Case Officer - Req24563

Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best City, working together as a Team for Leeds. Do your values match ours and do you have something to offer?

Leeds City Council delivers over 500 different services to residents and is dedicated to bringing the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant and attractive city to the people of Leeds. This is a fantastic time to join us. 

Benefits of working with us:

We pride ourselves on offering the best employee experience, with a genuine commitment to keeping our colleagues safe and well at work. You can expect great benefits whilst working for us including:

• a competitive pay progression structure including generous employer pension contributions
• flexible career paths with tailored personal and professional development
• support for you, your home and your family including personal, and financial support
• hybrid working arrangements (subject to needs of the role) and a flexitime system

For more information about our benefits please see the benefits section of our jobs page. 

Introduction to the role of the team 

The SkILs Reablement service is a short-term service responsible for supporting people in their homes, to rebuild their confidence and independence and making sure they can live safely. The team helps people to regain the ability where possible, to do everyday activities or with using equipment to help maintain their independence.

The team provides high-quality services for adults in Leeds through an plan of activities that is agreed with customers, which will promote their rights to independence, privacy, wellbeing, and choice. This is an exciting opportunity to join a busy and developing service.

Are you interested in making a difference in people’s lives while working in the health and social care sector? If yes, then we have a job for you.

 Your role 

• To identify people appropriate for the Reablement service
• To identify what support and \ or Equipment a customer will benefit from, to enable someone to remain independently at home or prevent them going to hospital.   
• To liaise with other professionals within LCC and Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust and Leeds Community Health to facilitate someone’s discharge home from hospital. 
• To ensure that the delivery of the service complies with Care Quality Commission requirements.
• To provide line management and guidance to Supervisors and Support Workers.
• To ensure that systems are in place to enable someone to live safely at home by undertaking risk assessments. 
• Where appropriate to signpost someone to other providers or services.
• To respond to rapid changes in customer’s skills and confidence.

What you will bring to the role 

You will be a problem solver, develop positive relationships and make sound judgements, have excellent interpersonal skills and be a natural leader. 

You will be supportive and ambitious with excellent organisational skills. You will be a confident communicator with a can-do approach. 

You will have excellent communication skills and be a team player. You will be motivated and a critical thinker with the ability to understand the needs of your customers.

Leeds City Council is a compassionate employer who is proud to offer the best employee experience. Our employee benefits aim to look after your health and wellbeing, your workplace and your finances. Our shared Values and behaviours help everyone to be their best.

You can read more in the following link Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours  

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. We are also an Age friendly employer, a Mindful employer and a Disability Confident leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period. 

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK  - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job purpose: To oversee the customer journey, assessing reablement needs and developing delivery plans to exit planning. To provide line management and guidance to Supervisors and Support Workers.

Responsibilities 

• To provide line management and supervision to SkILs supervisors.
• To provide day to day support to all SkILs Workers to ensure support with personal and practical daily living activities is delivered in a person-centred way which promotes independence.
• To case manage customers throughout the period of reablement.
• To contribute the planning of the work of the team. 
• To liaise with staff in the Neighbourhood Teams. 
• To monitor and respond to changes in the day-to-day service required in relation to changes in customer needs and circumstances.
• To end reablement plans where the customer is considered to be independent and not in need of an ongoing social care service.
• To review and amend personal outcome plans, with customers, carers/family’s as needs change 
• To make decisions on reablement referrals regarding eligibility and appropriateness.
• To undertake a strength-based conversation with customers and family/carers referred to the service and ensure they have a personal outcome plan for those that progress into the SkILs Service. 
• To agree with the customer, their family and relatives the outcomes they want to achieve.
• To carry out customer and staff risk assessments as determined by the SkILs Manager using standard risk assessment documentation, following training and with access to support.
• To identify customers who can benefit from provision of community equipment and telecare, and act as “trusted assessor” following training and with access to support.
• To ensure where Support Workers and supervisors are involved in supporting customers with medication appropriate records are in place and are used accurately by all Support Workers.
• Identify outcomes with the customer that encourages social inclusion to support them to access local amenities.
• To support customers to access the community outside of their home as part of a reablement plan.
• To be able to use and maintain Microsoft packages, case management systems, staff rostering system and other IT applications.
• To input into electronic customer record systems.
• To promote dignity and well-being and safeguard adults from harm ensuring any safeguarding concerns are reported to line manager.
• To respect the confidential nature of the work and ensure customers and carers are aware of policies relating to the customer’s access to records, and work within the appropriate information sharing agreements.
• To accurately complete all necessary documentation, both written and electronic records and reports as determined by LCC policy and procedures.
• To support hospital discharges, and work alongside the discharge teams within the hospital.
• To attend and participate in meetings training and supervision as required.
• To work flexibly and as part of a team across the city.
• To deliver a high-quality service in line with Care Quality Commission requirements.
• To participate in recruitment of new staff and ensure new starters complete the Care Certificate within 12 weeks of commencement of the post and confirm competencies of workers.
• To actively respect and take into account all cultural religious personal and social needs.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. 
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and appropriate CPD programmes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the values, standards, and equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council. 
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications    

