Social Worker

Job Purpose:
To undertake a range of statutory duties in accordance with the Children Act 1989,
focussing on children in need of support and protection.
Working as a Senior Practitioner you will provide supervision, guidance and
challenge to less experienced workers, promoting good practice, good performance
and a shared responsibility for the wider safeguarding agenda through the provision
of high quality social work interventions and effective liaison with local partners.
Main duties and responsibilities:
* You will be a DIPSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent Social Work graduate with
Social Work England registration.
* You will deputise for the Team Manager and / or represent the Adolescent
Service at key partnership forums.
* You will carry a number of complex cases, completing assessments of need,
planning appropriate resources and monitoring and reviewing plans in line
with the policy framework.
* You will work closely with 16/17yr old young people who present as
homeless and rapidly respond to ensure early and effective intervention to
prevent homelessness.
* You will be responsible for chairing Child In Need meetings, Co-ordinating
multi agency risk meetings, completing Joint Housing Assessments with
District Councils, and supporting social workers to provide effective
interventions for young people. You may also need to support young people
as they become Looked After, attending Looked After Child reviews,
completing Care Plans and Pathway Plans.
* You will provide informal and supervisory support to less experienced and
qualified workers in the team and to contribute to the development of the team
(eg chairing case mapping meetings, complex case discussions etc)
* Via direct work with families, mentoring and coaching other, less experienced
staff, you will promote a practice philosophy which seeks to empower service
users, build on individual strengths, and develop strategies which support
them to understand, manage and respond to risk and to ensure assessments
and plans reflect this.
* You will shape and develop practice standards within the service, by
contributing to the development of new initiatives through attendance or
leadership on working groups, multi agency forums, training courses etc and
acting as lead for identified service initiatives, to develop current and new
ways of working that meet service requirements.
* You will work collaboratively with a range of services and partners such as
Health, Education, YOT, Police, Housing, and Local Housing Providers to
reduce the likelihood of harm and promote life outcomes.
* You will promote and actively utilise holistic and whole family approaches to
achieve best social work practice, using evidence based practice to exemplify
this standard.
* You will maintain awareness of changes in legislation and related policies and
practices and ensure all social work staff are also informed of these changes
to enable consistent and timely implementation.
* You will have a clear understanding of functional constraints, and the
importance to continue to deliver high quality services to young people
through times of austerity.

Connect2Staff/Connect2Kent, part of Commercial Services Trading/Kent Ltd, is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business and positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.