Social Worker: Sponsorship Available

Wiltshire Council

Job Summary

Children and Young Peoples Disability Team – Transforming Young Lives

This is an opportunity to be part of a team that values your experience and dedication! Our vibrant Children and Young People Disability team, within our Outstanding Childrens services, is on the lookout for a passionate and experienced Social Worker.

We’re searching for someone who is excited to contribute to our innovative service, where children, young people, and families are placed at the forefront of our mission.

Main duties of the job

Operating across the picturesque landscapes of Wiltshire, our 0-18 disability social work service is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those who require ongoing support.

As a vital member of our team, you’ll forge close working relationships within children’s services and the 18-25 moving on service, facilitating seamless transitions for young individuals.

The role encompasses regular travel across the county, ensuring accessibility and support where it is needed most.

Our commitment to your professional growth is evident from our employee benefits we offer, ranging from flexible work arrangements to clear career progression opportunities.

If you have at least 2 years of experience with Children in Need, Looked After Children, their families, or foster carers, or expertise in supporting vulnerable adults and developing supported living options for young adults, we want to hear from you!

This position comes with a 10% market supplement payment. All market supplement payments are subject to review on an annual basis.

About us

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

Job description

Job responsibilities

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

To undertake for children and young adults person-centred social work/community care assessment with customers and to plan for the provision of support and/ or services with customers in order to assist them 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 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 Childrens 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 Departments 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 childs 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 base, 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.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Professional Social Work qualification.
  • Social Work England registered.
  • 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 impact for 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.
  • A minimum 2 years experience of direct work with CIN, LAC and their families and foster carers; Or,
  • A minimum 2 years experience of direct work with vulnerable adults and developing ordinary life, supported living options for young 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.
  • Permanency planning-Form Fs, CPR, CP, LAC, PARs reports, matching/linking tool; Or,
  • Experience of Mental Capacity Assessments, DOLs, Best Interest Decisions.
  • Case conference (High Risk) assessments/s47/Risk Assessments(fostering/LAC/CP); Or,
  • Experience of adult safeguarding.
  • Knowledge and evidence of assessment skills, including engaging with users of services, other professionals and agencies to achieve a holistic assessment.
  • Ability to chair meetings-CIN, Core groups, PEPs, Placement meetings, Preparation for Adulthood meetings.
  • Ability to professionally challenge strategy discussions, fostering supervision visits, case conferences, Multi-Disciplinary meetings.
  • Excellent report writing skills.
  • Proven organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise work, manage own time effectively and
  • meet deadlines.
  • High quality performance at multiagency meetings/panels-minutes, decisions, reports.
  • 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 evidenced 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 creative approach to such problems.
  • Ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships within and outside the department.
  • Ability to produce reports to required standard on time.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to accurately calculate the cost of care support.
  • Fluent in English Language.

Desirable

  • Training qualification.
  • Understanding of Person Centred Planning.
  • Experience of foster care and family placement work.
  • Experience of Mentoring NQSW.
  • Experience of supervising student placements.
  • Supervision of staff, e.g. family support worker or sessional worker.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 31 December 2024

To apply for this job please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk.