Social Worker - Baywide Social Care Team

Job summary

We are pleased to offer an opportunity aBand 6 Social Worker position within the Baywide social care team.

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

About us

As an organisation Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) values staff and the diverse experiences and contributions they bring. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive organisation where every individual has the opportunity to make a difference. We are a mindful employer recognising employee health and wellbeing as a fundamental part of our success.

Why work with us - 1 (pagetiger.com)

Full vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification.

Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay is important in order to carry out your duties (e.g. Full driving licence and vehicle).

Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Job description

Job 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 persons 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 users 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 users 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 individuals 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

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

Essential
-Relevant professional Social Work qualification - Degree/Diploma Work, Certificate of Qualification in Social Work, Certificate in Social Services

Desirable
-Post Qualifying consolidation and commitment to post qualification training

Knowledge and experience

Essential
-Knowledge/skills of safeguarding adult processes
-Knowledge/skills of Care Act
-Knowledge/skills of Mental Capacity Act
-Ability to present as an excellent role model for good practice within The multi-disciplinary team
-Knowledge of Managing Expectations
-Ability to think laterally whilst maximising quality outcomes
-Ability to work on own initiative while making positive use of supervision and training
-Ability to use IT-based Care management systems
-Ability to manage time effectively in assessing, planning, monitoring and reviewing service user's needs and services
-Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with a broad range of people
-Knowledge/skills of Mental Capacity Act
-Ability to provide formal supervision
-Ability to provide information and advice around hospital discharge planning to include funding under covid, and also commissioned services in social care
-Ability to take a lead role in jointly-worked complex cases
-Ability to make decisions in accordance with the statutory requirements of the post
-Good reporting and recording skills
-Commitment to the concepts of a need-sled service, quality standards and service user choice within the context
-Anti-discriminatory practice
-Ability to work within corporate policy and an awareness of Equal Opportunities

Desirable
-Health and Safety in the workplace legislation
-Ability to undertake risk assessments within all aspects of day to day work
-Ability to act as a consultant on practice-based issues for other health and social care practitioners
-Knowledge of Continuing Care/ Registered Nursing Care Contribution oKnowledge of Direct
-Knowledge of Intermediate Care Knowledge of end of life care
-Knowledge of Direct Payments and Independent Living Fund

Specific Skills

Essential
-Experience of safeguarding adult processes
-Experience of mental capacity assessment and development of best interest decision
-Experience of hospital discharge pre-covid, during covid; assessment, planning, information and advice

Desirable
-Experience of court of protection
-Experience of court work (family, coroner, or criminal court)
-Experience of working with people around end of life care and discharge planning

Requirements due to work environment and / or conditions

Essential
-Requirement to visit mental health settings including Secure Units, Acute Psychiatric Hospital, Residential Homes and supported living settings
-Requirement to visit people in community settings including visiting clients on their own homes where poor environment and home conditions can be a factor
-Ability to be mobile across a geographical area