able to apply Council policy and support customers to manage risk appropriately.
• To identify where vulnerable adults may be at risk and to act in accordance with the Department's Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• To complete enquiries and assess the needs of and risks to vulnerable children and young people in a timely manner, giving due consideration to the wishes and views of the child and the child's family.
• This will include the completion of S47 enquiries, Single Assessments, Vulnerable Adults safeguarding and engaging service users and other relevant persons in the work-based, homes or any other appropriate venue, e.g. hospital, school, etc.
• To take appropriate action to assess and minimise any identified concern or risk to children/young people in accordance with the requirements and timescales of Assessment Frameworks, Child Protection procedures and Looked after Children legislation and procedures
• To draw up and implement, with the child/young person and their family/carers, an appropriate plan to address identified issues and to maximise the participation of service users and carers in this process ensuring that social work intervention is ongoing only when necessary in peoples lives.
• To carry out regular reviews of individual plans, record outcomes, and formulate revised plans which are outcome-focused.
• To convene meetings, e.g. team around the child meetings, to assist in the implementation and review of plans for vulnerable children. To write reports for Child Protection Conferences, Planning Meetings, Looked after Children reviews, Legal meetings and Court Hearings and attend these as appropriate
• Participate in the team's social work duty rota
• To fully engage and prepare for one's own supervision and appraisal through self-evaluation, ensuring that continual professional development is evidenced.
• Ability to travel on a daily basis and to undertake visits to families in their own homes or in other settings

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with, and the protection of children and young people.
• Thorough understanding of the needs of children in care.
• Up-to-date knowledge of key child care legislation, policies and practices central to the implementation of a professional social work service on behalf of the council.
• Knowledge of Every Child Matters, the five outcomes and shared processes.
• OR
• Have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with and the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
• Knowledge and understanding of Health & Social Care legislation and wider policy context for vulnerable adults and knowledge and ability to put into practice a range of theories, models and interventions and to assess the impact on the service user.
• Knowledge of assessment processes, including the contribution provided by other agencies, timescales and their impact on council and Government performance targets and indicators.
• Knowledge of outcome-focused interventions
• Professional Social Work qualification.
• Social Work England registered
• Experience of direct work with children, young people and families; Or
• Experience of direct work with vulnerable adults
• Experience of completing assessments, reports and plans for children identified as vulnerable
• and in need; Or
• Experience of completing assessments, reports and plans for adults identified as vulnerable and in need.
• Knowledge and evidence of assessment skills, including engaging with users of services, other professionals and agencies to achieve a holistic assessment.
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Proven organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise work, manage own time effectively and meet deadlines.
• Ability to keep accurate electronic records.
• Ability to contribute positively to the social work team and department.
• Takes responsibility for own professional development and commitment to evidence-based
• practice.
• Good IT skills
• Ability to manage competing demands of a caseload
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, with colleagues, outside agencies, and
• service users.
• Ability to identify problems with some complexity and to demonstrate a creative approach to such problems.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships within and outside the
• department.
• Fluent in the English Language

Desirable

• Understanding of Person Centred Planning.
• Experience in foster care and family placement work.
• Experience of developing supported living options for vulnerable adults
• Experience of working with children in care, their families and foster carers.
• Developing ordinary life, supported living options for young adults

Experience

Essential

• Some relevant professional experience post-qualification in a similar work environment.
• Expert knowledge of relevant policy, systems, work practices, professional guidelines, and legislation in the area of specialism.
• Excellent ICT skills, including the use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems.
• Authoritative knowledge of the relevant range of procedural and legislative frameworks, systems and initiatives.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and partnership working and awareness of the issues involved.
• Planning and workload management skills.
• Proven assessment and investigation skills appropriate to the scope of the role.
• Ability to carry out complex client assessments.
• Experience of using professional knowledge to work within referral systems according to established criteria.
• Proven ability to work with challenging client groups and situations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven ability to deliver training.
• Accurate record keeping and report writing.
• Good presentational skills.
• Knowledge of financial assessment processes.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and as such, it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

Wiltshire Council

Bourne Hill

Salisbury

SP1 3UZ