Senior Practitioner - Social Workers Team

Purpose of the Job:
Manage a caseload of complex and difficult cases involving assessment, planning and implementation and evaluation of appropriate action to ensure resources are utilised effectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and their families Contribute to raising and maintaining standards of professional social work within a social work team, develop areas of specialist practice, offer expert advice to less experienced staff, supervise unqualified staff and act as a Practice Assessor for students/ASYE. The postholder should be working in line with the relevant standards set out in the Social Care Capability Framework (SCCF).

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of complex cases involving high levels of risk and needs to a high standard to ensure resources are utilised effectively.
• Provide a high quality resource of professional social work knowledge and expertise to a team of Social Workers, to include student supervision, chairing complex meetings, assisted fieldwork, attendance in court, case audits and reviews etc, to assist the team in ensuring that it carries out its core tasks to a high standard.
• Provide coaching and mentoring support to Social Workers, including those undertaking social work training, to support and further their professional knowledge and development to impact upon the overall quality of practice within teams.
• Attend court, where appropriate, to assist the team in ensuring that key professional input and expertise is provided to high profile and sensitive cases.
• Act as Practice Assessor to support student placements/ASYE.
• Liaise regularly with colleagues throughout the Council to ensure social work staff deliver existing and new practices consistently and to a high standard.
• Contribute 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, i.e. planning for permanence and research work, to develop current and new ways of working that meet service requirements.
• 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.

About You:

• Professionally registered with a degree in social work – CQSW, DipSW or equivalent – you will have a variety of post-qualification experience of working with children and families. Your experience should cover systemic practice, and you will need an in-depth understanding of legislative and policy frameworks.
• Along with a willingness to learn and develop as a practitioner, being a team player is essential in any social work team. You will build relationships with colleagues, as well as statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.