• Candidates to undertake a Level 4 Adults & Health Apprenticeship Diploma within 12 months of commencement of the post

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills required

• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.  
• Ability to pass information effectively, accurately, and concisely between customers, carers, colleagues, the business unit and other agencies.
• Ability to identify the reablement needs of individuals referred to the service.
• Ability to develop a reablement personal outcome plan based on the identified needs.
• Ability to undertake customer reviews, risk assessments and respond to rapid changes in customer’s skills and confidence.
• Ability to accurately complete all necessary documentation, records and reports using the appropriate technology and IT systems.
• Ability to enable customers to make choices about all aspects of their daily lives, in a supporting enabling manner to support customers to achieve their personal outcomes To support with personal care if required. 
• Ability to develop integrated working with other services and agencies both within the council, health and third sector organisations.
• Ability to make quick decisions, to use initiative, lone working, work unsupervised and be adaptable to different work situations.
• Ability to work and communicate with all service user groups, including older people, people who have physical and sensory impairments, people who have mental health problems, people who have learning difficulties, and parents with children, family members.
• Ability to understand the needs of customers from diverse multicultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to approach each customer as an individual and to not make assumptions about people’s abilities or the kind of assistance that they require, whilst respecting their choice and control. 
• Ability to undertake training to act as a trusted assessor for community equipment and telecare.
• Ability to develop working relationships with individual service customers that are based on mutual dignity and respect.
• Ability to carry out supervision, observations, attendance meetings and appraisals.
• Ability to attend and participate in meetings and training as required.
• Ability to work flexibly as required by the service.
• Ability to travel around the city to meet the needs of the service.
• Ability to respond to allegations of harm.
• Ability to work with a variety of electronic communications and technology.
• Able to communicate with individuals with different ability levels including customers with no verbal skills.
• Must have valid driving licence and access to a vehicle

Knowledge required

• Requirement to complete the Care Certificate within 12 weeks of commencement of the post.
• Be Required to undertake the level 4 Diploma within 12 months of commencement into post.
• To have a clear understanding of the function of the SkILs service.
• To demonstrate functional skills in literacy and numeracy at Level 2 or equivalent.
• Knowledge and understanding of the importance of confidentiality and of the duty to respect each customer’s privacy linked to GDPR.
• Awareness of the needs, problems, potential of elderly and disabled people.
• Knowledge of the importance of safeguarding.
• Knowledge of the Care Quality Commission Fundamentals that apply to the delivery of the service.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics 

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities. 
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. 
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council. 
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post.  Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Knowledge required

• To have achieved Health & Social Care level 2 /3 diploma or its predecessor NVQ. 
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of informal carers.
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of other services and agencies.
• Knowledge and understanding Government Legislation and the factors that effect change
• Knowledge and understanding of customers independence and the Metal Health Act.
• Moving and handling with regard to staff and customers requirements in line with Health and Safety. 

Experience required

• Of working with other colleagues and professionals in a team approach.
• Of supervising staff.
• Of working with other professionals.
• Of carrying out service reviews.
• Of recruitment of staff
• Of carrying out visits with regard to identifying hazards and risks and putting measures in place.
• Of supporting staff with special regard to their health and wellbeing, training, motivation etc.
• Dealing with crisis situations
• Of flexible working