Social Worker in Colwyn Bay

To deliver a high quality social work service to adults who are deemed vulnerable or needing support due to an impairment that is either physical or mental and the impairment has a substantial long term effect on the individual's ability to carry out day to day activities. You will need to work with the citizen, carers and families to provide support and to develop resilience and independence, ensuring that the citizen, families and carers are at the centre of decision making about their lives and the outcomes that they want to achieve.

Duties and Responsibilities - Job Specific

• Provide a direct social work service to Adults with Disabilities in accordance with statute, national and regional policies and guidelines, incorporating an outcome focussed approach helping service users to acquire, re-acquire, maintain or develop their independent living skills, identifying appropriate service responses at different levels of independence to achieve this.
• Work in partnership and develop effective relationships with colleagues in other Social Services areas, private and voluntary sector, Health and Emergency services to deliver an integrated response to meeting need.
• Build effective relationships and work in partnership with citizens and their families/carers to identify and meet needs and ensure that the rights of the individual are safeguarded.
• Ensure that the statutory timescales for assessment and review are met.
• Use Person Centred Planning approaches, to support the effective participation of citizens in the assessment, care planning and review processes, ensuring they are at the centre of the decision making.
• Respond to safeguarding concerns in accordance with the Wales Interim Policy and Procedure for POVA and the All Wales Child Protection Procedures.
• Carry out Safeguarding investigations, Child protection investigations and complete risk assessments.
• Contribute to the preparation and presentation of reports and plans at Strategy meetings and reviews for adults.
• Work in partnership with Community Wellbeing services, developing knowledge and awareness of what is available to ensure access to a range of early and preventative interventions which are community based.
• Maintain professional accountability for the allocation of resources in accordance with service criteria, legislation, financial and other regulations of the council.
• Ensure an early and effective response to concerns or complaints from citizens or other agencies.
• Support citizens and their carers/families to actively participate in the development of the service.
• Prepare appropriately for and contribute effectively to meetings.
• Chair meetings where required, quality assuring the record/minutes of these meetings. This applies particularly to MDT meetings and care and support plan review meetings.
• Prepare written reports for a range of purposes, ensuring they are accurate, coherent, complete and up to date.
• Attend team meetings and contribute to the development of the service.
• Maintain a specific caseload of varied complexity.
• Use research, theory, evidence based practice and other problem solving methodology in achieving good outcomes for citizens.
• Maintain good recording practices, ensuring records are accurate, coherent, up to date and completed in a timely manner.
• Ensure casework is effectively planned and outcome focussed with the citizen, their family and carers fully represented.
• Ensure that time specific tasks are completed within timescale, and act upon telephone, electronic and written communications received in a timely manner.
• Immediately bring to the attention of the Team Manager, and in their absence or as appropriate the Section Manager, any matters of concern or special interest and seek guidance and support with complex decision making.
• Promote anti-discriminatory practices and act in a non-oppressive way towards service users, carers and colleagues.
• Provide a positive role model in relation to conduct within the workplace including good workload and time management.
• Exercise responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act and respond promptly and robustly in relation to these regulations.
• To assist with Duty system as and when necessary and to undertake back up on a regular basis.
• Transport/accompany citizens to appointments etc., following appropriate risk assessment.

Professional Development

• You must maintain your professional registration and comply with post-registration training and learning, continue in professional education and learning, and fitness to practise requirements.
• Prepare for and participate in professional supervision and performance development reviews to support personal development and adherence to professional standards.
• Attend training and seminars designed to develop the personal and professional expertise of the post and disseminate knowledge and learning to colleagues across the service as appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities - Corporate

• To be responsible for establishing good working relationships both internally and externally.
• Compliance with the Authority's Policies and Procedures and to make known to Senior Officers any areas which are not adequately covered.
• To participate actively in supporting the Authority's principles and practices of equality of opportunity as laid down within the Equalities Policy.
• To be responsible for the application of Health & Safety practices within the daily operations, sharing a common responsibility for Health & Safety across the department, directorate and Authority as a whole.
• Employees will be required to give certain information relating to themselves in order that the Authority may properly carry out its duties, rights and obligations as an employer. The Authority will process and control such data principally for personnel, administrative and payroll purposes.
• As a term of your employment and in order to maintain effective departmental operations, you may be required to undertake any other reasonable task, commensurate with your grade, as determined by your Line Manager or Head of Service.
• We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable groups. All Council employees are expected to be aware of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy and their responsibility to report any concerns in the appropriate manner and timescales.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registered with Social Care Wales.
• CPEL consolidation award.
• Evidence of post qualification learning or achievements, e.g. Approved Mental Health Practitioner, Best Interest Assessor, Experienced Practitioner.
• 3 years post qualification experience.
• Knowledge of relevant current legislation and guidance for the post including Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2016.
• Knowledge and experience of the Service User group who access support from the Disability Service/Team.
• Knowledge of Person Centred Planning approaches.
• Ability to work with service users to develop appropriate, effective and sustainable responses to meeting need using a range of resources available.
• Experience of complex case work.
• Experience of using Safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to think clearly and convey thought, ideas and opinions in a concise and structured way.
• Ability to use departmental and corporate policies and procedures to support the delivery of services.
• Good verbal and written communication skills, including writing reports.
• Ability to prepare accurate, coherent report and records in a timely manner.
• Ability to work independently and to plan and manage own time.
• IT literate - ability to use a range of Microsoft packages.
• The ability to communicate in English is essential.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the Welsh culture.
• The ability to communicate in Welsh is essential.

Supervision & Management

• Ability to mentor and support newly qualified Social Workers.
• Ability to work as an effective member of a team.
• Ability to work flexibly, prioritising case work and high turnover of work to meet service demands.

Creativity & Innovation

• Utilise an evidence based best practice approach to social work interventions.
• Develop innovative responses to meeting identified needs.
• Ability to make recommendations on service improvements.
• Commitment to the involvement of service users in service development.
• Flexible and able to contribute positively to change.

Contacts & Relationships

• Effectively represent the department at all times.
• Ability to effectively Chair a range of multi-disciplinary meetings.
• Develop networks, and maintain multi agency partnership working to meet individual need.
• Experience of both dealing with people in crisis, and working in a planned and prepared way.
• Ability to work in a non-judgemental and reflective way, to review and evaluate one's own practice as part of self-development.
• Promote anti-discriminatory and non-oppressive practice.
• Ability to negotiate and resolve informal complaints on behalf of the service.
• Experience of joint working with Police through achieving best evidence (children services specific).

Decisions / Recommendations

• Ability to make accurate assessments of need and make appropriate recommendations for the allocation of resources.
• Make decisions/recommendations on behalf of the Council within area of responsibility e.g. Provision of social work service and resources, safeguarding.
• Advise Team Manager of key issues and risks including risk management options.

Resources

• Mobile Phone, Laptop.
• An understanding of the role of the Independent Sector and the Voluntary Sector, in meeting the needs of citizens and their carers.
• Knowledge/experience of Local provisions that can be utilized in order to meet the safety and wellbeing needs of citizens.
• Knowledge of the Welfare Benefits system with particular reference to the benefits available to the citizens within this service area.
• Ability to identify and organise resources that can meet needs, for example group sessions.

Physical Demands

• Personal strategies for working within a demanding work setting.
• A current driving licence and the use of a vehicle or the ability to travel across and beyond the County to fulfil work demands.
• Ability to transport service users.