Senior Social Worker

Job Advertisement - Senior Social Worker - MATERNITY COVER

Service: Children (Intake Team)

Cyngor Gwynedd is committed to be an inclusive employer and to improve the diversity of our workforce.
⁠Your application form will be assessed anonymously. Neither your title, name nor email address will not be shared with the appointment panel for the purpose of drafting a short-list. You should consider this carefully when writing about yourself in the further information section.

Information about the post:

Are you....

• Eager to contribute to an employer which makes a difference to people's lives?
• Eager to work through the medium of Welsh?
• An enthusiastic and positive person?
• Possess good interpersonal skills.

If you have answered 'yes' to the above points, why not come and work for us?

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of Gwynedd's Social Work team.

As a Social Worker you will make a huge difference to the lives of individuals here in Gwynedd by assisting them to live their lives in the way they wish to live.

You will support individuals through social and personal difficulties, at the same time as promoting their human rights and well-being. You will work with individuals, supporting their relationships and families, groups and their links with the community. You will assist them to identify their strengths, develop their skills and work on issues or challenges they may be facing.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain their registration as a registered Social Worker with Social Care Wales and be able to demonstrate skills in accordance with the Job Description and the Person Specification (attached). ⁠ ⁠

See the Information Pack ⁠ ⁠- More information about the post and expectations can be found in the Job Description and the Person Specification. There is also information about an attractive employment package that is available.

Cyngor Gwynedd operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted in the Person Specification.

We encourage all applicants for jobs with the Council to present applications in Welsh or bilingually.

(Applications submitted in either Welsh only or English only will be treated equally, but the applicant will be asked to carefully consider the language requirements of the post and the organisation and whether submitting an application in Welsh only would be more appropriate.)

Contact us:

For an informal talk, you can contact Elliw Hughes on 01758 704 455

It is anticipated that the interviews will take place - to be confirmed

Application forms and further information are available from the Support Services, Cyngor Gwynedd, Council Offices, Shirehall Street, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH

Telephone: 01286 679076

E-mail: swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

CLOSING DATE: 28/04/2025

If you secure a place on the short-list for an interview, we will contact you via the E-MAIL address you noted on your application form. You will need to ensure that you check your E-MAILS regularly.

Children's team Senior Social Worker (Cywasgedig) (1).pdf

Person Specification

Personal attributes
Essential
Excellent interpersonal skills.

Balanced and mature personality

The ability to lead others.

A clear commitment to social work values when working in partnership with young people and their families.

Interest and knowledge of professional development and the desire to teach others.

Desirable
-

Qualifications and relevant training
Essential
DipS.W./CQSW

Post-qualifying experience

"Every social worker (or anyone who describes himself/herself as a social worker) must be registered with the Care Council for Wales. Gwynedd Council will refund the annual registration fee to the worker.")

Desirable
Gained a Learning to Practice Award, PQI or full PQ managerial qualification award.

Relevant experience
Essential
Experience of supporting colleagues / students in the workplace.

Wide experience of working within the children's service

Extensive experience of joint working with a range of partnership agencies

Experience of working with complex cases, taking and sharing responsibility

Desirable
Experience of working in services for disabled and/or ill children

Experience of working in other service areas

Experience of working in other agencies

Skills and specialist knowledge
Essential
Thorough knowledge about the growth and development of children.

Knowledge about the needs of disabled children and children who are ill.

Information about parenting skills and the impact of loss

Robust knowledge of the legal background that is the foundation of social services for disabled children and children who are ill

Full driving licence

I.T. Skills

Desirable
-

Language requirements
Essential
Listening and Speaking - Higher Level
Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions.Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.

Reading and Understanding - Higher Level
Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal.Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.

Writing - Higher Level
Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English (help is available to check the work).

Job Description

Purpose of the post
• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.

• To work with children in line with the expectations of the Childrens Act 1998, Wales Safeguarding Procedures , Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 & Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families

Responsibility for functions
• Budget - Provide advice and practical and appropriate guidance to individuals receiving services and facilitating effective financial management for the service

• Equipment - Responsible for any equipment including specialist equipment required to undertake the role

Main duties
• Practice within the relevant legislative frameworks and guidance that underpin the provision of social services in Wales

• Apply the Code of Professional Practice as a registered professional

• Maintain up to date knowledge and maintain own professional development. Support colleagues with their development through mentoring.

• Develop social work practice through supervision and reflection. Support colleagues at different points in their career with ongoing reflection through individual or group reflective practice activity

• Manage and be accountable for your own work

• Work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary and multi organisational teams, networks, and systems. Advising colleagues on complex areas of work.

• Exercise professional judgement and decision making in complex situations.

• Support colleagues at different points in their career to develop confidence around professional judgments.

• Manage complex ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts in complex situations.

• Support social workers at different stages of their careers with managing more complex issues.

• Prepare and present professional reports and records ensuring information is correct, consistent, and shared safely and appropriately. Support social workers at different stages of their career with developing their report writing and record keeping skills .

• Support people to participate in decision making processes

• Advocate with and on behalf of, individuals, families, carers, groups and communities

• Work collaboratively with people in need of care and support, their carers and other professionals in complex situations , supporting support colleagues with advice and guidance at different stages in their career.

• Undertake strength-based assessments and practice in a way that promotes self-determination, independence and empowerment and support colleagues with advice and guidance at different stages in their career. Support social workers at different points in their career around this area of work.

• Undertake outcome focussed assessment using a 'What Matters 'conversation to identify what is important to that individual, eligible needs and to develop outcome focussed plans that facilitate care and support.

• Prepare, produce, implement, and evaluate plans with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, and professional colleagues. Support social workers at different points in their career around this area of work.

• Identify, assess and investigate an Adult or Child at risk in accordance with relevant legislation and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Support social workers at different points in their careers with developing their skills and decision making around working in safeguarding.

• Be a role model and share good practice , advice and support to enable team colleagues, less experiences social workers to develop their careers. This will include mentoring, co-working on cases and supporting the services quality assurance be auditing and sampling files and practice and advising social worker colleagues on specialist areas of work .

Local Duties

• In accordance with skills and experience, in order to deal with cases that are more complex in their nature, including some where children are at risk. To take part in court cases, including providing evidence and preparing reports.

• To be part of the team and regional office's duty system as necessary.

• offer services to individual clients, families and the community in accordance with a varied legal framework for acts that are relevant to children's well-being, including child protection and assessment of children in need.

• Assess the need and provide support to families in need. This means coordinating the work of workers from other agencies, by using the department's resources and the community in a flexible way.

• To work in a way that promotes the well-being of children who are in care to the County Council.

• Help co-workers to carry out their duties. Occasionally, there will be a need to work with other workers in the other teams/agencies, as well as cover the work of absent co-workers.

• In exceptional circumstances, to undertake responsibilities in order to respond to an emergency situation.

• Any reasonable duty or responsibility as needed by the head of service.

• To complete the necessary administrative guidelines/requirements in accordance with guidelines, policies and practice.

Additional Duties

• Responsibility for self-development.

• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council's Health and Safety Policy.

• Operate within the Council's policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.

• Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council's information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

• Commitment to reducing the Council's carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council's Carbon Footprint.

• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.

• Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special circumstances
• Working unsocial hours occasionally as required.

• There will be an expectation for the post holder to be part of any arrangements that are established on a rota basis.