Social Worker (Safeguarding Adults Team)

Social Worker (Safeguarding Adults Team)

This is an exciting time to join Calderdale Council's Adult Social Care Teams. Calderdale Council is the most improved adult social services Directorate in Yorkshire Humber.

An opportunity has arisen to join the Safeguarding Adults Team. The Safeguarding Adults Team is motivated to support people to protect their right to live in safety free from abuse and neglect. They ensure the safeguarding principles are embedded throughout their work with people experiencing or who are at risk of abuse or neglect. This team currently responds to safeguarding concerns for adults. They work closely with individuals, families, and multi-agency.

Developments are underway to implement a more consistent response to safeguarding concerns which will involve timely and robust responses in line with the Safeguarding Adults policy and procedures. Also, to enhance preventative ways of carrying out safeguarding work.

Main Duties of the Job

You will work within a team providing timely and robust responses to Safeguarding Adults. It is a great opportunity for a social worker to develop knowledge and experience of Safeguarding Adults practice. You will require some knowledge and working experience of The Care Act 2014, Safeguarding, and Mental Capacity legislation.

You will have post-qualification experience including a professional Social Work qualification (CQSW, DipSW, CSS, Social Worker degree or equivalent) registered with Social Work England (exception made for existing staff within Fieldwork Teams to include professional Nursing qualification only registered with the relevant professional body).

About Us

Calderdale will reimburse the post holder's required professional membership, annually.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. Applicants to posts that are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act will require a DBS from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Closing Date: Sunday 30th March 2025

Interview Date: Thursday 10th April 2025

As part of our Vision, we aim to be a talented, resilient, and inclusive community. We welcome applications from all and offer a variety of flexible working/job share opportunities.

Job Responsibilities

1. Ensure that assessments are accurate and that users can self-direct the assessment process and make informed decisions.
2. Work as a Safeguarding Investigator with appropriate support and guidance from Team Manager/Team Leader and Level 3 Social Workers. Work with legal and procedural authority to protect vulnerable people at risk of abuse and neglect.
3. Ensure that all commissioning is undertaken that provides users with appropriate levels of support whilst further ensuring that the user and council receive best value for money and that services that are appropriate and consider available resources.
4. Ensure effective crisis intervention work by drawing on a range of local knowledge and using professional experience to make decisions that uphold autonomy whilst recognizing the social work role for safe intervention.
5. Play a key role within a range of multi-agency teams to ensure coordinated, appropriate assessments and support that remain person-centered and enable users to maintain their independence, achieve their outcomes, and play a valued and active part in the community wherever possible.
6. Use legislation, guidance, and reflective social work practice to ensure that key concepts and theories in social work are utilized to ensure the best possible outcomes for vulnerable adults.
7. Undertake critical continued training as per the professional requirements of the post and in accordance with Social Work England regulatory requirements. Social Workers will be expected to undertake Post Qualification Awards as directed by the department.
8. Undertake work through a duty rota as agreed through Line Management.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised social work qualification e.g. DipSW/Degree level
• Registered with Social Work England
• Hold a full UK driving license and have access to a vehicle for work purposes

Experience

• Significant knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation and policy guidance and have an understanding of the principles, practice, and provisions of community care.
• A working knowledge of mental capacity legislation and be able to demonstrate this in practice.
• Assess the social care needs of individual service users and their carers, following department procedures, in order to identify resources required by individuals and their carers and to be able to make professional decisions based on assessed needs.
• Ability to use various elements of Information Technology including social care databases, Word, and Excel.
• Knowledge of sources of oppression, disadvantage, and discrimination and their impact at a structural and individual level in society.
• Understand concepts of choice and control and enable users to self-direct the assessment process and the support that they receive.
• Knowledge of social work theories including crisis interventions.
• Working within an adult social work setting.
• Working within a multi-agency context.
• Experience of handling complex and challenging situations and be able to identify and manage risks, including risks to vulnerable adults.

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.