Job Introduction
The First Contact Team engages with citizens of Staffordshire, carrying out strengths based, outcome focused assessments via the telephone and virtual technology. The service also delivers a single point of access to all age carers who are supported to access information, advice and guidance.
The Care Act 2014 compliant assessments determine citizens assessed eligible needs while promoting their assets and facilitating their independence. First Contact will develop care and support plans with people and work with Brokerage to put services in place to meet their residual eligible social care needs.
There will be a requirement for the post holder to participate in a weekend working rota.
Main Responsibility
As a social worker you will:
- Take responsibility for the provision of asset based assessments under the Care Act and Children and Families Act inclusive of all statutory functions.
- Participate on the inter-agency best interest assessor rota for adults and All age carers
- Use person centred thinking tools to inform the assessment
- Develop a collaborative relationship with citizens, their representatives, and any professionals involved in their support, promoting positive expectations of what citizens can achieve, understanding their talents, wishes and feelings.
- As part of the assessment process, undertake purposeful interaction with citizens, families and other professionals to understand the needs and strengths of the individual, their network of relationships and their capacity to consent.
- Support and mentor Social Care Assessors by actively engaging in peer group discussions about cases, to inform practice; and to identify the need for and provide professional interventions.
- Analyse information to understand risks and develop strategies to explain, avoid or manage risk appropriately.
The Ideal Candidate
You will have:
- Experience of planning personalised individual support with adults.
- Understanding of the legislative and policy context of services for adults and Young Carers including case law and findings from enquiries.
- Knowledge of adult physical, intellectual emotional and social development and family dynamics.
- Knowledge and some experience of applying the Mental Capacity Act assessments, Best Interest Assessments.
- Knowledge of mental health legislation including section 117.
- Understanding of the principles of the different funding streams available to support adults.
- Experience of working as part of a team, in developing services and the professional practice of colleagues.
- Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills and interactions with individuals and families.
- Be able to analyse written, verbal and observed information, using established models, to determine needs, challenge assumptions and enable informed choice.
- Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas in practice, using supervision, team discussion and challenging assumptions.
- Be able to critically reflect on their own practice.
- Be resourceful and resilient - able to operate in a changing environment.
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 Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire
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 Gold 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.
