Social Worker

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The In-House Social Worker’s (IHSW) support the Service Manager in upholding a high quality standard of service to all stakeholders. The main responsibilities in doing so include:

• Wraparound Case Management

Case management at KPMS is defined as: ‘the collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, support coordination, evaluation and advocacy that meet our young people’s comprehensive needs, through communication and available resources to achieve risk reduction, and positive outcomes towards independence.’

• Compiling comprehensive Assessment and Development Plans as per policy
• Completing weekly support plans and session plans to progress young people on the Independence Programme
• Assessing the young people against the IP assessment tool and reporting on this quarterly
• Responding to environmental support needs (including wilful damage, self-neglect) as part of the young people’s support plans. Regularly reviewing the young people’s bedrooms and standards of these, reflecting the changes needed within the ADP
• Coordinating all aspects of young people’s support, including visits and appointments, ensuring they are afforded the best opportunity for successful outcomes
• Promoting our psychologically informed environment in all assessments and interactions.
• Communicate changes in risks to the Local Authority in line with the relevant procedures, ensuring communication and assessments are professional and reflective of our ethos

• Safeguarding, Supervision and Reporting

KPMS has a number of policies in place to uphold safeguarding responsibilities. In conjunction with these, IHSW duties include:

• Raise safeguarding concerns on an immediate basis and seek consultation and direction from the Service Manager for guidance
• Internally raise complaints and allegations for direction from the Service Manager for next steps, following the Allegations and Complaints policy at all times
• Review incident reports and the handling of each incident to consider all stakeholders
• Attend all supervision sessions, clinical supervision groups and case conferences

• New Referrals and Placement Retention

The IHSW’s are responsible for ensuring the LA and young person understand KPMS’ programme of support; with aligned boundaries and expectations. Duties include:

• Formally assessing referral information as a ‘first line’ response to incoming referrals
• Chairing and coordinating all allocated move ins (during working hours) carefully following the move in procedures
• Organising and holding Placement Agreement Meetings within 48 working hours of a move in, ensuring all necessary agreements are in place for a successful placement start, including agreeing and confirming outcomes for the placement in line with what has been commissioned
• Observe and gain an understanding of the young person for a psychological profile to be built, including gathering information from all relevant professionals
• For non-allocated cases, support the allocated IHSW with new move ins to ensure team support to colleagues
• Engage positively with and support the on-site team working with young people, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to engage and support them adequately
• Understand and identify risks to placement stability and act quickly to coordinate a plan to attempt to stabilise placements/coordinate necessary move on plans
• ‘Begin with the end in mind’ – be aware of all move on plans for allocated cases and actively work towards this to provide value for money for the LA and to prevent placement progress stagnating

• Maintaining Client Relations

The IHSW should be abreast with the client’s current feedback on the service and ensure their expectations are managed at all times. In doing so they will:

• Maintain and consider client relationships and how KPMS is presented in all meetings, telephone and email correspondence, attending all case related meetings when necessary
• Adhere to KPMS communication policies and ensure all decisions are in line with the programme goals
• Provide annual leave cover for IHSW colleagues to maintain continuity of service
• Elicit and act on feedback from placing LA to improve service delivery

• Statutory Responsibilities

From April 2023, Ofsted will be regulating Supported Accommodation and there will be regulations to follow. Additionally, KPMS must uphold commissioning expectations from the LA in terms of what service has been purchased. The IHSW’s role in supporting the LA’s statutory responsibilities is to:

• Ensure young person’s statutory meetings are coordinated and booked in advance (and present in the KPMS calendar)
• Ensure each young person has a move on plan agreed with the LA
• Ensure each young person has an education plan
• Ensure each young person is registered with health services (or an adequate plan with evidence) including adherence to LAC health protocols
• Ensure each young person’s environment is subject to Health and Safety checks in line with policies and procedures
• Be fully conversant with Ofsted regulations, monitoring the service for noncompliance and reporting this to the Service Manager
• Ensure reporting guidelines are adhered to (for example, incident reporting timescales) and all stakeholders are considered
• Use the live updates system and case files to accurately document all case discussions, decisions and updates
• Ensure all young people’s files are ‘audit ready’ in line with policy
• Be fully conversant with relevant social care legislation with particular attention focused on the Children’s Act 1989, Leaving Care Act 2000, The Data Protection Act 1998, Care Leavers Regulations 2010, Children and Young Persons Act 2008, Children’s Act 2004
• Positively engage in all inspections (LA and Ofsted led) and support the head office team in preparation for these

• General Duties

Ensure that services are provided in accordance with the Organisation’s Statements, Policies and Procedures. The above duties are neither exclusive or exhaustive and the Post Holder may be required to carry out other such duties as per the needs of the service relevant to their experience and competence.