ASW - Senior Social Worker

Senior Adult Social Care experience
Working in Complex care team advantageous

Main purpose of the job:

· To assist the Operational Team Manager in providing a comprehensive integrated service for adults and their carers in the Borough of Bexley who are identified as being in need as a result of disability or vulnerability.

· To provide specialist social work practice skills including safeguarding vulnerable adults and promoting care management.

· To take a professional lead on adult safeguarding issues within the Team.

Purpose of Job

• To support the Team Manager in the management and development of the Integrated Care Service in Bexley.
• To undertake highly complex care arrangements for assessment and support planning in situations which involve risk, complexity and safety of the service user and their carers. To deputise for the Operational Team Manager in his/her absence and undertake key responsibilities to support the team in its service delivery.
• To provide more specialist social work practice skills, and knowledge of adult social care, and to make independent decisions.

· To work in partnership with service users and their carers, to ensure the provision of a service, including self-directed support, which meets their assessed needs, within available resources.

· To assist as part of the multi-disciplinary team in improving service users’ quality of life by, devising programmes to maximise independence and assist with accessing resources to provide practical help.

Principal Accountabilities

• To provide a specialist social work service for older people and people with learning and physical disabilities, or mental health problems. and investigate cases to safeguard vulnerable adults
• To assist and direct team members in assessing the needs of individuals, developing and planning individualised budgets and monitoring their progress. To ensure safe discharges from hospital and residential rehabilitation units. To work with partners to prevent hospital admissions To support the Team Manager in ensuing the workload of the service is prioritised appropriately and is allocated to social care workers and other members of the integrated team, making best use of their skills and capability.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge and skills of other team members or students by sharing knowledge and practice, including supervision of newly qualified ASYE’s.
• Take responsibility for professional development training needs, including where appropriate practice teaching, as well as staff supervision as directed by the Operational Team Manager.
• To contribute to the development of adult social care provision and policy, and to promote new ways of developing services, taking account of national and local initiatives, as well as performance indicators. To ensure effective use of time and resources, identifying and communicating short falls of resources when necessary.
• To work in partnership with other agencies in assessing, planning and implementing person centred care to promote choice and independence.
• To promote the team to other departments, statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure that referrals to the service are appropriate.

Education and Formal Training

Professional qualification in Social Work eg CSS/CQSW, DipSW

Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

A Management qualification (Certificate in Management/Diploma in Management Studies)

Practice Education qualification or willingness to undertake practice education award/responsibility for ASYE.

Best Interests Assessor qualification

Relevant Technical Experienceand Knowledge

Proven post qualification experience in services for Older People, and adults with long term conditions obtained in both community and hospital settings.

Experience of supervising staff.

A thorough understanding of the needs of service users, carers and relatives and experience of working with older people and people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health issues.

Specialised knowledge of ageing process and disabling conditions and an appreciation of the social, psychological and emotional needs of service users and how services should respond to these needs.

Proven communication skills and the ability to build excellent working relationships with other professionals both within the integrated teams and partner agencies.

Experience and understanding of multi-disciplinary and integrated working

Working knowledge of National Health and Community Care Act, Mental Capacity Act Social Care Eligibility Criteria, and other relevant legislation for these client groups.

Knowledge of recruitment and staff selection methods

Knowledge of health and safety requirements.

RQ1300736