Social Worker

Personal attributes

Essential

Commitment to work to protect the welfare of children‎Ability to work under pressure

Willingness to develop and expand the values, skills and knowledge‎Working as part of a team and receive supervision

Desirable

Flexible in working hours

Qualifications and relevant training

Essential

Consolidation programme completed or equivalent training and experience.

DipSW / CQSW / CSS‎

All Social Workers (or anyone who describes himself as a Social Worker) must be registered with the Care Council for Wales. Gwynedd Council will refund the annual registration fee to the employee

Desirable

Relevant experience

Essential

Experience of working with children, young people and their families

Desirable

Experience of working in a team or a work placement with children.

Skills and specialist knowledge

Essential

Current driving license.‎Understanding of the role within the children and family’s team.‎Ability to work in partnership with children, families and other agencies

Desirable

Working under the Child Protection Guidelines and Assessment Framework for children in need and their families

Language requirements

Listening and Speaking - Higher

Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions.

Reading and Understanding - Higher

Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal.

Writing - Higher

Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English (help is available to check the work).

Purpose of the post

• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
• The post is based within Trothwy.

The team work with families in circumstances to:

• Prevent a child from becoming looked after unless absolutely necessary.
• Return a child home within the first 8 weeks of becoming looked after.
• Return a child home where it is safe to do so.
• The focus of this post will be to re-assess the family’s circumstances: If the child has been placed with parents for a year or more, consider whether the placement is going well, whether the parents are working in co-operation and partnership with the department, whether the child is still likely to suffer significant harm and should an application be made to court for a variation of order or discharge of order can be made.
• Towork with childrenand their familiesinaccordance with theChildren Act 1989, the AllWales Child Protection Procedures, Assessment FrameworkChildren in Needand their families and the Social Services and Well being Act (Wales) 2014

Responsibility for functions

• Laptop, mobile phone.

Main duties

• To undertake direct work with children, young people, families and carers to provide evidence informed
• outcome based interventions.
• Ensure that work is carried out in accordance with relevant legislation, policy, guidance and accepted good practice. To contribute to the development of new ways working or interventions.
• To work in a manner that promotes the welfare of children in care to the County Council.
• For children under Placement with Parents regulations, undertake statutory visits and attend statutory reviews as necessary. Work with the children and their families as preparation for discharging Care Orders where this is in their best interests.
• In consultation with the legal department, write reports and make applications to discharge Care Order for lesser orders where appropriate. Attend court and provide evidence in the proceedings.
• Use a range of assessment tools to gather information from the family and professionals invovled to inform a holistic family assessment.
• Gather information and identify with each family member what the family strengths, goals and resources are and design a care and support plan with the family to best meet the needs of the child/children.
• To offer a service to individual clients, to families and the community in accordance with the legal framework of various laws that apply to the care of children, including child protection and assessment of children in need.
• In accordance with skills and experience, to deal with cases more complex in nature including those where children are at risk. To participate in court proceedings, including giving evidence and preparing reports.
• To be part of the team and the system of duty officer to the region as necessary.
• To co-ordinate with and liaise with other professions who work with children.
• The Council operates a program of ongoing training and personal development skills. To attend training sessions aiming to develop and improve skills / practice.
• To maintain professional expertise and skills regardless of specific service/team responsibility and be able to offer professional advice and recommendations to colleagues. To contribute to the development of colleagues in children services and in other specialties if necessary.
• Depending on experience and qualifications, to supervise students.
• To help colleagues to carry out their duties. Occasionally, requires collaboration and other employees in the team / other agencies as well and when work colleagues are absent.
• In exceptional circumstances, to undertake responsibilities to respond to an emergency situation.
• Any obligation or responsibility reasonable as required by the head of the service.
• Be aware of the requirements of Health and Safety Acts and collaboration with the Health and Safety and Quality Assurance departments to ensure that we comply with the requirements of relevant Health and Safety legislation.
• This is an illustrative list. The post holder is expected to be part of the management and monitoring of performance in accordance with the requirements of the job and act on any other duties in accordance with the nature and scale of the post at the request of the Head of Service / Manager or ' The Strategic Director
• Responsibility for self-development.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
• Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
• Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
• Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
• Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special circumstances

• Work within a flexible framework to meet the demands of the service outside of the usual 9 – 5 hours when required.