Senior Social Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

This is a pivotal role designed to provide OneBexley Trusted Assessors with the regular supervision they need to ensure their wellbeing, effective practice, and career growth as well as signing off and authorising Care Act assessments and reviews produced by our team of Trusted Assessors.

You will oversee the triaging and allocation of referrals, ensuring they align with our expertise and contractual agreements. A major part of your role will involve overseeing Care Act Assessments and Reviews for adult Service Users and Informal Carers in the community.

You will act as a source of professional advice for Trusted Assessors and the Single Point of Contact team. From supporting staff during difficult conversations regarding safeguarding or financial contributions, to identifying service users ready for reablement, your expertise will guide the team.

Furthermore, you will play a key role in quality assurance, checking work against our KPI framework and chairing Operational and Trusted Assessor meetings.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Team Supervision & Support:
• Provide regular supervision to Trusted Assessors to ensure wellbeing, resilience, and career growth.
• Support Assessors on visits requiring difficult conversations (e.g., safeguarding, permanent placements, financial contributions).
• Ensure Trusted Assessors are recruited, managed, appraised, and developed effectively.
• Provide good case management guidelines and monitor caseloads and professional growth.

• Assessment & Care Management:
• Oversee the triaging, allocation, assessment, and review of referrals for adults with physical, mental, or learning disabilities.
• Support Assessors in identifying health-related needs and completing NHS Checklists.
• Oversee Care Act Assessments and Reviews, ensuring they are person-centred and strengths-based.
• Assist in identifying service users with changed needs requiring new support plans for panel agreement.

• Quality Assurance & Operations:
• Quality check the work of Trusted Assessors in line with the KPI Framework.
• Implement systems for spot-checking the quality and quantity of completed assessments.
• Monitor queries regarding assessments and address issues posing risks to safety or performance.
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and proportionate case recordings on computerized systems.

• Strategy & Development:
• Inform the Service Manager of gaps in service, emerging trends, and issues with KPIs.
• Review and develop structures and working methods to ensure efficient service delivery.
• Contribute to developmental projects that enhance OneBexleys effectiveness.

Person Specification

Other

Essential

• Driving Licence and access to a car (Ability to travel across the borough for meetings/assessments).

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant qualification in a social or health care profession (or significant relevant professional experience).

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working in social services care.
• Proven experience of assessing and reviewing personal social care services and inter-agency working.
• Experience supervising staff in social care organizations.
• Experience meeting deadlines .
• Achievement of measurable results where political/social issues impact delivery.

Desirable

• Experience influencing and negotiating with external agencies.

Knowledge

Essential

• Specialist knowledge of the needs of older people and younger adults with physical/sensory impairments.
• Knowledge of legislative, social, and economic issues facing social care (including NHS issues).
• Understanding of quality assurance systems.

Desirable

• Knowledge of factors affecting the market in community care.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Awareness of the protection and Safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
• Ability to work alone/unsupervised while maintaining team support.
• Ability to manage and prioritize competing demands.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Community Hospice

Address

Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice

185 Bostall Hill

London

SE2 0GB

Employer's website

https://communityhospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)