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Adoption Support Co-ordinator - Senior Practitioner

Employer
Essex County Council
Location
England, Essex, Chelmsford
Salary
£41552 - £50290 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Package
Closing date
17 Aug 2022

Please note that this role is being offered as a 12-month Fixed Term Contract, however we are also willing to consider a 12-month secondment.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

The Opportunity

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

This post will be part of the Adopt East Team employed by Essex County Council. Adopt East is a Regional Adoption Alliance that went live in October 2020. It is made up of eight local authorities: Bedford Borough, Essex County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Luton Borough Council, Norfolk County Council, Southend City Council, Suffolk County Council and Thurrock Council, and two Voluntary Adoption Agencies Adoption Plus and Barnardo's. The post will work across Adopt East with all partner agencies developing the adoption support offer across the region. This is an exciting opportunity to bring together good practice across the region to ensure that we have a consistent and innovative support offer to adopted children and their families. The role will also incorporate the support with offer to birth families who have been affected by adoption as well as adopted adults.

The post is initially for the period of 1 year with a possibility that this could extend for a further year.

The role requires an experienced social work practitioner, able to manage higher levels of risk, mentor and advise staff, manage performance and deliver improvements. Building strong working relationships with key partners and stakeholders is essential.

We are ideally looking for an experienced social worker with a proven track record in adoption support.

Accountabilities

  • Whilst direct case work is not part of this co-ordination role, a social worker who is able to evidence sound social work practice in the functional accountabilities below is being sought.
  • Responsible for providing a source of expert advice and professional supervision for social workers and contributing to the development of practice standards.
  • Accountable for assessment of complex social care needs and development of support for vulnerable people, children and families.
  • Accountable for working within the statutory legal framework, policy and guidance and determining when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached.
  • Responsible for managing a complex caseload, maintaining accurate and timely data, reports and presentations as required.
  • Participates in a range of case conferences, court attendance, meetings and statutory reviews, pro-actively taking the lead when a social care perspective is required.
  • Accountable for conducting assessments and plan responses to safeguard and promote a child's welfare including appropriate intervention as determined by need.
  • Builds strong effective working relationships across the Council, with partners and members of voluntary agencies to help people get the best start in life and age well.
  • Delivers a high level of expertise in particular areas of practice and leads on those areas, contributing to the development.
  • Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

  • A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a registered social worker.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
  • Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
  • Experience of mentoring both Social Work students and newly qualified and experienced Social Work staff, being a subject matter expert in professional social work practice.
  • Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
  • Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children, young people and families.
  • In depth understanding of delivery of value for money interventions balanced against need.
  • Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.
  • Experience and skills in adoption support is desirable.

The role requires the postholder to be mobile throughout a wide operational area including travelling around the Adopt East region. However there are opportunities for work to be undertaken virtually too. Driving licence and car or ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

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