Job responsibilities
Care job family overview:
Support and assist the well-being of individuals and groups to assure their protection, security and
development
Safeguarding, protection and care.
Community, residential, day or field settings.
Ongoing risk/needs assessment of and advice for individuals/groups.
Specification of any non-council provision.
Individual or small group emphasis.
May involve personal care activities.
Likely to involve immediate response to client.
Service Function and Context
The overall responsibilities of the service/function are:
To provide statutory support to adults with care and support needs and their carers/families,
which includes information and advice, assessment, support planning and safeguarding.
Comply with legal framework for social care in line with personalisation principles, which aim to
put individuals, families and communities at the heart of care and wellbeing, and in doing so
strengthen relationships between members of that community and build social capital.
Operate within defined budgets for social care.
Work in partnership and liaison with partners including primary, secondary and tertiary health care
and with voluntary sector organisations.
Job Purpose
To practice in accordance with and uphold the Standards of Professional Practice for social workers
as defined by the Health and Care Professions Council, which includes the code of ethics and the
continuing professional development requirements in order to maintain registration as a social worker
to be able to work in England.
To practice in accordance with the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers (the
national occupational standards for the profession) at the level of Experienced Social Worker.
Practitioners working in line with the Experienced Social Worker level of the Professional Capabilities
Framework (PCF) are more autonomous in their role than at lower levels of the PCF. They are
expected to demonstrate expert and effective practice in complex situations, assessing and
managing higher levels of risk, striking a balance between support and control, liaising with a wide
range of professionals, including more senior levels. They manage complex caseloads, and offer
expert opinion within the organisation and to others. They chair a range of meetings, offer expert
support to case conferences, and produce high quality assessments and reports for a range of
functions. They model good practice, setting expectations for others. They start to take responsibility
and be accountable for the practice of others, mentoring newly qualified social workers, and
supervising the work of junior staff. They undertake capacity-building with individuals, families,
communities, user groups and voluntary organisations, and contribute their views on service
provision to commissioners.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
To undertake complex person-centred assessments (including assessment of mental capacity
where appropriate) with customers and to plan for the provision of support and/ or services
with customers in order to assist them meet their outcomes and to live as independently as
possible.
To support carers to continue in their role in complex situations.
To ensure accurate and timely recording of all information and activity onto the social care
records database in accordance with work targets set by the Team Manager and supervisor.
To gather sufficient information about customers in order to be able to accurately assess their
needs against eligibility criteria.
To contribute to local knowledge (within the team and the service) about universally available
services is up to date including what is available within the voluntary and community sector,
as well as the Departments commissioned and contracted services and to signpost/advocate
for customers accordingly.
To have advanced skills and knowledge in assessment, support planning and the
management of risks for individuals and to be able to apply Council policy and support
customers to manage risk appropriately.
Practice in line with legal requirements, demonstrating a detailed understanding of the Care
Act, Mental Capacity Act and Continuing Health Care guidance.
To undertake Best Interests decision making, including convening and chairing Best Interests
meetings to fulfil legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Advise, guide and support colleagues to meets legal, procedure and practice requirements.
To identify where adults may be at risk and to act in accordance with the Departments
safeguarding policies and procedures.
To undertake the role of Investigating Officer, including section 42 (Care Act) enquiries and
multi-agency working in accordance with Wiltshire multi-agency policies and procedures for
safeguarding adults, including gathering and analysing complex information and associated
risks, and making recommendations in relation to Adult Protection Plans.
Carry out one to one supervision once a month with allocated staff ensuring that supervision
is timely and recorded and that any practice concerns are communicated to senior staff/line
managers.
To take on formal assessor role for newly qualified social workers undertaking Assessed and
Supported Year (ASYE).
To participate in Practice Education Professional Standards (PEPS) training and undertake
placement supervision of student social workers.
To represent the council in multi-disciplinary working with health , police and other colleagues,
working collaboratively to ensure effective communication/information sharing and to support
decision making processes.
To write reports for court hearings and to present evidence in court, including Court of
Protection and High Court.
To ensure that Council corporate and departmental policies and procedures are followed at all
times.
To contribute proactively to the effective working of the team with a positive attitude, by
sharing knowledge, offering advice and support and by preparedness to be involved in the
development of services.
Take the lead in organizing and conducting peer group developmental sessions within the
team and across teams as required.
To fully engage and prepare for own supervision and appraisal through self-evaluation,
ensuring that continual professional development is evidenced.
To be an ambassador for the Council and the department at all times, always representing
the Council positively, professionally and appropriately at meetings with customers, external
partners and agencies.
Specific requirements for this post:
Flexible working
There will be a requirement to occasionally work outside of standard hours, including weekends, to
meet the needs of the service, for example assessing customers abilities at different times of the day
or provide support to other members of the team. The number of out of hours worked will not exceed
10% of the total contracted hours per week.
