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An exciting opportunity has arisen to shape this new role, highlighted in Working Together 2023, aimed at strengthening collaborative working between Education, Health and Social care. The Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO) will work across the Social Care and SEND Workforce generating solutions and implementing strategies and plans to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
The DSCO will strategically lead in framing the Social Care elements of the SEND strategy across the local authority and ensuring we are compliant with legislative requirements of the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and statutory responsibilities under the Children and Family Act (2014) and Care Act (2014).
As the DSCO you will have oversight of a small caseload of children placed in residential school, where the child is not a Child in Care, ensuring that we fulfil our duty to safeguard and promote the children’s welfare.
As the DSCO you will attend the weekly SEN Panel and High-Cost Placement Panel following up on the Social Care actions from that panel. You will also take a role in ensuring Social Care services are reflected in the local offer, coordinating EHC assessments and reviews with other Social Care assessments, and problem solve complex cases.
To be successful in this role you will need to hold a recognised qualification in social work, have knowledge of Social Care processes and an understanding of children and young people with SEND.
Key to success will be the ability of this leader to negotiate with and influence others, build and nurture effective partnerships and work collaboratively with Directors and a wide range of stakeholders across the LA to drive organisational developments and changes.
You must also have a commitment and passion for SEND and for communicating and coproducing with families, and inclusion.
The position of the DCSO is a highly demanding role with both operational and strategic responsibilities. It will be essential that you have high levels of organisational and effective time management skills. Frequent communication will be required with parent/carers, education providers, wider professionals and colleagues.
This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.
We are strongly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure and a range of other recruitment checks.
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.
This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the job description/person specification.
Interviews for this role will take place week commencing 25th March 2024.
