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Senior Practitioner - MARAT

Employer
Essex County Council
Location
England, Essex, Colchester
Salary
Negotiable
Closing date
17 Mar 2021

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Senior Practitioner - MARAT

Fixed Term, Full Time

£39,168 to £47,405 per annum

Location: Colchester

Please note this is a 6 month secondment or fixed term opportunity based in Chelmsford. In Essex County Council we are "Serious about Social Work".

Closing date: 2nd March 2021

Having won the Best Social Work Employer of the Year Award and been awarded 'Outstanding' by Ofsted this is an exciting time to join us. As if that wasn't enough, Essex has also been announced as a Partner in Practice by the Department of Education, and the Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) is the only Local Authority team in the country to be accredited by BASW as a CPD provider.

We have invested in our workforce and created a positive environment for our social workers to make a difference and achieve change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice.

We have supported our staff to have an understanding of systemic theoretical framework and models underpinning our interventions; to have access to the right tools, equipment and resources; and also the right supervision, training and learning opportunities they need to be strong practitioners.


The Team
The MARAT is a team that brings together representatives from a number of agencies (both statutory and voluntary) to discuss the safety, health and well-being of people experiencing high risk domestic abuse and draw up an action plan to make them safer. The Children and Families Hub has a Social Worker and Senior Practitioner embedded within MARAT, based at County Hall, Chelmsford.

The role involves undertaking initial triage of high-risk Domestic Abuse notifications, being a point of contact between MARAT, the Children and Families Hub and field work teams and representing the Children and Families Service at MARAC meetings.

The Children and Families Hub is the single point of contact for members of the public and professionals to raise concerns about the welfare and safety of children residing in Essex. We aim to work with families as soon as any difficulties become apparent, to help them identify the things they want to change and provide the right level of intervention at the right time.

The Children and Families Hub provides both early help and statutory advice, guidance via the Consultation Line and access to Family Solutions and Children's Social Care services for children and families with identified Level 3-intensive and Level 4- specialist needs.

The Hub champions Essex's organisational behaviours to inspire, be innovative, enable, collaborate and deliver. The Children and Families Hub is an office based due to the function of the service and staff being essential key workers.

The Role
The Senior Practitioner role provides leadership in the team, providing both support and mentoring to Social Workers and deputising for the Team Manager when needed. They will oversee the quality and timely progression of Social Work triage undertaken by staff at the Hub.

The Senior Practitioner role is key in undertaking quality assurance activities to ensure the best possible service is offered to children and families in Essex.

There will be good opportunities for your own professional development and for being part of developing our team and service. There is an ethos of openness to the development of new ideas, particularly to reinforce our relationship based focus, both with our service users and within the staff group.

The successful candidate will be expected to bring skill and high standards of social work to their own work as well as providing modelling, advice and support to colleagues. They will be committed to systemic, relationship based social work, providing effective, innovative interventions and with the ability to build good partnerships, both with our external partners and within the organisation.

What you will need

  • Diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
  • Social Work England registration as a registered Social Worker
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Evidence of recent practice at an experienced social worker level, supported by comprehensive working knowledge and experience within the field of practice in Children Services
  • Preferably with experience of Child Protection work including section 47 investigations and assessments since the implementation of the Children's Act 1989.
  • Experience in planning activities and programmes for children, young people and parents.
  • Experience of Court work in relation to Child Care matters and have an understanding of the legal process.
  • Detailed knowledge of current legislation pertinent to Child Protection (e.g. CA1989, CJA1991), Guidance and Regulations.
  • Knowledge and understanding of child development, relating theory and practice.
  • The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please use the following link: https://www.workingforessex.com/benefits/

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please email or call us on 0333 013 5888. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30 - 16.30.

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