Senior Social Worker - Safeguarding

The primary purpose of the role is to:

• Contribute to the delivery of an effective children’s social care service as part of a social work team, improving outcomes for children and young people.

• Manage caseloads dependent upon experience, grade of post and complexity of cases, utilising specialist knowledge for appropriate interventions, needs and risk assessments, care planning and child protection investigations.

• Carry out high quality assessments, using child-centred, community focused, and multi-agency interventions to bring about positive change through developing effective relationships and to secure the best outcomes for children and young people.

• Ensure children and young people are adequately protected in line with Havering LSCB and departmental policy and procedures and relevant legislation.

Job Context:

1. The postholder reports to a Deputy Team Manager/Practice Manager.

2. The postholder may have line management responsibility for non-qualified staff, as required, within the team where the post is based.

3. The postholder will be required to occasionally work outside normal hours.

Skills, Abilities and Behaviours

• Ability to apply child care legislation to work practice.

• Ability to analyse complex situations.

• Ability to reflect and learn from own behaviour and feedback, identifying impact of action on others.

• Ability to make use of management systems including IT in recording, retrieval and analysis of information.

• Effective communication skills: written, verbal and listening.

• Hold a current drivers licence and have a car available for work.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the Children Act 1989, 2004, Working Together 2013 and other relevant legislation and frameworks.

• Knowledge of current policy and practice, including electronic case management systems.

• Knowledge of child development and attachment, understanding the impact of parental problems and the short/long-term impact of abuse/neglect on children.

• Demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, working within an equal opportunities framework.

• Knowledge of issues involved in working with children with disabilities.

Experience

• Significant experience (e.g. at least 2 years) of work with children and families, including assessments and statutory work.

• Experience of multi-disciplinary inter-agency basis and ability to negotiate on behalf of customers.

• Experience of the application of theoretical models and relevant research.

• Experience of child protection work.

• Experience of court work.

RQ1297180