Social Worker (Adult Services) - P02-3

The post holder will be part of Adult Services. They will work to assess the social care needs of people in accordance with the wellbeing principles of the Care Act and offer a personalised and strengths based approach.

Working to promote personalised support and facilitating the opportunities for service user choice and control, they will be responsible for managing a caseload, conducting robust assessments in partnership with service users, their carers and multi-disciplinary partners where appropriate. They will clearly identify outcomes that need to be achieved through provision of this service. They will also help people identify how best to meet their own longer term needs and aspirations by enabling them to identify appropriate asset based goals and building outcomes focused support plans.

The post holder will be responsible for assessing and supporting and assessing risk

The post holder will operate within an agreed performance management and budgetary framework and with support from their line manager they will be responsible for assessing and managing risk, ensuring application of robust quality assurance and safeguarding procedures.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

The post holder will have lead responsibility and accountability for the following:-

Assessment and Signposting

1. To provide strengths based assessments, signposting and assistance in a way that is consistent with customer service standards and which promotes independence.
2. To be responsible for recognising and assessing Adults at risk and following agreed procedures to record, investigate and respond with appropriate and timely support and interventions showing an understanding of capacity assessment, risk enablement , working with an understanding of unwise decision making and Making Safeguarding Personal.
3. To ensure customers get the right help at the right time, addressing their needs for choice, early intervention, prevention, information and advice, helping them take advantage of opportunities and make decisions regarding their support. This will include devising appropriate well-being and support plans. The use and understanding of Advocacy will be key to this role.
4. To proactively promote activities and services that improves health and wellbeing and helps people to continue to live independently through access to a range of resources and universal services that do not require a social care assessment.
Assessment and Support Planning

1. To carry out robust and detailed person centred and Care Act compliant, strengths based assessments in line with the legislative framework and Care Act wellbeing principle and thresholds, and in partnership with multi-disciplinary professionals, using knowledge and skills to manage risks.
2. To ensure service users and carers get the right help at the right time, addressing their needs for information and advice and helping them take advantage of opportunities and make choices for their support.
3. To agree with service users and carers clear and achievable outcomes and devise appropriate support plans
4. Where appropriate, to proactively promote preventative activities, resources and universal services including creative Telecare solutions where appropriate, to improve health and wellbeing as part of the assessment and review of support plans.
5. To work collaboratively with other health, mental health and social care services to ensure a smooth transition from service to service and to support the provision of preventative or longer term services wherever appropriate.
6. To be willing and ready to work as part of an integrated health and care approach which seeks to put the service user at the centre of all that happens on their behalf.

7. To apply the principles of personalisation by working in partnership with clients and carers using person-centred approaches to facilitate their involvement and choice, and actively seeking ways to maximise their independence and promote their well-being. To use Advocacy whenever appropriate and understand different types of advocacy.
8. To apply an approach which sees the strengths and assets of the service users their personal and community networks instead a deficit view which
9. To robustly manage a caseload of new clients and carers with various levels of care needs under the direction of a Team Manager or Senior Practitioner.
10. To be aware of the financial implications of providing services, and take responsibility for the decisions made.
11. To ensure all documentation is of high quality and accessible to relevant stakeholders and that service users and carers are routinely kept informed.
12. To be responsible for recognising and assessing of vulnerable people and following agreed procedures to record, investigate and respond with appropriate and timely support and interventions.
13. To actively assist with safeguarding adult enquiries, assessing, analysing and managing risk and devising multi-agency safeguarding adult plans. To undertake training and development within the area of safeguarding that illustrates personal learning from SARs and Making Safeguarding personal principles.
14. To lead and co-ordinate safeguarding adults cases, present information in case conferences, reviews, complaints and meetings as appropriate and ensuring any reports that are required are prepared and presented with evidence of the involvement of clients, families and carers.
15. To comply with the roles and responsibilities within the Safeguarding/Risk Management framework and deliver this to a high level of competence. This includes Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Best Interest Assessments and the protection of service users financial affairs where required.

