Supervising Social Worker

About us

We are committed to improving our services for the children and families we support in West Sussex. In May 2023 Ofsted Inspectors praised West Sussex County Council's Children's Services for its 'relentless approach to improving practice,' giving the service an overall rating of 'requires improvement', with 'good' judgements for children in care and leadership and management. The judgements on children needing help and protection and children leaving care are they 'require improvement to be good'.

For further information about us and about working in Children's Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.

The Opportunity

Salary: £42,003 - £54,533 per annum (including market rate supplement)
Contract: Temporary covering maternity leave from 8th August 2024
Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Location: Countywide - Post Approval Team 4 Fostering and Kinship Service.

You will be responsible for applying the highest level of expertise in holding case work within the Post Approval Fostering and Kinship Service. You will be supervising foster carers and connected persons. You will contribute to improving the practice of other Social Workers and Support staff, developing, leading and championing best practice and standards. You will apply deep expert knowledge and experience to provide constructive and reflective challenge, influencing others to enhance social work practice and practice of carers looking after children, procedures and policies, promote innovation, and introduce new ways of working from recognised sites of excellence.

Key Skills:

• Able to create and maintain an environment where critical reflection and analysis is valued, staff are supported their find own solutions and practice capability is developed.
• Able to role model, promote exemplary practice and provide expertise in specialist assessment and intervention, and act as a subject matter expert, coach, and supervisor to others within the organisation, enabling Social Workers to develop.
• Able to engage directly with children, young people and families, employing therapeutic approaches and a range of interventions to facilitate behavioural change, that can be evidence, evaluated, linking theory to practice. The Fostering Service uses Secure Base Model and PACE to support therapeutic practice. Supervising Social Workers are involved in training foster and kinship carers in these models. Working autonomously with a highly complex, diverse, and high-risk caseload.
• Able to focus on outcomes and assess and analyse risk within a context of complexity and uncertainty, providing forward thinking strategies and solutions that consider a variety of possible options to achieve desired outcomes.
• Able to influence, negotiate and persuade in a multi-disciplinary setting and communicate clearly and effectively to explain complicated information to a wide range of people, understanding other priorities in order to deal with conflict and resolve difficulties.
• Able to research, analyse and interpret highly complex or technical information to make effective and robust judgements and write reports and implement recommendations. Using evidence gained to inform good practice and maintain a focus on positive outcomes for service users, families, carers and communities.

Qualifications, knowledge and experience:

• A recognised professional Social Work Qualification e.g. Degree in Social Work, Post Graduate Certificate in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent as recognised by the relevant professional body.
• A recognised post qualifying award in Social Work or demonstrable evidence of continuous professional development at a similar level.
• Registration with the relevant professional registration body and maintaining registration with that body.
• Achievement of, or working towards, Practice Educator Professional Standard's qualification at stage two or equivalent.
• Further Post Graduate study that has a direct impact on the delivery of social work to vulnerable individuals, learners or colleagues.
• Relevant advanced theoretical Social Work or equivalent concepts and practices and detailed organisational knowledge relating to the provision of a professional Social Work service dealing with very complex issues e.g., attachment, impact of developmental trauma, child development.
• Detailed knowledge of the wider Social Work legislation, organisational policies practices and procedures. In depth knowledge of the specialist area of child development and social care practice, techniques, models and systems as appropriate.
• Breadth of understanding of social work concepts related to practice interventions to include motivational interviewing, relational practice, solution-focussed interventions and systemic working. A strong understanding of anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice in social work.
• You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.

Benefits

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.