Social Worker / Senior Practitioner

Vibe Care, are seeking, for their client, a experienced Social Worker / Senior Practitioner (Grade 10-12) to join Local Authority Children's Social Care working across Oxfordshire.

The Role:

• To provide professional social work to a caseload of children, young people, and families, appropriate to experience and capabilities, ensuring their views are heard.
• To ensure the highest of professional standards and good overall knowledge of relevant law, legislation, and practice in line with the values and principles of FSS.
• To ensure provision of good quality services which integrate government and local guidance and initiatives including, Children Acts 1989 & 2004, Working Together, local Child Protection and Looked After Children procedures, and the DoH, Assessment Framework 2000.

Job Responsibilities

• To provide an efficient and effective service to children, young people, and their families, ensuring that the needs of the children and their parents/carers are professionally assessed, and that relevant interventions are provided where needed, in a timely way.
• To work with families using the FSS Workbook modules, and a strengths-based approach.
• To prepare and submit written reports as and when required, including child protection conference reports and legal reports for care proceedings.
• To attend conferences, reviews and court as required for each case presenting plans clearly, with professionalism and integrity.
• To ensure the Assistant /Team Manager is kept fully appraised of significant information about allocated families, seeking advice as and when necessary.
• To attend group supervision when required and to ensure that relevant updates are provided before each group supervision session.
• To attend individual supervision when required and engage in continual professional development as recommended by the Assistant/Team Manager
• To use ICT to maintain accurate case records, and to be able to record activity in line with key performance management data.
• To ensure that all case management complies with the statutory requirements and the Council's policies and procedures
• To act as the duty worker for the team on a rotational basis
• To undertake child and family assessments for allocated families when required
• To investigate allegations of harm or neglect under s47 Children Act 1989 when required.
• To practice in line with the Council's procedures and statutory regulation in supporting children who come into the care of the local authority
• To be familiar with and committed to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory and anti‑oppressive practice and the Council Policy and Plan and to implement this in all aspects of working practice and promote it in the team, workplace, and wider organisation.
• To proactively liaise with and work in partnership other agencies and organisations, parents and carers.
• To ensure that the child's voice is considered in all casework and included in all assessments and plans.
• To promote the involvement of young service users and families in meetings about them, and where possible, in-service development
• Comply with OCC health and safety policies, procedures, and rules, taking reasonable care of self and others.

Essential criteria

• Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England, with relevant post qualifying experience.
• Have a knowledge of services relevant to children, young people, families, carers, groups and partner agencies
• Proven track record of safeguarding work with children in need of help and protection.
• Have a knowledge of legislation, guidance, policy and procedures
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Working knowledge of Motivational Interviewing and the cycle of change and their application in social work with children and families
• A commitment to ongoing learning, training and professional development
• Demonstrate professional competence in social work practice by using current knowledge and working within agreed standards of best social work practice and carrying out duties in accordance with the Social Work England standards of conduct, performance and ethics: (url removed) to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
• Able to communicate appropriately and effectively, verbally and in writing with adults, children and other professionals, ensuring language is accessible to all.
• Able to produce timely and high-quality written work and comply with directorate recording procedures
• Able to effectively use a range of IT systems (Word, Outlook and Children's Services Case Recording Systems)
• Able to demonstrate good professional analysis, risk assessment and decision-making skills
• Ability to chair meetings, including planning meetings
• Understanding of the need for provision of high quality and effective services within the context of efficient use of resources
• Commitment to continuous professional development
• Demonstrable ability to act with high levels of trust and personal accountability
• Promote the values and behaviours of Oxfordshire Council County to ensure everyone is working with a common purpose
• Makes the best use of the contributions in the culture, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age and abilities of each person
• Adhere to the Social Work England standards of conduct, performance and ethics

Essential personal qualities:

• A keen interest in supporting children and their families to achieve best outcomes
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to form professional working relationships with children, their families and partners
• Ability to undertake direct work with children using age-appropriate tools where necessary
• Ability to support the work of the team, including participating in the duty rota
• Motivate people you work with (families and colleagues)
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies
• Able to work in a busy stressful environment
• Good time management skills
• Commitment to partnership working with parents and carers
• Flexible and able to use own initiative, whilst accepting the need to work within policies and procedures
• Open, creative and willing to explore new ways of working
• Committed to, and understanding of, the principles of Equal Opportunities for all, in employment and the delivery of services

Additional requirements:

• Can travel to visit clients and attend meetings over a wide area and at short notice.
• Satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Certificate

Vibe Recruit is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.