Senior Social Workers

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued February 2025 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Senior Social Worker ▪ Post Number: To Be Confirmed ▪ Grade and SCP: NJC Band 12 (SCP 34 -38) ▪ Directorate: Children's Services Where your role fits at Shropshire Council As Shropshire Council we are rightly proud of our achievements and we have proven to be a resilient local authority in our response to the many challenges we overcome, particularly over recent years. We will be continuing this momentum with ambition and a focus on delivering our four key priorities outlined within the Shropshire Plan: Healthy People, Healthy Environment, Health Economy and Healthy Organisation. We are committed to achieving this by aligning everything we do to our vision 'Shropshire - living the best life'; to tell everyone that Shropshire Council is a great place to be. We will enable a skilled, happy, healthy, diverse, inclusive, empowered, and proud workforce that influences and leads change, addressing any inequalities. As a Social Worker in Children's Services, you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire. Overview of your role You will be based in one of the locality Case Management Teams and you will be working with children and families subject to Child in Need, Child Protection, Public Law Outline and Court Proceedings. You will also be working with Children Looked After until they have a permanency plan. You will have the supervision of a Team Manager and will support the team around you - ASYE Social Workers, less experienced Social Workers and a Family Support Worker. You will have a protected caseload in order to enable you to support and role model excellent practice to the rest of your team. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? The post holder will be: ▪ responsible to the Team Manager who is in turn responsible for the post holder's health and safety, training and development. ▪ expected to lead and/or contribute to a range of projects and build relations with both internal and external partners in order achieve specified outcomes but will not have direct authority over those involved. ▪ Responsible for preparing responses in line with Shropshire Council's corporate processes and national/regulatory/statutory processes (e.g. complaints, MP enquiries, Information Governance requests, customer enquiries, media enquiries, HR staff investigations etc..). These responses should be in line with the quality and timescale expectations set out within Shropshire Council's published procedures and/or case allocation emails and discussions. ▪ Responsible for completing within expected timescales all mandatory corporate and role specific training. Training requirements will be detailed in your corporate induction and Personal Development Plan (PDP). Courses are accessed via the council Learning Management System via the Intranet. ▪ Responsible for supervising the Family Support Worker attached to your team. ▪ Responsible for supporting the Team Manager with guidance and role modelling for ASYEs and newly qualified Social Workers. What will you be doing? 1. To visit and work with families as required, assessing and re-assessing children's needs and to carry out duties under the Children Act with particular references to Sections 17 and 47 2. To act as a Case Manager where children are identified as being in need and co-ordinate Core Groups, as appropriate 3. To act as Key Worker in cases where a Child Protection Plan is in operation 4. To provide and contribute to Social Work Assessments as required 5. To contribute to and to develop ways of identifying and assessing children determined to be in need within the criteria set out in the Children's Services Plan 6. To provide children and families with particular information and advice to assist in resolving problems. 7. To liaise with other agencies on behalf of service users, to co-ordinate the various resources and arrange specific types of assistance 8. To carry out statutory duties as authorised by the Team Manager, Service Manager, Service Director and Director of Children's Services 9. To present evidence and reports to Courts as required 10. To attend and prepare for Case Conferences as determined by Directorate policies 11. To take part in the office duty system as required 12. To maintain computerised records and documentation in accordance with approved Policies and Procedures 13. To work in collaboration with parents, guardians, carers and other professionals in relation to Children Looked After and to maintain records in accordance with the statutory requirements 14. The post holder may be required from time to time, to undertake other duties appropriate to this grade which may not be specifically mentioned in this job description 15. To supervise the Family Support Worker attached to the team and liaise with the Team Manager in respect of any issues raised around practice 16. To support the learning and development of ASYEs within your team 17. In addition to the above duties, the post holder will be expected to demonstrate the following skills: a) to be fully competent over a range of appropriate duties and responsibilities; b) c) d) e) f) g) h) to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of relevant legislation, procedures and resources; to show that he/she is fully competent in case recording, administration and associated tasks; to establish that he/she is able to recognise situations where it is appropriate to seek further advice; to show that he/she has attended the necessary supervisory sessions and has used these constructively; to be able to recognise potential repercussion of a decision beyond the local level e.g. other agencies, political considerations, the media etc; to comply with safe systems of work in accordance with the Directorate's Health, Safety and Welfare policies and procedures; to develop an understanding and awareness of issues related to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice and to demonstrate this in carrying out your duties; i) responsible for promoting continuing personal and professional/vocational development of self through staff development processes. These duties are illustrative and not exhaustive. The post holder will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. What we expect of you You will: ▪ adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile, ▪ act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire, ▪ meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Personal Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council, ▪ work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. Your primary work base will be at Guildhall in Shrewsbury with the requirement to regularly work from home. You will also have access to local hubs in the area of Shropshire your team covers. Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Permanent, for 37 hours per week, ▪ Normal office hours are 8.45am to 5pm Monday - Thursday, and 8.45am to 4pm Friday with a minimum lunch break of 30 minutes. Occasional work outside of these core hours may be required however this will be considered on a case by case basis with your manager, ▪ The post is subject to the Council's annualised hours scheme as implemented within the specific work area. This post carries eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Information about this will be sent with any formal offer of appointment. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March. The appointment is subject to two months' notice in writing on either side. The appointment is subject to six months' satisfactory probationary service during which time the notice period will be one week on either side. Smoking is not allowed in Council buildings, in Council vehicles or in any Council place of work. It is a condition of your ...