Senior / Social Worker

About Us

Working for us at West Sussex County Council is all about making a positive difference to the people of West Sussex. This is a great opportunity for you to join us as an experienced qualified social worker. We're embracing a strengths based approach and working within a community-led support model that builds on the assets and strengths of both people and their local communities.Together, we'll focus on prevention, enablement, reablement and safety, to promote wellbeing and independence. We'll ensure that residents, families, and communities have the right support in place, and at the right time.We provide a working environment that values professional supervision and offers the right balance between challenge and support. This provides our workforce with what they need to deliver the best possible outcomes for our residents. We work to ensure that innovation and evidence-based practice underpins what we do and that we maintain an environment within which our social workers can develop and progress in their careers. If you have the talent and ambition to achieve the best for the people we serve, then we will support you to progress and develop throughout your social work career.

About The Job

Salary: NJC Grade 11 £42,708 to £45,718 dependent on experience + Crawley weighting allowance

Working Pattern: Full time Contract Length: Permanent Location: Crawley

You will work as part of a strong and dynamic social work service. In this role you will be required to undertake strengths-based assessments in complex situations applying relevant legislation utilising advanced social work skills and knowledge to develop and implement a plan of support, aimed at improving wellbeing and delivering outcomes for people as well as contributing to and developing skills in safeguarding.You will manage a complex caseload collaborating with people and family or friend carers, undertake strengths-based assessments and reviews, identifying eligible needs and personalised outcomes. You will be working within a supportive environment to apply your social work skills to develop and implement support plans, aimed at improving wellbeing and delivering outcomes, including utilising community assets, and ensuring that eligible needs are met. You will be supporting less experienced colleagues to apply learning to further develop their capability, and professional confidence. You will be supported with professional supervision and a workload that is appropriate to your level of professional development.You will work effectively in partnership with other staff and voluntary agencies and have an excellent understanding of all the relevant health, voluntary and private services in the area. You will remain up-to-date and compliant with all relevant legislation and adhere to organisational procedures, policies, and codes of conduct as well as Social Work England professional standards to uphold a high-quality, seamless service.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

1. Experience of working proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate strengths-based assessment of needs in complex situations and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes (in line with relevantlegislation).2. Demonstrable evidence of leadership skills when working in partnership with people, carers, colleagues and a variety of external agencies in complex situations to meet people's outcomes.3. Experience of managing situations with complex and competing risks, utilising a risk enablement approach and using evidence-based practice.4. Experience of analysis and interpretation of complex people related information and data to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.5. Experience of leading on safeguarding enquiries.

6. Ability to provide supervision and develop the capabilities of less experienced social care practitioners including contributing to performance management. Mentor and coach students and apprentices.7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders to provide clear advice and guidance and interventions.8. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice, and supervision, and to prioritise and organise work and meet agreed performance expectations.9. Sound and accurate IT skills to ensure effective record keeping, compliantwith data protection and respecting confidentiality.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• A Degree in Social Work or a recognised equivalent Social Work qualification e.g., Diploma in Social Work.• Registered with Social Work England• Experience of undertaking assessments in complex situations and social work intervention planning, implementation, and review by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.• Extensive experience of working in partnership with those who access the service and maintaining a focus on the needs and strengths of the people, and the outcomes they want to achieve, whilst handling conflict and disagreement.• Experience of managing risk within a risk enablement approach• Excellent, up-to-date working knowledge of relevant legislation e.g., Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005) etc.• Valid, full driving licence. Desirable

Rewards and Benefits

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05476.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Clare Munnery (Team Manager - Crawley Community Team) at [email protected]

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [email protected].

To apply, upload your CV and cover letter explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!