Consultant Social Worker - Req24543

Internal vacancy. Applications will only be considered from existing Leeds City Council employees.

Frontline is England’s largest social work charity. Everything they do aims to make life better for children who need a Social Worker, to help keep them safe from harm and to give them every possible chance to fulfil their potential. They do this through developing excellent social work practice, leadership, and innovation. 

The programme is a two-year social work training programme for graduates and career changers delivered in collaboration with the University of Lancaster. 

Children and Families Leeds is partnering with Frontline and we are inviting applications for the role of Consultant Social Worker (3 posts) to start late summer 2024.  This will be a secondment for 13 months. The Consultant Social Worker (CSW) role is pivotal to the participants’ first year on the programme and is a unique opportunity for Social Workers to develop their practice and practice education skills.

About you

This secondment opportunity is open to existing Social Workers within Children and Families Leeds who are qualified to Stage 2 PEPS. Recent experience of assessing students and mentoring Practice Educators in training is essential.

You will have extensive knowledge of child protection issues and best practice and legislation and a good knowledge of theories practice models and research; as well as a thorough knowledge of statutory frameworks within social care. 

You will have a demonstrable commitment to developing others in a supportive environment and be able to challenge and communicate to enhance your students’ skills knowledge and experience. 

You will have confidence in your own decision making and be able to work autonomously balanced with the ability to self-reflect and seek advice when needed.

For further detail as to essential requirements please see the job profile 

About the role 

Each CSW is responsible for four social work students in their first year who are undertaking their Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. CSWs work with participants using a unit model approach – a systemic practice model for working with families, with cases managed through weekly unit meetings. These meetings provide a dynamic learning environment and a reflective space to think systemically about the cases in the unit. 

You will have responsibilities for 

• Casework with children and families
• Developing and assessing practice
• Supervision and leadership
• Commitment to your own learning and development 

How to apply 

Applications are via this thefrontline.tfaforms.net/4767892. The deadline for applications is 31st May 2024 

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 The Consultant Social Worker (CSW) role is pivotal to the participants’ first year on the programme. Each CSW is responsible for five participants who are undertaking their Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. CSWs work with participants using a unit model approach – a systemic practice model for working with families, with cases managed through weekly unit meetings. These meetings provide a dynamic learning environment and a reflective space to think systemically about the cases in the unit. 

Responsibilities 

Casework with Families and Children 

• Leading the Participant Unit means you will be the named case holder of all cases assigned to the Participant Unit, responsible for ensuring statutory requirements of the Unit’s cases are complied with. 
• Responsibility for managing and apportioning the work of the Unit. You will use your judgment to expose participants to increasingly complex and varied casework at the appropriate level, increasing their autonomy as they demonstrate progress. 
• Role modelling high quality social work by identifying and managing risk, being curious and analytical, hypothesising, building strong relationships and using evidence-based interventions to help families change. 

Developing & Assessing Practice 

• Modelling good social work practice and create an immersive learning environment. 
• Leading a weekly Unit Meeting which: incorporates systemic thinking about family cases, encourages the participants to hold multiple hypotheses, encourages peer challenge and critical reflection in decision making. 
• Creating learning opportunities for participants by identifying appropriate cases and regularly hold reflective discussions about their practice. 
• Supporting the participants to apply the practice models they have learnt (systemic approach; social learning theory and motivational interviewing) in case discussions and work with children and families. 
• Regularly observing the participants in their direct work with families, giving developmental feedback. At specific observation points in the year, you will assess and grade the practice observed. 
• Where performance issues arise, addressing these in a professional way, holding high standards whilst supporting the participant to resolve issues. 
• In co-ordination with Frontline staff, organising the logistics and planning required for the Participant Unit to operate smoothly. 

Supervision & Leadership 

• You will act as the lead professional responsible for the participants in Leeds. 
• In addition to running the weekly Unit Meetings you will hold regular one-to-one supervision sessions with participants, encouraging reflective practice and self-awareness. 
• Supporting the participants to develop leadership qualities in practice, building on their leadership training, encouraging participants to set a vision with families, co-ordinate professional networks toward a common goal, and work effectively with conflict. 
• More broadly, you will contribute towards overall service development within Leeds by cascading the learning from the implementation of this new model of social work education and social work practice. 

Commitment to your own Learning and Development 

• Actively participating in the Consultant Social Worker Practice Leadership Training Programme in order to develop yourself as a practitioner and practice educator and become familiar with the Frontline model. 
• Engaging in coaching throughout the programme year. You will need to continue to show commitment to developing your own leadership and practice skills through effective use of coaching sessions with your allocated Practice Tutor. Coaching sessions are forums for you to bring challenges or skills you. 
• would like to develop. 

Qualifications 

At least 2 years post qualified in social work and registered Social Worker – registered with social work England.  Qualified to Stage 2 PEPS and recent experience of assessing students and mentoring Practice Educators in training is essential. 

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

Knowledge 

• Extensive knowledge of child protection issues and best practice, child protection legislation including private and public proceedings.
• Good knowledge of theories, conceptual frameworks, practice models and research findings that underpin effective social work practice including awareness of current issues and debates in the social work profession and in social work academia. 
• Committed to the core principles and theoretical foundations of the Frontline Programme. 
• Thorough knowledge of statutory frameworks within children’s social care. 

Development of Others 

• Committed to shaping the learning of others and to developing outstanding Social Workers to lead change for families.
• Able to observe, analyse and appropriately challenge practice, able to identify IT areas of strengths and areas for development in another’s practice. 
• Uses excellent communication skills to confidently provide analytical constructive feedback to others to develop their practice.
• Able to create a supervisory relationship which provides an emotionally containing space for the supervisee, including being highly supportive and nurturing. Able to adapt this relationship to be more enabling as the supervisee develops in competence and confidence.

Leadership and Decision Making 

• Confidence in own decision making and ability to work autonomously, balanced with ability to self-reflect and seek advice when necessary. 
• Self-reflection, aware of strengths and areas for development, and able to use critical feedback to improve own performance, taking responsibility for one’s own professional development. 
• Able to motivate & inspire others including the ability to co-ordinate and influence complex and challenging organisational contexts toward a common goal. 
• Able to operate successfully in complex organisational environments and confident to work with and influence a wide range of people and managers (including senior managers) within the local authority and other organisations. 
• Able to critically evaluate information in the context of high complexity and risk, understanding the role of evidence and one’s own intuition in decision making. 

Skills 

• Demonstrate a high standard of practice skill in direct work with children in need and their families (including children in need of protection). This includes relationship building, communication skills and analysis. 
• Demonstrable track-record in improving outcomes for children and families. 
• Apply evidence-based models of social work help into practice in a statutory children’s social care setting. Critically evaluates and effectively manages risk in complex cases, recognising how bias and evidence influence risk management. 
• Possess high quality communication skills in both written skills (e.g. reports) and verbal and non-verbal communication with children and families. 
• Model professionalism through personal presentation and behaviour. Is organised and manages time effectively.

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.