Job Profile

Job Title: Social Worker / Grade:PO1/2
Group/family: / Social Care

Additional specific details apply to:

Directorate: Adult and Community Services / Team:Social Care Team
Reports to (role title): Senior Social Worker

Please note that all capitalised section headings denotes where generic content is provided which is standard for all roles with the same job title. Lower case section headings denote where content is varied to provide specific additional directorate/team information.

CONTEXT

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRuT) is divided into four Directorates. Adult and Community Services is the largest directorate and coversadult social care services, Public Health, housing, in-house care provision, transport, joint strategic commissioning (with the CCG) and some corporate and strategic functions. For the year 2013/14, the council has a total net budget of £108million; Adult Community Services has responsibility for £72million

The role sits within the Commissioning Care Services (CCS) which is one of 5 divisions within the directorate. The Locality Manager reports to one of 3 Heads of service and has responsibility for the operational service delivery of the localities adult social care provision. A significant part of these this role requires effective partnership and integrated working with health provider and commissioner organisations.

LBRuTis continually reviewing its structures and ways of working in order to provide the best services possible for residents, in the most efficient way. As a result the key tasks in any job may be varied and the post holder will be expected to take on such variations consistent with the level of responsibility of the post.

Context for the specific role

This role sits within a multi professional locality social care team. The core functions include assessment, support planning, long term support arrangements, and review for clients in the community with complex needs. The post holder will be required to carry out Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Investigations, Mental Capacity Assessments and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Best Interest Assessments.

The London Borough of Richmond is committed to support the development of newly qualified social workers and the on-going professional development of experienced social workers. Any successful candidate who is a newly qualified social worker will be supported to complete the Assessed & Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) course through a local university in their first year of employment. It will be a contractual requirement to pass the ASYE course to continue practising as a social worker in the borough. Experienced social workers will have a variety of professional development opportunities through local in-house training and Post Qualification courses at the local university.

  1. PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Social Worker is responsible for ensuring the provision of statutory, personalised outcome focussed services for adults. This includes the assessment of individual need, the design and review of creative and innovative support plans, and negotiating funding for services with an emphasis on promoting independence. In addition, the social worker plays a key role in safeguarding adults who are at risk and/or have been harmed and in the implementation of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard.

Job content is listed below, in order of importance:

  1. To undertake statutory intervention, in accordance with the Inter-Agency Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding Adults where residents are at risk or have been harmed.
  1. To regularly review service users needs, monitor the support arrangements and adjust where necessary to ensure that services continue to meet the individual’s needs and deliver best value.
  1. To undertake multi-disciplinary assessments of individual and carers needsand risks to encourage independence, provide support and prevent harm. This includes promoting a multi-agency approach by developing and maintaining effective working relationships.
  1. To design creative, person centred support services which may involve facilitating service user’s choice to use independent support brokers.
  1. To provide continuing advice and support for service users and carers to maximise their independence, choice and control through good partnership working. This may include the use of advocacy services to promote economic and social well being.
  1. To apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice and respect diversity.
  1. To hold a caseload appropriate to the level of expertise and provide support and expert advice to social care assessors, students and partners.
  1. To have an in-depth understanding of social work theory, adult health and social care legislation and effectively apply them in practice.
  1. To apply critical reflection and analysis to inform professional decisions and use supervision to promote continuous professional development.
  1. To ensure that information is recorded consistently, accurately and meets statutorytimescales. To ensure that service user confidentiality is maintained and that information is shared with the service user, carers and other agencies in accordance with the Department’s data protection requirements.
  1. Any other duties arising from the Care Act.

These are the key responsibilities as currently defined. Although there is an attempt to list them in priority order, priorities are subject to change and post holders should not place permanent emphasis on the location of the task within this job description.

  1. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Not Applicable

  1. ORGANISATION CHART

  1. VALUES AND BEHAVIOUR

Values and Behaviours / Recruitment and Selection
Essential (E)
Interview (I)
Desirable (D)
Application (A)
We take responsibility
Being personally accountable for the quality of social work practice and demonstrate commitment to your on-going professional development / E / I
We find better ways
Apply critical reflection and analysis to inform and provide a rationale for professional decision-making / E / I
We focus on our customers
Respecting the dignity and choices of service users and carers in all decisions about their lives and ensuring that they live a life free from abuse and neglect / E / I
People make the difference
Actively contribute to team development and work positively with colleagues and partners / E / I
  1. EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATION, TRAINING OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Qualification/Training / Recruitment and Selection
A social work qualification and current registration with the GSCC / E / A
Experience / Recruitment and Selection
Some recent experience of working in a statutory Social Care setting, preferably in a multi-disciplinary team, undertaking assessments, support planning and reviews to improve independence. / D / A and I
Experience of successfully engaging in multi-agency safeguarding processes, including undertaking the investigating officer roles and responsibilities / E / A and I
Experience of achieving positive outcome for service users and carers through support planning and reviews which promote independence, choice and control / E / A and I
The ability to effectively manage time and complex, competing demands in a high pressured environment / E / A and I
Ability to use a person centred approach with service users and carers to maintain independence and welling, while balancing risk and empowerment and intervening proportionately / E / A and I
Able to demonstrate effective decision making involving all relevant partners in order to achieve best outcomes for service users and their carers. / E / A and I
Knowledge and Skills / Recruitment and Selection
A sound knowledge of social work policies and theories and adult social care and health legislation / E / A and I
The ability to effectively use supervision to reflect on practice and contribute towards professional development / E / A and I
Effective written and verbal communication and recording skills which demonstrate sound professional judgement. / E / A and I
An ability to use a range of computer software programmes. / E / A and I

This job profile is provided for guidance only. It will be updated and amended in accordance with the changing needs of the Council and the requirements of the role.

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