Lead Professional Social Worker

Job summary

We are seeking to appoint a Lead Professional for Social Work who will provide professional leadership to our social workers employed within Sheffield Health and Social Care. Are you an experienced social worker with strong leadership and management experience?

You will be a visible and compassionate leader who is motivated and passionate about the social work contribution to our services. We are keen to develop our social workers, this role will have a strong focus on their continued professional development, student placement development and will also support how we work effectively with our system partners such as Sheffield City Council. We currently employ around 30 whole time equivalent social workers who are a key part of our workforce and require practice governance and continuing professional development in order to deliver outstanding care..

Good clinical supervision is essential for our clinicians and in this role you will oversee this, whilst providing supervision to our senior social workers. You will received clinical supervision and be line managed by our Head of Service for acute and community services, a registered social worker.

You may be an Approved Mental Health Professional or a Best Interest Assessor, we are keen to ensure we underpin our social work practice with relevant and accurate legal knowledge.

Main duties of the job

Take responsibility for professional Social Work development across the Trust.

Hold responsibility to work in partnership with Sheffield City Council and the wider health and care system to resolve social care delayed discharges.

Actively work within the wider Sheffield Adult Social Work provision providing professional leadership and advice for social work staff within the Trust.

To oversee and ensure professional support and development, performance management and monitoring of social work is delivered to a high standard.

To provide professional representation in the management and development of the service ensuring an effective interface and relationship across SHSC and SCC.

About us

At SHSC, we prioritise the well-being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front. However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.

Job description
Job responsibilities

As detailed within the attached job description/person specification.

This role is being the face of social work within Sheffield Health and Social Care. We are keen to support more social workers into our employment and then retain them and our current staff by developing areas such as the Assessed and Supported Year of Employment and then their continuous professional development. Another key area to develop is our relationship between system partners.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced social worker who is passionate about what social work contribute to mental health and all our service areas. If you maybe interested in this role but want to know more then do not hesitate to contact Greg Hackney, Deputy Director of Operations

Person Specification

Knowledge & Skills
Essential

o Knowledge and understanding of all Social Care legislation and regulation and how to interpret this in a modern context.
o Up to date knowledge of the issues facing adult social care and demonstrable commitment to customer satisfaction.
o Be able to illustrate ability to manage high level work and operate at strategic level.
o Knowledge around Fairer Access, Personalisation and how this should be interpreted in the context "Our Health Our Care Our Say"; and 'Putting People First'
o Specific knowledge and experience in the field of mental health.
o A sound understanding of antidiscrimination/anti-oppression including advocacy, empowerment and user involvement issues.
o Experience of developing a range of complex and cost effective care packages.
o Proven ability to motivate, and support staff to consistently achieve and exceed personal objectives.
o Be able to illustrate ability to work across organisations and agencies with examples from practice.
o Have experience of working in senior capacity and line manager functions.

Desirable

o Be able to demonstrate significant experience working in professional practice across a broad range of adult mental health care.
o Have developed and delivered a range of educational sessions and developed learning materials.

Specific Skills
Essential

o Demonstrable ability to provide professional supervision for staff undertaking high quality, timely assessment, planning, monitoring and review of individual cases
o To be able to use managerial and supervisory interventions, giving constructive feedback and support.
o An ability to involve service users/carers.
o Able to prioritise work and manage competing needs and demands.
o High level recording and report writing skills.
o Evidence of sound judgment skills in providing solutions on complex case work.
o Evidence of successful communication skills with staff and across a diverse customer base.
o Evidence of ability to establish effective working relationships with the customers.
o To be fully literate and able to communicate clearly complex information verbally, in legible writing and electronically in appropriate formats.
o To have knowledge and understanding of confidential information management.
o To be able to organise, plan and deliver complex activities and manage own workload and co-ordinate the workload of others.
o To be able to analyse and interpret complex issues/information and act as information resource to the Directorate on social care issues.
o Have proven experience of developing and delivering effective training/teaching programmes in area of social care.
o Knowledge and experience of research in area of social care or commitment to develop this area of expertise.

Desirable

o Evidence of ability to work as part of a senior management team, and to contribute to the development of service through a management team approach.
o To have an understanding of the purpose of strategic development and to demonstrate experience of operating at strategic level - developing appropriate policies and systems.

Training & Qualifications
Essential

Professional social work, qualification certified and registered by Social Work England
o Educated to Masters level in relevant subject (or willing to work towards)
o To have expertise in areas relating to high risk including Safeguarding Children and Adults.
o Demonstrates a commitment to continuous professional development
o Experiential or academic training in leadership and management training

Desirable

o Recognised post-registration certificate or postgraduate diploma in the specialist practice area.
o Accredited qualification in leadership and/or management skills
o Competency based teaching qualification
o Approved Mental Health Professional/best Interest Assessor qualification

Physical Skills
Essential

Physical Dexterity required for basic keyboard skills

Desirable

o Full driving license and the ability to travel to different locations.
o Required to use appropriate level of Personal Safety techniques to deal with challenging clients or incidents.
o Physical fitness for walking short distances.
o Sitting for periods of up to approx. 1 1/2 hours

Emotional Effort
Desirable

o Speaking to distressed users/carers and their relatives.
o Dealing with staff de-briefing and sensitive reports
o Ability to deal with exposure to verbal and physical aggression.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.