Record Keeping and Performance Monitoring

1. To maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive records and ensure service users have information about their assessed needs and agreed support plans.
2. To produce high quality and within allocated timescales, accurate records of all work undertaken, and ensure contact and assessment information is updated regularly and accurately on the appropriate client and document management databases in line with the requirements for local and national standards and performance indicators.
3. To report progress against performance objectives and use supervision to discuss caseload action plans and record progress made and mitigating circumstances.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. To maintain an up to-date working knowledge of legislative framework, policy and practice developments in adults social services and the service area.
2. To work flexibly in line with health and social care integration priorities.
3. To take responsibility for own continued professional development and undertake training as required in order to maintain a high standard of performance and to meet the requirements of professional registration.
4. Any other duties that might from time to time be required within the overall grading and general responsibilities of the post.
5. To undertake the role of a "Champion" for a specific area of practice.
6. To be willing to train as a Best Interest Assessor and complete assessments as required.
7. To ensure statements for Court and reports are prepared and presented to a high standard and to attend Court hearings when required.

NB: All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Diversity & Equality and Health and Safety Policies., An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified social worker to join integrated Learning disability team in Hackney. You will be working alongside clinical leads and social care managers.

1. Experience of carrying out comprehensive social work assessments using the Care Act wellbeing principles and being able to offer a personalised and strengths based approach to people and carers with long term conditions and varying levels of need and risk from diverse inner-city communities.
2. Experience of providing information, advice and signposting, to enable them to make informed decisions.
3. Experience of working in partnership with people, their carers and service providers to produce personalised, budgeted and outcomes-focused support plans that facilitate independence. Experience also of using Direct Payments would be advantageous.
4. Demonstrable ability to monitor and review the impact of support plans against the agreed outcomes to ensure they are effective.
5. Demonstrable ability to produce high quality recording, contact details, assessments, and support plans using appropriate electronic case recordings and using these to monitor work.
6. Ability to prepare and present high quality reports for use in legal cases including the Court of protection.
7. An understanding of and commitment to actively supporting and promoting equalities within the workplace and within the community and equity of access to services for residents.

Decision Making
1. Able to make judgements of need using clinical reasoning and record these accurately.

Working Together
1. Able to work collaboratively with service users, carers and a wide range of stakeholders at all levels and across a variety of organisations.

Communication Skills
1. Able to communicate effectively, confidently and assertively whether in writing or verbally. This will also involve presenting complex information sensitively and matched to the needs of the audience and in line with organisational policy and practice.

Personally Effective
1. Demonstrable ability to carry out work under their own initiative, in an organised fashion, managing their own workload and co-ordinating with colleagues as part of a team. In doing this they will be able to prioritise work under pressure, adapt their priorities to changes in demand and deliver to agreed deadlines.
2. Demonstrates a personal and professional demeanour which generates credibility and confidence amongst colleagues, managers and other stakeholders.
3. Able to acquire new skills with a strong commitment to continuous professional development.

Knowledge of Adult Social Care
1. Good demonstrable understanding of the Care Act, and The Mental Capacity Act /DOLS.
2. Good working knowledge of the London Multi Agency Adult Safeguarding policy and procedures and all related adults legislation, including Making Safeguarding Personal.
3. Knowledge of current best practice and integration initiatives across health and care areas.
4. Knowledge and understanding of the needs of Adults at Risk and those with a Long term conditions and complex needs.
5. Good understanding of the issues relating to the delivery of assessment and support planning for people within a diverse community setting and the range of solutions available to facilitate their independence from a strengths based perspective.

Technical Skills
1. Working knowledge of a wide range of typical IT tools including database, word processing, email and spreadsheet applications., 1. UK state registered degree in Social Work, DipSW or CQSW.
2. A current Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau assessment.
3. HCPC registration

NB: All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Diversity & Equality and Health and Safety Policies., We are looking for an experienced Social Workers with extensive knowledge and experience of completing care Act Assessments, Mental Capacity Assessments, community DOL assessments and to take a part in our eligibility assessments process.

The post is for a candidate with an extensive knowledge and experience of working with Adults with Learning Disabilities and their carers, people with complex care needs.

The candidate would need to ensure that the requirements of the MCA 2005 are met and that the service users rights under the ECHR (human rights Act 1998) are upheld.

The candidate would need to complete Mental Capacity and /or Best Interest Assessments, eligibility assessments and relevant documents for the community DOL.

Although some of the role is working from home the social worker will need to go to see service users in the community in order to assess them. We are looking for a person with an excellent understanding of the community DOL assessments.

In return we will provide an excellent training to extend their knowledge in order to equip this person with the understanding around the eligibility assessment.