Location: Western Health and Social Care Trust
Directorate: Children’s Disability Services
Contract and hours: To establish a waiting list for permanent, temporary, full-time & part-time vacancies that may arise within Children’s Disability Services Trustwide over the next 12 months.
There are immediate posts available:
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1 X Permanent full-time Lilac Villa, Gransha Park, L’Derry.
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1 X Permanent full-time Southern Sector of Trust.
Job summary
The Senior Practitioner will be primarily responsible for the direct provision of quality social work services to children and families. He/She will work as a member of a social work team and under direction will be responsible for the management of a caseload and oversee the supervision of family support workers and social work assistants/specialised support worker. They will be expected to facilitate group supervision sessions with staff using the Signs of Safety Model. The Senior Practitioner remit will require the exercise of enhanced responsibilities in relation to the case management process and/or involve the discharge of statutory duties in respect of children in need. Such responsibilities will include the ability to demonstrate enhanced levels of practice, competence/skills in areas such as direct practice with children and families, multi-agency working, user and carer involvement, knowledge of organisational systems and processes and the wider social policy context. The post holder will be expected to provide support and advice to other team members. The Senior Practitioner will also be expected to attend to his/her professional development through training, supervision and learning.
Main responsibilities
- Engage in direct practice with children and families including, where appropriate, co-working with other practitioners.
- Undertake specific roles in discharging statutory responsibilities and implementing policies and procedures including a range of court related tasks.
- Participate in Case Planning Meetings, Strategy discussions, Child Protection Case Conferences and Looked After Children Reviews.
- Where appropriate the post holder will be expected to Chair Case Planning Meetings for Children In Need, in the absence of the Social Work Manager.
- Effectively engage with service users and carers to promote participation
- Provide support and advice to others in relation to their practice and professional development e.g. mentoring staff undertaking assessed year in employment and providing oversight and guidance to Band 3 and Band 4 staff.
- Where appropriate deputise for the Social Work Manager to provide a management function to the team.
- Access and participate in, as appropriate, research and other developmental activity relevant to improving standards of practice.
- Participate in the development of evidence-based practice within the Children’s Disability Service and will be expected to participate in the development of the Senior Practitioner role within the service.
- Promote high standards of Social Work practice.
For more details view the full job description in the Additional Information section below.
