G7 - G8 Childrens Services Advanced Progression in Coventry

The principles of progression are underpinned by the Professional Capabilities Framework and the Post Qualifying standards for Child and Family Social Workers. These characterise assessment at progression points and support the expectations outlined within job descriptions at each stage. There are a range of ways in which these capabilities and standards can be evidenced for assessment, including submission of portfolios, presentations and panel interviews.

Advanced Social Workers will be highly skilled and take responsibility for the most complex or high-risk work with children and families, doing so with a high degree of personal accountability and autonomy. The role also includes supporting team members through mentoring, coaching and advancing the expertise and professional competence and confidence of others.

Assessment will be against the criteria below and completion of the Advanced Social Worker Progression Knowledge and Skills application to demonstrate meeting the competencies for progression. The criteria for consideration of appointment to Advanced Social Worker are:

• Demonstrating skills, knowledge and ability to work with the most complex or high-risk work with children and/or young people and their families.
• Some evidence of experience of working with the most complex or high-risk work with children and/or young people and their families.
• Either holding or working towards stage 1 or stage 2 Practice Educator qualification; or evidence of working towards advanced training/learning.
• To have transferable skills to work across children's services and be willing to work in different service areas in children's services, for example Responsive Services, Area teams, Looked After Children & Permanency, CDT, Fostering, Through Care and Quality Assurance Service.

Model and support others to maintain professionalism in delivery of complex work with children and families in complex situations, upholding the values of The Coventry Way and the One Cov values.

The Advanced Progression panel will include:

• Submission of Advanced Social Worker Progression Knowledge and Skills
• Team Managers report to be uploaded as part of application
• Submission of training and development log of training accessed in the past year
• The Social Worker delivering a presentation to Advanced progression panel which covers supporting the progression and development of good practice in others by leading in a specific area of practice
• Interview questions from panel

The new Advanced progression panel will comprise of a minimum:

• Two Operational Leads (outside of the direct service area), one who will chair
• A young person
• HR Officer (optional)

The pass rate will be a minimum 65% with all components equally weighted. The (Chair) Operational Lead will advise the Team Manager and Social Worker of the decision; the decision to progress to an Advanced Social Worker will be subject to the Recruitment Panel confirming approval. Social Workers will have a right to appeal the decision under the Council's corporate Grievance procedure with informal decisions to a Strategic Lead.

A development plan will be produced with the Social Worker if the minimum pass rates are not met to support future development and progression to an Advanced Social Worker. To re-apply for progression a minimum of six months will be required.

We are looking for experienced or senior social workers to join a Help and Protection Team in the East Area of Coventry for 12 months. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.