Adult Social Care Practitioner

  • Gloucestershire County Council
  • Mar 22, 2021
Full time Healthcare & Medical

Job Description

> Social Work Lead (Adults)
Grade: 10
Date updated: May 2020
About the job: Under the direction of the DSCM, Social Work Leads work within our locality, acute or learning disabilities teams. Social Work Leads manage a team of social workers and social care practitioners, taking accountability for the quality of social work practice. Managing this team, Social Work Leads take a lead role in encouraging practitioners to: listen to people and connect them to appropriate community resources; support people in crisis to regain control of their lives and to support individuals to lead the life they choose in line with the Care Act.
This is what we need you to do...
  • Line manage a team of social workers and social care practitioners, including supervision, absence, appraisal and performance management
  • To provide individual/group professional, reflective supervision, and support to others, ensuring that practice is continuously critically reflected upon and improved; modelling best practice and ensuring good outcomes.
  • As required, to sign off temporary funding or service provision
  • Be responsible for completing case audits ensuring that social work practice is continuously improved and compliant with national guidance, legislation and GCC policies and procedures.
  • To work jointly with staff and agencies on highly complex cases, working closely with the senior social worker and wider staffing group to coordinate and manage section 42 enquiries and complex, high risk situations, ensuring there is a positive balance between perceived risk and protection from harm where necessary.
  • Attend or chair relevant meetings (including risk management forums) which require high level professional input or where the social worker may need to be supported, including going to Court.
  • To support with complaint management procedures.
  • To support with recruitment and retention activities, including interviews, shortlisting, induction and probations.
  • As appropriate, to work jointly with commissioning and other agencies to identify service needs and to undertake and support negotiations with care providers around levels of support at an individual and service level
  • Create a culture of continuous professional development, keeping up to date with government guidance and legislation and evidence based practice; taking the lead role in the professional development of social workers and other practitioners through mentoring, coaching, and advice; and where appropriate mentoring newly qualified social workers undertaking their Assessed and Supported Year of Employment, and Practice Education for Student Social Workers.
  • Identify and develop potential within other staff,
  • Promote positive working relationships in and across teams, using strategies for collaboration and contribute to a supportive organisational culture.
  • Contribute to, and implement policy development and decision - making.
  • To take responsibility for obtaining regular, effective supervision from a professional supervisor/manager and appraisal to discuss effective practice, reflection, continuing professional development and career opportunities.
  • To take ownership of and responsibility for delivering against team and individual performance targets. Maintaining an awareness of own professional limitations and knowledge gaps and seeking to address these.
  • To contribute to the development of the service, by leading on specific projects as identified by senior managers, and by communicating new ideas, through means such as briefings, completion of council surveys, and team meetings.
  • Be accountable for own practice ensuring it is of high quality for own development needs
Special Conditions
  • This position is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check, and you will be asked to apply for a Disclosure Certificate if you are offered the position.
  • The nature of this post requires flexibility to meet urgent work needs as they arise. This will inevitably entail work outside of normal working hours and locations across the county.
  • The post holder must hold a clear and valid driving licence or have the ability to travel around the County.
The ideal candidate will have...
Experience of…
  • Social Work with adults within a statutory setting, or evidence of transferable experience within statutory settings.
  • Supervising/mentoring/coaching/training staff, particularly Social Workers or staff within a health and social care setting.
  • Creating a learning culture and environment, where professional and personal development is valued and promoted.
  • Managing in complex, high risk situations, including chairing meetings and court work.
  • Experience in undertaking line management duties, including formal performance of staff and responsibility for financial decisions relating to external care costs to the Local Authority
  • Taking the lead on projects or specific work streams to support with service development
  • Undertaking audit, in order to quality assure practice, and implementing action plans to raise practice standards across teams.
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
  • Recognise the high level of confidentiality required in relation to people, their carers and families and help to manage sufficient security of such information.
  • A proven track record of good interpersonal and communication skills with a range of stakeholders, staff and the public
  • A sound understanding and application of legislative frameworks underpinning adult social care, for example the Care Act, and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Human Rights Act.
  • Understanding of statutory social work, including critical awareness of current issues and new evidence - informed practice research
  • Understanding of funding provision in a social care context and of funding streams within this
  • A critical knowledge of the range of theories and models for social work intervention
  • Significant knowledge and skills relating to safeguarding adult procedures and of managing complex, high risk situations.
  • Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of agencies providing services to adults, their carers and families.
  • Ability to use computerised case recording systems, with good keyboard skills and the ability to use various package
  • Ability to use initiative and work within timescales, to organise own workload and the workload of your team effectively; whilst dealing with competing priorities and fluctuating workloads.
Ability to professionally manage difficult and challenging conversations with a range of stakeholders, staff and the public and seek an appropriate course of action in line with legislative frameworks and GCC policies and procedures.
Behavioural attributes
  • Provides inspirational and credible leadership, prompting the questions to help shape / re-invent the future.
  • Build and own strong relationships politically, externally and internally.
  • Inspire staff and value their efforts and resilience.
  • Have a shared collective ownership.
  • Set boundaries, non negotiables, and hold each other, staff and partners to account whilst encouraging autonomy and conscientious risk taking.
  • Accountability for running the business effectively balancing performance and cost.
  • Removes barriers to effective partnership working, achieving corporate objectives by building on performance and team strengths, through strong relationships both inside and outside the organisation.
  • Actively asks for and considers other people's views and opinions
  • Is available and approachable and takes time to consult and communicate
  • Able to work well as part of a team and on own initiative
  • Acknowledges, respects and responds to individual differences and diversity requirements, recognising discriminatory practices and inequality and is able to appropriately challenge others
  • Works well under pressure
  • Identifies and takes up opportunities for self development
  • Acts with integrity, honesty and impartiality
  • Contributes to the development of the service
  • Ability to operate in a climate of change and to embrace news ways of thinking and working; sustaining and developing own imagination, creativity and curiosity in practice, exploring options to solve dilemmas and problems. Involving people who use services in reflections and creativity wherever possible.
  • Highly organised with a solution focused, logical and innovative approach to challenges.
Education & Qualifications
Essential
  • Social Work qualification
  • Evidence of Assessed and Supported Year in employment (applicable since 2012) or equivalent qualification/statutory experience
  • Social Work registration with professional body in England
  • Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable
  • Management or leadership qualification
  • Post Qualification Social Work training
  • Practice educator or practice supervisor qualification
Monitoring and ongoing development of outcomes
As part of the annual appraisal, outcome based targets will be developed in conjunction with the post holder and will supplement this job profile..... click apply for full job details