Children's Advanced Social Worker - Disabled Children's Service

Children's Advanced Social Worker - Disabled Children's Service

Make an impact where it matters the most. Children's Social Work in Devon.

Our Disabled Childrens Service is responsible for managing a wide range of statutory duties working passionately to improve the life chances of disabled children and young people. We work with families who need extra help or specialist support to look after their children and keep them safe. We support children throughout their journey because we work across the full range of statutory work, including assessment, child in need, child protection, children in care, and transition to adulthood planning. We work closely with agencies across health, education, care, and community to promote great joined-up planning in partnership with children, young people, and their families to promote the best possible outcomes.

As an Advanced Social Worker, you will work closely with your Team Manager to provide professional leadership and supervision to colleagues within the team, supporting your manager with the day-to-day team operations and contributing to an effective and efficient service to children and families.

Main duties of the job

This is a hands-on role, where you have a smaller but more complex caseload, working with children and young people with a complexity of needs, including undertaking in-depth assessments. Through supervision and mentoring, you will share your knowledge and experience with colleagues to continually improve practice standards within the team.

You will model social work practice that is of a high standard and in line with statutory obligations, championing restorative practice by encouraging a collaborative culture and supporting opportunities for reflection and learning. You will deliver on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring to students, unqualified staff, and less experienced colleagues to develop their skills. You will evidence how pausing and reflecting can enable us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children, young people, and their families.

About You

Advanced Social Workers provide a lead Social Work role within each team, supporting the development of good evidence-based practice. You will have substantial post-qualifying experience with children and families and the expertise and approach to effectively support your colleagues.

You will need to be working in line with the BASW PCF framework and can demonstrate the following:

• The ability to work with families with complex needs within a multi-agency environment.
• The knowledge and experience of social work mentoring, coaching, and training professional colleagues.
• Evidence of significant post-qualifying training and development.
• Lead improvement and challenge the quality of social care practice in a constructive manner.

You will also need to either be a Practice Educator or willing to undertake the relevant training at the earliest opportunity.

What you'll get in return

We have employee benefits available, including:

• Up to £2,000 annual retention payment (£1,000 paid every six months).
• Generous annual leave, & the ability to purchase additional annual leave.
• Free onsite parking.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee well-being services.
• We offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Membership of the LG Pension Scheme.
• Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform.
• Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.

Job responsibilities

For all relevant information please refer to the job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification

Experience

• Please refer to the job description and person specification document that is attached to the advert. Use this to address how your skills and experience meet the criteria outlined for this role.

Qualifications

• Hold a recognised social work qualification (e.g. BA / MA Social Work, DipSW, CQSW).
• Registration with the regulatory body.
• Practice Educator Award or expected to undertake relevant training at the earliest opportunity.
• Completion of PQ Award.
• Evidence of an up to date professional development.
• Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) under the Mental Health Act 2007.
• Best Interest Assessor Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Have undertaken regulatory approval programmes (e.g. in Assessment and Accreditation Scheme).

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.

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working