What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assessing Social Worker – Kinship Assessment Team position at West Sussex County Council?

The Opportunity

Are you a qualified social worker with a minimum of two years’ experience following qualification and looking for your next opportunity?
Do you have experience in Child Protection and / or Kinship Care?
Are you able to analyse and interpret data to enable you to prioritise needs to formulate plans and assesses risk?
Are you an excellent communicator and able to work in partnership with a variety of stakeholders?

This could be the role for you, so read on to find out more…

Salary : NJC Grade 10-12 £43,454 - £55,984 per annum, inclusive of market supplement (pro rata £24,663- £31,774 for 21 hours per week)

Working Pattern : Full-time, 37 hours per week and Part-time 21 hours per week

Contract Type : Fixed Term Contract / Secondment for 12 months

Location : Based at County Hall North, Horsham

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

As an experienced Social Worker within the Kinship Assessment Team, you will have excellent interpersonal and assessment skills and be confident in providing analysis on complex situations including matters pertaining to safeguarding and safe care. A good working knowledge of attachment, the impact of developmental trauma on children and families and the application of therapeutic parenting will all be required in the role.

Our ideal candidate will be confident in their assessment and written skills, an excellent communicator and able to work effectively with prospective Connected Persons Foster Carers and Special Guardians. Your role will involve completing Kinship Assessments. Candidates should be familiar with all relevant statutory guidance and legislation.

Just some of the skills and experience you will need include :

Ability to write complex, evidence-based assessments constructed from direct work with children and families.

Ability to robustly assess risk when assessing potential Kinship family arrangements, to consider the best outcomes for the child / ren.

Ability to confidently and concisely present Kinship Assessments to court and fostering panel.

The ability to analyse and interpret information to enable accurate formulation of support planning in order to meet the child / ren’s short to long terms needs.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in partnership with a variety of families, children and stakeholders.

Working proactively as a team member to ensure accurate assessments of needs are completed and to enable implementation of outcomes.

A recognised Social Work qualification e.g. Degree in Social Work, Post Graduate Certificate in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent as recognised by the relevant professional body.

Completion of relevant post qualifying training, evidence of at least one year’s experience post qualification and registration with the relevant professional registration body and maintaining this.

Knowledge of theoretical Social Work concepts and practices, with demonstrable examples of dealing with a breadth of complex issues and situations. A good understanding of anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice in social work.

Experience of managing levels of risk within a caseload of complex cases.

You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.

For further details on the required skills and experience please see the attached job description.

Benefits

We offer small practice teams of Social Workers, as well as additional flexible administrative support from Coordinators embedded within the service.

We provide regular group supervision and peer learning alongside specialist roles within the team to focus on the most vulnerable children. As a Social Worker, you’ll have a minimum of 5 CPD and training days per year with access to excellent learning and development provisions such as Research in Practice and Community Care Inform, Social Work England fees paid and annual leave up to 29 days.

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee, please visit our page.

About Us

Here at West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex we support. You will join us as at a key time on our improvement journey. The work we have started includes establishing a new and experienced senior leadership team, driving forward our ‘Children First’ improvement plan and implementing the Family Safeguarding Practice Model. You will be trained in motivational interviewing, to support our strengths-based approach to working with families and creating lasting change for children.

We don’t underestimate the work that still needs to be undertaken and the challenge ahead, we are confident in our approach and excited about the changes occurring. That’s why we need professionals, like you, who really want to be part of the positive change that is happening for children. Be part of an ambitious improvement plan and make a significant difference to children and families in West Sussex. There has never been a more rewarding time to join.

For further information about us and about working in Children’s Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex .

Salary : $43,454 - $55,984

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Assessing Social Worker – Kinship Assessment Team

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assessing Social Worker – Kinship Assessment Team position at West Sussex County Council?

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