Job Introduction
Our Vision A county where big ambitions, great connections and greener living give everyone the opportunity to prosper, be healthy and happy Our Outcomes Everyone in Staffordshire will: • Have access to more good jobs and share the benefit of economic growth
• Be healthier and more independent for longer
• Feel safer, happier and more supported in their community Our Values Our People Strategy sets out what we all need to do to make Staffordshire County Council a great place to work, where people are supported to develop, the Strategy to ensure that the focus is on what is important to the organisation and the people it serves:
• Ambitious – We are ambitious for our communities and citizens
• Courageous – We recognise our challenges and are prepared to make courageous decisions
• Empowering – We empower and support our people by giving them the opportunity to do their jobs well. About the Service Our aim is to create an environment where families are supported to stay together safely and live well in their communities by building on their strengths. This is the right thing to do. Families tell us they do not want to be in services and evidence says that lives are better when needs can be met early within the family or community. F&C –Children’s Services 02 Working in this way is also more sustainable. We can support more families to live better lives if we focus on addressing needs as early as we can. This report details the changes we have already made across the children and families system.
Main Responsibility
• To provide the day to day line-management and coordination of PA Support to social workers with utilising the support of Business Administrative Lead for professional advise and guidance.
• Promoting and ensuring that family Group Conference and family meetings are offered to all families that are allocated. Ensure as part of assessment and plans to support families that Family Group Conferences/Family Meetings are offered to all families allocated.
• Promoting, encouraging and ensuring that there is a focus upon quality of practice and achieving positive outcomes for children and families
• Providing high quality and timely assessments and reports in the agreed format for Court’s, Child Protection Case Conferences, Statutory Reviews and any other forum as directed by the Team Manager.
• Planning, carrying out and monitoring all activities required for individual children and families to ensure that outcomes for children are aspirational and where appropriate achieved in partnership with other relevant agencies.
• Completing regular reviews of individual children’s and families situations and using the outcome to develop new arrangements and plans in partnership with the family and other agencies.
• Maintaining client records in line with the Directorate policies and procedures within the framework provided by the Integrated Children’s System.
• Developing and sustaining positive working relationships and partnerships which enable safe plans to be created which maintain children within their home environment or their effective rehabilitation back home in the future.
• Participating in the development of new initiatives and policy across the Directorate as appropriate.
• Always working within the professional ethics and disciplines of social work as described in the BASW code of ethics and the Social Work England standards
• To support the Team Manager in the development of staff and the team including coaching and mentoring social workers, social work student and non- social work staff.
• Undertake any other duties commensurable with the grade and post, including deputising in the absence of the Team Manager.
• Flexibility to work at any other location across the district as and when required
The Ideal Candidate
Substantial post qualifying experience
• Wider range of experience in social work role
• Experience of working with complexity of workloads
• Understanding of key pieces of legislation in respect of children ‘s welfare, safeguarding, child in need, children in our care, care leavers and children with disability and SEND.
• Sound knowledge of child development
• Sound knowledge o of family dynamic and the impact that this has on children lives. • Good understanding range of vulnerabilities that children and their families face and the impact of this.
• Sound knowledge of the impact of illness and disability on children and their families.
An ability to undertake high quality timely assessment, planning, monitoring and review of individual cases
An ability to develop relationships with children, their parents and other relevant carers and work restoratively to support families
• The ability to work as part of a team and to contribute to the development of services through a team approach
• Skills in direct work with children and adults
• Good communication skills at all levels
• Ability to prioritise work and manage competing demands
• Good recording and report writing skills
• High standards of ICT literacy and skills and how embracing a digital world can open up opportunities to communicate and engage with families and young people in different ways
• A flexible approach to undertaking the social work task
• Commitment to high quality services for children and their families
• Commitment to personal growth and development
• Commitment and ability to demonstrate restorative approaches to working with Families and Children
Car Driver (suitable adjustments made in line with Equalities Act 2010)
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits.
Our recruitment process:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Silver Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.
