Senior Social Worker (Approved Mental Health Professionals)

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be responsible to ... The Team Manager ... for:

i) Carrying out the roles and functions of an Experienced Social Worker, as outlined in the Knowledge & Skills Statements for Social Workers in Adults Services and underpinned by the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers.

ii) Maintaining the basis for continued registration with the appropriate regulatory body for Social Workers.

iii) Ensuring that all work complies with Council policies and procedures and that statutory obligations are met.

iv) The quality and prioritisation of your own work, following direction from your Line Manager, and for alerting your Line Manager at the earliest opportunity to any case issues, caseload issues, safeguarding concerns, practice issues, issues of unaddressed risk that will adversely impact the health and wellbeing of an individual or their carer, or issues that may impact the good reputation of the department or the local authority.

v) The adoption of own good practice and performance standards with respect to the Social Work Professional Capabilities Framework and Knowledge and Skills Statements, adherence to Directorate policies, procedures, statutory responsibilities and agreed performance targets.

vi) Undertaking all duties with due regard to the provisions of health and safety regulations and legislation, Data protection/GDPR, the Councils Equal Opportunities and Customer Care policies, and the New Technology agreement.

vii) Undertaking any other work appropriate to the level and general nature of the posts duties.

Manages up to 3 ...directly managed staff.

Manages up to 0 ...indirectly managed consultancy/contracting staff.

Main Duties:

1) To complete assessments and care and support plans and to review care and support plans for Adults with social care needs; to enable people to experience personalised, integrated care, and support them to maintain their independence and wellbeing, cope with change, attain the outcomes they want and need, understand and manage risk, and participate in the life of their communities.

2) To work creatively with Adults, their families and carers, and collaboratively with other professionals, in a range of settings, using person-centred principles, evidence-based practice, appropriate social work methods and models, and a good understanding of risk assessment and positive risk taking and making best use of available resources, to enable people to have better lives, whilst ensuring that individual rights are upheld.

3) To enable access to advice, support and services to adults and families to facilitate a wide range of practical and emotional support as required, using an extensive knowledge of social care legislation, best practice, current policies and procedures, as well as local and national resources.

4) To take responsibility for complex cases, using practice evidence and research to inform complex judgements and decision-making and be proactive in identifying issues and recommending actions needed to support, empower and protect adults and their families.

5) To ensure the safeguarding of adults and children at risk from abuse, neglect or exploitation by ensuring all concerns are raised with a Safeguarding Adults manager and by carrying out detailed safeguarding adults enquiries/assessments/reviews in line with current legislation, policy and best practice.

6) To be responsible for maintaining and promoting your own knowledge of social care legislation, guidance, best practice as well as local and national resources, and take a lead role in sustaining a learning culture within the organisation.

7) To maintain an awareness of your own professional limitations and knowledge gaps and seek advice and expertise where required to ensure safe and effective practice.

8) Contribute to, and take a lead role in the development of new initiatives, practice development, service improvement, policy and planning within teams and across agencies.

9) To contribute to the learning of others and to provide consultation, guidance, modelling and support the learning of good practice to colleagues within the council as well as external organisations as appropriate to grade, skills, knowledge and responsibilities, as directed by your Line Manager.

10) To follow and to promote best practice and local guidance in recording and documenting your activities, electronically and using other mediums, with especial emphasis on recording details pertaining to individuals.

11) To supervise, mentor, observe in practice, monitor and allocate work to staff and students and advise upon and direct the further development of their practice and workload management.

12) To lead on specific areas of work including giving presentations internally and externally and represent the department, appropriate to experience and grade as directed by Line Manager.

13) Where necessary for the job role or appropriate for continued development in the role, the post holder may be required to participate in training and development courses made available via the Councils Apprentice Levy funding.

Designation of the Post to which the Post-Holder normally reports to: Team Manager

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• This post is eligible for a DBS check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 or as prescribed in the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) regulations. A DBS enhanced with barred list check is an essential requirement for this role
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
• Experience of assessing the social care needs of adults with mental health needs including undertaking Safeguarding enquiries
• Experience of supervising staff or students
• Understanding of and commitment to the Councils equal opportunities policies and ability to put into practice in the context of this post

Desirable

• Ability to assess and to address social care needs, using a range of information gathering and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals, organisations and members of the public
• Experience of working under pressure, meeting both priorities and performance targets

Experience

Essential

• Experience of assessing the social care needs of adults with mental health needs including undertaking Safeguarding enquiries
• Experience of supervising staff or students

Desirable

• Knowledge of the principles of best value and quality assurance
• Experience of working under pressure, meeting both priorities and performance targets

Qualifications

Essential

• Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) qualification (In accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007) and AMHP Regulations 2008 and significant/current experience of Mental Health Act work. Significant knowledge of adult social care legislation, principles and best practice.
• The continued basis for registration as a Social Worker with the relevant regulatory body.

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

Royal Borough of Greenwich

Address

Ferry View Health Centre

John Wilson Street

London

SE186PZ

Employer's website

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)