Senior Practitioner - Leaving & Aftercare - 12 Month Ftc

Senior Practitioner - Leaving & Aftercare Team, Mid Essex

Fixed Term, Full Time

£43,477 to £52,302 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract opportunity for a period of 12 months.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

Essex County Council understand how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children's Social Care and that we need to think differently. We have therefore developed a nine day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children's services.

The Opportunity

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Senior Practitioner manages a complex caseload and provides expert supervision and coaching for colleagues, to achieve positive change for children, young people and families. The role deputises for the Team Manager, leading the team and management of duty services.

The role requires an experienced social work practitioner, able to manage higher levels of risk, mentor and advise staff, manage performance and deliver improvements. Building strong working relationships with key partners and stakeholders is essential.

Mid Quadrant Leaving and Aftercare work within a pod system, one manager and two Senior Practitioners. The Senior Practitioners have specific roles which include management, both deputising, and taking the lead on a variety of tasks. The Senior Practitioners in Mid are provided with ongoing opportunities to develop their management skills whilst holding a small case-load, therefore experiencing a hybrid between management of the team and case management. Candidate requirements will be excellent organisational skills, good leadership skills and working in unison with the management team; team manager and other Senior Practitioner in post.

Accountabilities

• Assess, plan, review and provide support to a young person, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full account of appropriate legal frameworks, policies and guidance
• Assess family functioning, providing help and support, when relationship breakdown threatens to impair the health or well-being of young people/children at risk of abuse or neglect
• Work collaboratively, building effective working relationships with other professionals, internally and externally to help young people and families improve and gain control of their lives when safety or ability to participate in their community is restricted
• Carry out an assessment or enquiry and plan responses to safeguard a young person from abuse, neglect and exploitation
• Arrange appropriate alternative care in collaboration with the placement team
• Promoting autonomy and development with young people who have complex needs.
• Maintain up to date, accurate and high- quality records of activity on cases. Participate in a range of planning and decision making forums including case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Planning meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Statutory Reviews
• Act as Practice Educators for social work qualifying course students on practice placements (as appropriate) or Assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers completing their ASYE
• Working with communities, families and individuals to maximise or promote their personal strengths, social networks and resources
• Hold a caseload of a level of complexity and provide case management, guidance, support and expert advice to social care staff, students and newly qualified social workers, as and when required.
• Deputise for the manager when necessary
• Undertake 4 weekly supervisions of personal advisors
• Take the lead on an area of interest
• Present at panel and support other team members to present
• Work effectively in the pod system in place in Mid Leaving and Aftercare
• Evidence insightful practice with the YPs allocated to the team; engage in reflective discussions with team members to support ongoing development and understanding of the experiences of young people and how may affect their emotional, physical and cognitive functioning
• Consider creative ways of working in order to provide bespoke support and resources to YPs, when required

The Experience You Will Bring

• Diploma or Degree in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• Registration with Social Work England as Registered Social Worker
• Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g. Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS)
• Case recording
• Demonstrate ability in the application of SW knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.
• A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems e.g., Word, SW case recording systems
• Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.