Social Worker

Job Description

Job Title: Social WorkerHours of work: 37Duration: 3 months on going37 hours Mon to Fri (09:00:AM - 05:00:PM)£30 - 35 PHLocation: Flexible between home and office.Job Purpose and Role

• To provide a high quality and effective social work service to respond to the needs of children and their families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines.

• To assess need, plan and deliver focused intervention to safeguard children and promote positive outcomes.

• ·To undertake varied and complex casework in relation to adoption.

• To work collaboratively with colleagues in the Councils/Trust participating in the Regional Adoption Agency and other partners to drive a seamless service across the adoption system and promote the best outcomes for children and families.

Principal Duties and ResponsibilitiesCasework

• To adhere to and use the Behaviours and Guiding principles framework for Children & Young People Services in everyday working practice.

• To understand the context of child development, parenting capacity and family and environmental factors in which to establish the needs of an individual child.

• To provide written and verbal reports which are concise, informative and based on analysis of complex evidence.

• To provide focused and purposeful social work interventions with explicit aims and objectives about desired outcomes within the context of supporting prospective adopters, adopters and adoptive families and managing risk to children.

• To adopt a restorative practice approach in all areas of work.

• To participate in a duty system as required.

• To use research findings and statutory guidance to inform social work practice.

• To assess prospective adopters’ suitability to become adopters.

• To assess adopters’ suitability to be matched with a specific child or children considering all the child’s assessed long term needs.

• To develop and manage adoption support plans for all children and families who require them in line with Statutory guidance and policies and procedures.

• To assess and utilise cash limited budgets in order to commission services and assistance from other sources.

• To build a professional relationship with prospective adopters, adopters, children and their families and to use that relationship to safeguard children and promote positive outcomes.

• To respond in a timely manner to all contacts from children, prospective adopters, adopters and birth families.

• To deal promptly and sensitively to complaints from service users within the framework of the Council’s Complaints Procedure.

• To provide guidance and direction to family support workers and administrative officer regarding case work.

• To maintain an up to date working knowledge of legislation, statutory frameworks and codes of practice relevant to the department in order to ensure that statutory responsibilities are undertaken for children. These duties to include visiting children,arranging reviews, reporting to the court, delivering within timescales and meeting any other national and local

performance targets.

• To ensure that case files are well organised, up to date and provide concise and accurate information about a child’s circumstances and plans.

• To comply with statutory guidelines for joint working, including the DfEsWorking Together, the Children Act 2004 and the City of Wolverhampton Safeguarding Procedures.

Integrated Working

• ·To work collaboratively with colleagues in the Councils/Trust participating in the Regional Adoption Agency and other partners to drive a seamless service across the adoption system.

• To develop effective working relationships with partner agencies at all times, where appropriate taking on the role of link worker for specific agencies.

• To assist colleagues in carrying out statutory requirements and other work as required.

• To offer support, guidance and consultation to colleagues and partner agencies both in relation to statutory work and adoption work. To work closely with colleagues in both casework and other activities, including delivery of group work with higher tiercases.

YOU MUST HAVE:

• A Social Work qualification
• Professional registration with Social Work England or equivalent
• Proven ability to produce a high standard of report writing
• A comprehensive working knowledge of relevant legislation and child safeguarding procedures
• Ability to work in partnership with placing authorities.
• Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with young people and adults
• Confidence with transporting children and young people in sometimes stressful/difficult situations
• The willingness and ability to travel extensively (including occasional nights away)
• Full driving licence