Senior Social Worker: Duty and Assessment Team

• Work independently to hold and effectively manage a more complex caseload, acknowledging and ensuring appropriate levels of responsibility commensurate with the individual’s knowledge and skills.
• Work directly with children, young people and families, involving all key family members and prioritising children and young people’s safety. Work using Signs of Safety methodology, which works collaboratively with families to empower them to find solutions whilst ensuring working within the policies, procedures of Children’s Services and regulatory standards.
• Carry out in depths and ongoing family assessment of social need and risk to children, with particular focus on parental capacity and capacity to change.
• Recognise harm and risk indicators forms of harm to children relating to sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect. Consider the possibility of Child Sexual Exploitation, grooming (on and offline), female genital mutilation, enforced marriage and the range of adult behaviours which pose a risk to children, recognising too the potential for children to be perpetrators of abuse.
• Navigate the family and youth justice systems in England using legal powers and duties to support families, to protect children and to look after children in the public care system, including the regulated frameworks that support the full range of permanence options.
• Participate in decisions about whether to make an application to the family court, the order to be applied for and the preparation and presentation of evidence.
• Seek advice and professional second opinion as required in relation to the legal issues, interventions and plans which frequently impact children, young people and families involved with statutory services.
• Use the law and regulatory and statutory guidance to inform practice decisions. Take into account the complex relationships between professional ethics, the application of the law and the impact of social policy on both.
• Make realistic child centred plans within a review timeline which will manage and reduce identified risks and meets the needs of the child.
• Maintain and update case notes and other records pertaining to the child/children you have responsibility.
• Write reports as required and if needed give evidence in court on factual matters.
• Contribute to planning/reviewing the cases of children in care, supervise fostering/adoption arrangements.

• A social Work Qualification or equivalent.
• Understanding of relevant legislation.
• Registered or eligible for registration.

LogicMelon