Senior Social Worker - Fostering Kinship in Surrey

Our client Surrey council is looking for a Senior Social Worker to join their Fostering Kinship Team. Specific areas of work will vary depending on the team but will include:

• Triage of contacts to the service to ascertain whether contacts from families, members of the community and partner organisations meet the threshold for a statutory social work assessment of significant impairment of a child's health/development or significant harm, with appropriate information from referrers and the consent of the family (except when over-ridden by a team manager to protect a child from further significant harm).
• Provide an assessment of the needs of family members, their strengths and any risks to children's health/development or significant harm to the child/ren and develop SMART plans that will meet the needs of family members and reduce risks to children, in conjunction with children and their families.
• Work with partners to meet those needs and monitor progress via child in need and core group meetings involving families, young people and relevant professionals.
• Conduct child protection investigations where a multi-agency strategy discussion considers there are grounds to believe the child has or is likely to suffer significant harm and involve families in developing plans for change which will reduce the risk of significant harm and keep children in their families wherever possible.
• Where children cannot be adequately cared for within their families or their families cannot be engaged to access services that would support them to change and the significant harm threshold is reached, initiate discussions to seek agreement for s20 or initiate planned or emergency legal proceedings to ensure children are protected in line with departmental policy, procedures and relevant legislation.
• Work with colleagues in commissioning, fostering and adoption to identify high quality placements for children that will promote keeping children with their siblings and engage in timely care planning so children are placed in stable long-term homes where their health and development as well as education and training needs are supported and they can strengthen their resilience to lead a happy and stable adult life.

Casework Management

• Take professional responsibility as directed for managing a caseload which will include individuals, children, families and carers who require support and guidance. Enable them to identify their needs and plan support to meet those needs using the full range of options, seeking advice and support where appropriate. Demonstrate confident and effective judgement about risk and accountability in decision making.

Assessment and Review

• Use assessment procedures discerningly in response to the presenting needs and to ensure that a proportionate assessment is completed in a way that enables maximum participation.

Advice and Guidance

• Provide information, advice and guidance in line with current national legislation and to recognise the need for, and appropriately signpost to other agencies, services or providers.

Safeguarding

• Understand the forms of harm and their impact on people and be able to identify safeguarding concerns. Where relevant and with support undertake assessment and planning for safeguarding.

Staff Development

• Share and present professional knowledge and expertise with colleagues within the team. When appropriate provide professional reflective supervision to staff who are not professionally qualified.

Benefits of working with Remedy

• A personal one-one service from your highly experienced dedicated consultant.
• Top tier supplier across London giving us first access to jobs.
• Referral bonus - up to £250* per person placed.
• Double payrolls each week.

*Terms & Conditions apply. You will be required to fully register with Remedy for all locum positions. Remedy Social Care is an APSCo Standard agency and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the vulnerable. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the DBS. Our objective is to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from everyone with suitable skills and ability regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief. All applications will be accepted and reviewed solely on merit.