Adults Social Worker 2 yrs +

LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM

JOB DESCRIPTION

Designation: Social Worker Grade:   SCP 31-33

Reports to (Designation): Operational Manager (s) Grade: Directorate: Community Services Section: Adult Social Care

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The main purpose of this job is to work as a care management social worker to assess the needs of vulnerable adults and their carers, and to support them to arrange services to meet the needs and outcomes identified.  The promotion prevention, independence and self-directed support, choice and control will be central to this post.  Risk management and safeguarding will also be key parts of this role (including children’s safeguarding where relevant), together with case management support for those adult requiring frequent specialist intervention to meet their needs.

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITY AND PERSONAL DUTIES:

Main activity

Ensure service users and their carers receive timely and proportionate care management assessments of their needs that identify the outcomes they wish to achieve.

Promote service user independence and recovery, including the promotion of Enablement and linking the service user to community based services that enhance personal wellbeing.

To work as part of multi agency teams providing seamless health and social care services.

To ensure that service users and carers are involved in individualised and creative support planning, encouraging choice and control through the use of personal budgets, including Direct Payments as the default position

Work with Community Development Staff to help people access community based services.

Ensure that risk management and adult safeguarding procedures are adhered to in social work practice.        Be aware of any potential children’s safeguarding concerns and liaise as appropriate with Children’s Social Care Services taking into account children’s safeguarding procedures. Carry out any assessments and service users reviews to a high standard in a timely manner in accordance with procedures reflecting the needs and outcomes of the service user and carer Work with advocates and carers where the service user does not have mental capacity to achieve outcomes in his/her best interests.

Ensure the principles of the Mental Capacity Act are applied where appropriate . Ensure that all relevant case work recording is made on appropriate electronic systems in an accurate and timely manner.  To be responsible for update Service User and Carer information and identifying and rectifying missing or incorrect information.

Manage own work and use both professional supervision, and the Council’s Performance Evaluation Scheme, as opportunities to seek advice and reflect on and develop practice.

Base decision making on research/evidence in consultation with others.

Prepare reports as required. Work collaboratively with the lead officer, line manager and staff to provide positive peer challenge, and professional support to develop practice.

In personal professional practice (and that of supervised staff) promote an ethos of helping people help themselves or one another through initiatives to facilitate and support increased individual and community capacity.    This includes utilising own resources, promoting social inclusion and community networks, reciprocal support and sustainable caring roles, through taking a strength based approach to assessment.

Partnership Working/ Team Work

Promote joint working at a frontline level, working in a multi-disciplinary way with colleagues in other departments of the Council and in Health.

Attend team meetings and foster a positive team working environment

Take responsibility for own and other people’s safety, by ensuring that team members and other staff are not knowingly exposed to the risk of violence

Alert line management to any situation of high risk which may attract negative public attention to the department.

General Duties

14.     Adhere to legislation, guidance, procedure and policy – both in relation to           safeguarding vulnerable adults (and children where relevant) and as an employee of the           council.   Ensure services are delivered in accordance with the Council’s Equal Opportunities           and Environmental Policies.

15      Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post.  Maintain and           update own technical knowledge and continuous professional development.

16.      Maintain registration with the Social Work England.

17.   Adhere to both the Council’s Code of Conduct and the Social Work England Code of Practice at all times.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE:       Social Worker                                       POST NUMBER: DEPARTMENT: Community Services                                 GRADE:                           Adults Social Care Division

Note to Candidates

The Person Specification is a picture of the skills, knowledge and experience needed to carry out the job.  It has been used to draw up the advert and will also be used in the shortlisting and interview process for this post. Those categories marked 'S' will be used especially for the purpose of shortlisting. If you are a disabled person, but are unable to meet some of the job requirements specifically because of your disability, please address this in your application.  If you meet all the other criteria you will be shortlisted and we will explore jointly with you if there are ways in which the job can be changed to enable you to meet the requirements.

Equal Opportunities

Commitment to implement the Council’s Equal Opportunities policies.   S1 Awareness of Equal Opportunities issues in an adult social care context. S2

Knowledge

A basic understanding and awareness of the underpinning legislation for provision of adult social care services to vulnerable adults  S3 Knowledge of personalisation in Adult Social Care and central government guidance for self directed support for vulnerable adults S4 Knowledge of preventative and enablement approaches that improve independence S5 Knowledge of equality issues effecting the provision of adult services. S6 A knowledge of the care and support needs of people who are vulnerable. A knowledge of adult safeguarding policy, procedure and practice S7 An understanding of evidence based social work practice and its application with adult social care services. S8 Knowledge of approaches to risk management in social work and social care S9 An awareness of eligibility criteria and how these are applied. S10 An awareness of charging policies and the use of Resource Allocation Systems to determine personal budgets S11

Aptitude

Able to work effectively as a caseworker to ensure the best outcomes for service users Able to identify risk in an individual case work situation and to develop a risk management plan in accordance with local policies and procedures Able to hold casework responsibility with regular supervision

Able to follow council financial procedures and any statutory requirements in relation to the administration of council resources to meet needs

Skills

IT skills across a range of systems and tools e.g. social care client database, e-mail, internet based programmes, word processing, financial database. Good writing skills in order to record casework and prepare complex reports Has good communication skills and is able to relate well to service users, families and other professionals.

Experience Has at least 2 years pre or post qualification experience working in social care or social work with adult service users.

S12 Experience of working with service users who have complex needs that require frequent interventions to support their changing needs. S13 Some experience of working in the context of adult safeguarding and the management of risk. S14 Experience working with service users who are “difficult to reach” who have been socially excluded. S15 Experience working with service users and their families where there is an extensive breadth/depth of need and economic deprivation. S16 Experience of working with service users and advocates where the service user does not have mental capacity. S17

General Education

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF QUALIFICATIONS ARE AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT ORIGINAL CERTIFICATES ONLY WILL BE ACCEPTED, THESE WILL BE VERIFIED AT START OF APPOINTMENT.

Qualified and Registered Social Worker   S18

Personal Qualities Able to think and act clearly when working under considerable pressure.

Commitment to underpinning ethical values of service delivery to vulnerable adults, and the principles of personalised social care provision

Circumstances Able to attend occasional evening/ weekend meetings or appointments if required, and with reasonable notice. Postholder may be required to work public holidays and/or weekends.

Physical

Generally candidates must meet standard Lewisham requirements for the post.