Consultant Social Worker - Autism

Within our service we provide social care assessments, case management and safeguarding support across Staffordshire working alongside the citizens of Staffordshire who are living with autism and working with their family/carers/significant others. The teams undertake outcome focused assessments and develop support plans to meet peoples assessed eligible needs as defined in the Care Act 2014 and other relevant legislation.

Staffordshire promotes an asset-based approach that builds on people’s strengths, their family and community-based support, promotes independence and meets identified outcomes and aspirations. These teams are part of the wider Adult Social Care Team within the council who work with other specialisms.

Main Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

1. Work across adult social care to promote understanding of autism and the ways in which autism impacts on how people live in, understand, and interact with the world around them.
2. Work alongside practitioners to develop their understanding, so that they can work effectively with autistic people and the people that are significant to them, enabling them to be actively involved and members of their local communities.
3. Raise awareness of autism and best practice with all autistic people.
4. Practice in a strengths-based way, engaging autistic people to enable them to inform practice as experts by experience as well as engaging with partners across the health and social care system promoting Social Work as an important profession supporting autistic people to achieve their aims and aspirations.

This role will require you to work a standard working week, but with the flexibility the council provides.

The Ideal Candidate

What you’ll bring:

1. Excellent inter-personal skills, with the ability to communicate with and involve autistic and learning-disabled people, and their carers.
2. A highly motivated and positive ‘can do’ attitude.
3. The ability to work as part of a team, to mentor and motivate colleagues, and to contribute to the development of services through a team approach.
4. Experience in supporting and delivering training.

What you’ll have:

1. Professional Social Work qualification (appropriate degree, Dip SW, CQSW, CSS).
2. Registration with Social Work England.
3. Significant post qualification experience.
4. Knowledge and experience of the impact of autism and/or learning disability on adults and their families.

“We’re happy to talk flexible working.” Final stage interviews will take place on Friday 16th May 2025. Please contact Heidi Poole, Service Lead by emailing heidi.poole@staffordshire.gov.uk for any further information or for a discussion about the role.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values: The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively. Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy: We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future. We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits: We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire.

Our recruitment process: As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities. As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post. As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.