Senior Social Worker - Children Services in Newport

To deliver a high quality social work service to children and their families to achieve positive outcomes in line with the Service's visions and priorities. Social workers provide support and enablement to develop resilience and independence, ensuring children and their families are at the centre of decision‑making about their lives and the outcomes they want to achieve without compromising their safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct social work service to children and families identified as needing care and support, following statutory, national and regional policies and guidelines.
• Work in partnership and develop effective relationships with colleagues, other social service sections, private and voluntary sector, health and emergency services to deliver an integrated response to meeting need.
• Build effective relationships with children, families and carers to identify and meet needs and safeguard the rights of the individual.
• Maintain professional accountability for resource allocation in accordance with service criteria, legislation, financial and other regulations of the council.
• Ensure an early and effective response to concerns or complaints.
• Support children and families/carers to actively participate in the development of the service.
• Prepare appropriately for and contribute effectively to meetings; chair where required; quality‑assure the record/minutes, particularly for Care and Support Plan review meetings, MASMs and Child Protection Core Group Meetings.
• Prepare written reports for a range of purposes, ensuring they are accurate, coherent, complete and up‑to‑date, containing detailed analysis when required.
• Attend team meetings and contribute to the development of the service.
• Maintain a specific caseload of varied complexity.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Qualification in Social Work (Degree in Social Work or recognised predecessor such as DipSW).
• Registered with Social Care Wales as a Social Worker and re‑register at three‑year intervals.
• At the end of Year 2 having completed the first year in practice, be able to demonstrate an initial consolidation of Social Work practice.
• Completed the Continued Professional Education and Learning (CPEL) Consolidation Programme by the time you are 3 years post‑qualified.
• Evidence of Right to Work in the UK, evidence of registration with Social Care Wales, two satisfactory references covering three years of employment.
• Enhanced DBS clearance (Standard DBS check and enhanced clearance due to one‑to‑one contact with service users and carers).
• Ability to travel within assigned localities and respond to service needs outside your locality as required.
• Effective understanding of the culture, health and social needs of the locality to inform practice.

Special Working Conditions

• When working alone (face‑to‑face service at various locations around Denbighshire or in clients' own homes) must work within the parameters of the Lone Working Policy and be aware of health and safety.
• Work on the duty system rots as set out by the relevant manager.
• Respond to service needs outside of your locality as and when required by the management team.

Employment Checks and Screening

• DBS Check is required for this role due to one‑to‑one contact with service users and carers.
• All new starters undergo standard safer recruitment checks: DBS clearance, two satisfactory references covering three years of employment, evidence of essential qualifications, evidence of Right to Work in the UK, evidence of registration with Social Care Wales.

Equal Opportunity and Safeguarding

Denbighshire County Council recognises its obligations to safeguard children together with preventing slavery and human trafficking and will do all in its power to prevent slavery and human trafficking within its business. Safeguarding is everyone’s business and all Denbighshire employees are required to work in accordance with the Council's Child Safeguarding policies.