Child to Adult Team Social Worker

To provide a comprehensive social work service for children with disabilities and their families. The post will be expected to work in a variety of settings within a framework of relevant legislation and procedures, supporting children, young people, families and groups within the community. The Child to Adult Team is a specialist team that will require a post holder to work across both adults and children's social work practice and legislative requirements, ensuring the child/young person receives continuity of support from the same practitioner throughout their involvement. Social Workers will take responsibility for a caseload according to qualifications and experience and be expected to deliver social work support to the highest standards.

Principal Accountabilities

• To form, develop and maintain professional relationships with children and young people with disabilities and their families through direct casework, supervision, shared activity and counselling, in such a way that the child/young person's family's needs are met.
• To provide a service, which meets primary needs, promotes development, and assists behavioural difficulties and vulnerabilities.
• To identify and assess risk of abuse, failure to protect, or harm to children.
• To advise senior managers as to any concerns in respect of children/young people with particular reference to there being at risk of abuse or harm.
• To identify, contribute to and suggest ideas for good practice and its development, and to take a lead in a special area of responsibility.
• To value, recognise and respect the diversity, expertise and experience of individuals, families and carers and enable them to make informed decisions and express their needs.
• To challenge discrimination, disadvantage and other forms of inequality, injustice and oppressive practice.
• To maximise the financial and material resources available to service users and carer(s) from all possible sources and ensure value for money care packages.
• Ensure that service users and carers are aware of the Department's Complaints procedures.
• To understand the changing culture, health and social needs of the locality to inform current and future practice and service provision.
• To establish good practice by example.
• To provide verbal and written information to aid care planning activities and to provide evidence for assessment of need and care plan approaches.
• To implement designated actions from care plans.
• To gather and interpret information on agreed criteria related to the care of a client or implementation of procedures.
• To lead meetings to define care planning activities and to evaluate evidence for assessment of need and care plan approaches.
• To set up mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating delegated actions from care plans.
• To derive and interpret information related to the care of a service user or implementation of procedures.
• To communicate effectively and in the best interests of the client in case conferences, planning meetings, discussions with clients/families, inter-agency personnel, team members and in staff supervision.
• If required, to give evidence in court in relation to care.
• To work within established protocols, negotiate expectations/roles in liaison with others, e.g. in the key worker role / in multi-agency working.
• To represent the Team as required on behalf of a service user - this includes representing individuals and the dept/team in meetings/conference.
• To attend child protection meetings.
• To appropriately challenge the judgements and decisions of others where there is evidence that the needs of those you are working with are not being met.

Administration & Record-keeping

• To produce clear, precise and understandable records, reports and other documentation within the framework of record-keeping laid down by the Department and Team Management including the preparation and provision of specialist reports as required.
• To ensure that legislation and procedures are adhered to.
• To monitor and check standards.

Service Improvement ideas & Implementation of Changes

• To contribute ideas on improvements to system and service delivery based on a monitored approach.
• To update self on professional developments, and continually improve own skills and manage own professional development.
• To adhere to all policies and procedures of the Team, the Department and the Local Authority, with particular regard to Health & Safety, Lone Working Policy, Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
• To identify, contribute to and suggest ideas for good practice and their development.
• To implement agreed principles of good practice.

Person Specification

• Professional Qualification — Social Work Degree Qualification Essential
• Knowledge and Experience — The post holder needs to be knowledgeable and understand the following:

• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Social Services and Well Being Act (2014) Wales
• Mental Health Act
• Children and Adoption Act 2005
• Health and Safety Legislation
• Mental Capacity Act
• Human Rights Act
• All Wales Child Protection Procedures
• Domestic Violence Legislation
• Adult Care Social Care Legislation and Procedures.

Essential Experience of liaising with external agencies. Ability to work under general guidance and direction to ensure outcomes are met. A high standard of communication skills - verbal and written. Ability to work as part of a team.