Job description
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