Social Worker - Baywide Social Care Team

Job overview

We are pleased to offer an opportunity for final-year Social Work students to apply for a developmental pathway leading to a Band 6 Social Worker position. Successful applicants will initially be appointed as Community Care Workers prior to qualification.

Upon successful completion of your Social Work degree, you will automatically progress into a Band 5 ASYE Social Worker role. Following the successful completion of your ASYE year, you will then advance into a Band 6 Social Worker position.

The  Social Care team are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Social Worker to join them in contributing to a caring and vibrant service working in the Baywide area.

This exciting opportunity will enable the successful applicant to be able to make a positive difference in delivering holistic social care assessments, in partnership with service users, families and carers.

The Baywide Social Care Team are a small supportive team who enjoy mentoring team members and students and are passionate about delivering quality care to patients.  We are a motivated and caring team to both patients and colleagues. The team is flexible and promotes a healthy work/home life balance.

Main duties of the job

• To be a core member of a multi-disciplinary Baywide Social Care Team and contribute to the effective assessment and discharge planning with working age adults in the area of Torbay and for Torbay residents in out of area hospitals in the region.
• To undertake holistic social care assessments, in partnership with service users, families and carers, prepare care plans, commission services to ensure the most beneficial and cost-effective care packages are established, delivered, monitored and reviewed, and comply with all statutory requirements for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust policies and guidelines.
• To have clear responsibilities for the safeguarding of adults and children and for operating in a manner consistent with Human Rights legislation
• To be compliant with and practice utilising social care legislation including Care Act 2014 and  Mental Capacity Act 2005

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication and working relationships

• Communications may include dealing with those people who have difficulties relating to highly complex, contentious emotional, psychological conditions associated with their presenting conditions. People may have difficulties in communicating or understanding their condition. Communication may involve skills in managing anger, motivating, negotiating, counselling, training, empathising and reassuring

Planning and organisation

• To plan and prioritise own work and caseload.
• To draw up detailed care plans in partnership with service users, patients and carers
• To take part in referral allocation meetings, or self-allocate new work, depending upon team practice

Responsibility and accountability

• The role involves managing a defined caseload and provide statutory Social Work service to our clients in the Torbay area.
• Eligibility for services is determined as per Care Act 2014 eligibility criteria.
• To complete high quality assessments and reviews of social care needs and care packages provided to service users and ensure that social care resources are targeted to meet the person’s specified outcomes, as per guidance of the Care Act 2014.
• To promote service users participation in the co-design of appropriate support plans based on measurable outcomes within agreed policies and budgetary provision. This will include ensuring transparency of action plans with service users in relation to any changes or withdrawal of services as necessary.
• To ensure the effective participation in the assessment and review process of other relevant people as part of the service user’s network and/or other individuals  either within the Integrated Mental Health Team or in other agencies (liaising with Adult Social Care, IMCA services, Health services, Police, Education services and service providers)
• To protect the rights and advocate on behalf of vulnerable people in accordance with legislation, to challenge mental health stigma and promote a strength based approach within the service user’s recovery journey. This includes taking an active role in recognising, challenging and reporting in a timely manner any safeguarding concern, in accordance with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust relevant policies and procedures.
• To operate within the Care Act Safeguarding adults guidance and Torbay safeguarding policies and procedures. To be able to lead safeguarding enquiries as and when appropriate.
• To identify and act upon situations where children may be at risk, working with appropriate agencies as required.
• There is a need to balance out issues of risk (to the public and to the service user) against the individual’s right to self-determination. This involves multi-agency consultation and an ability to balance work alongside caseload management, to remain calm and make decisions in pressurised situations and to manage uncertainty and risk with potentially volatile individuals. Lone working could be a component of this work

Policy and service responsibility

• To complete Care Act assessments  and subsequent care plans records in line with service policies and procedures , working in a strengths based and outcome focussed way.
• To work as part of an integrated health and social care team exchanging professional knowledge, experience and providing mutual support
• To contribute to service developments within the Hospital Discharge Team, specifically around promoting and championing the role of Social Work within the hospital setting.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• Work creatively with communities and localities, including voluntary and third sector organisations, identifying suitable resources providers to arrange for the delivery of appropriate support plans within available resources. To identify and feed back to the Social Care lead any service provision deficiencies

Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management

• To actively participate in regular supervision with line manager
• To identify development needs with your line manager and to attend training courses, develop knowledge as appropriate.
• To agree an annual training and development plan with your line manager via the Trust appraisal process.

Information technology and administrative duties

• To maintain accurate, factual and up to date records of work completed as directed by line manager To complete Social care panel paperwork as and when required
• To maintain accurate, factual and up to date records of work completed as directed by line manager
• To complete Social care panel paperwork as and when required