Ymlaen Senior Social Worker

Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack

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

We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.

( Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)

For further information about this post please contact Gwenan Medi Hugheson 01286679369

Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH

Tel: 01286 679076

E-Mail: Swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

CLOSING DATE: 28.02.2025

The Council will request a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.

If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.

Threshold team Social Worker recruitment pack.pdf

Person Specification

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
ESSENTIAL
Ability to work effectively as a team member and on their own.
A reliable and flexible person who is keen to work in new and creative ways.
Enthusiastic, self-reliant and assertive.
Support anti-discriminatory practices.
Communicate effectively with service users, other agencies and providers.
Have strong negotiating skills.
Commitment to the service's values, principles, aims and objectives.
A person who is eager to learn and develop.
Ability to communicate effectively and create relationships with individuals using services, children and families.
A creative thinker and effective communicator with the ability to inspire the workforce.
Interest and Knowledge of professional development and desire to teach others.
Honesty, assertiveness and flexibility.

DESIRABLE
-

QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT TRAINING
ESSENTIAL
Relevant Social Work Qualification in accordance with the Qualifications Framework of Social Care Wales.
Registered with the Care Council for Wales as a Social Worker.
Consolidation Qualification (Consolidation 3 First Years in
Practice) (or equivalent experience).

DESIRABLE
Practice Educator Qualification.
AMHP Mental Health Act Recognised Qualification.
Best Interest Assessor (BIA) Qualification.
Management Qualification or commit to completion within 3 years.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
Experience of working in a team.
Experience of working directly with adults/children/young people and families.
Experience in assessing needs and formulating a care plan.
Experience of working with other agencies effectively.
Experience of dealing with safeguarding cases.
Experience of doing court work.
Experience of community care work with adults and their carers.
Experience of dealing with complex cases.
Experience of working to various legislations.
Mentoring experience within the Social work role.
Experience in managing risks and displaying robust professional judgment.

DESIRABLE
Experience of contributing to schemes/projects.
Experience of supervising staff.

SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
ESSENTIAL
Ability to respond quickly and effectively to referrals and prioritise suitably.
Ability to undertake social assessments and create care plans.
Knowledge of relevant legislation, care management skills,
an understanding of good social work practice.
Ability to use a computer information system in relation to
needs of Service.
Ability to receive effective supervision and guidance for the benefit of the
Service and personal development.
A diverse skills base based on experience of working with individuals using services, children and families.
Court work skills (Children's area post).
Employee mentoring skills in a variety of different fields.
Presentation and chairing skills
Good negotiation 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 Comprehension - 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 Post
•To work with children and their families in accordance with the Children Act 1989, Wales Safeguarding Procedures, Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Children in Need and their families Assessment Framework.
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.

Responsibility for Resources e.g. staff, budgets, equipment
•Finance - Provide advice and practical and appropriate guidance to service users in order to effectively facilitate the Service's financial management.
•Equipment - Responsibility for all specialist equipment used to carry out the job.

Main Duties
General Duties
•Practice within the regulatory frameworks and the relevant guidelines which form the basis of the social services provision in Wales.
•Implement the professional code of practice as a registered approved professional.
•Possess the latest information and maintain your own professional development. Advise team members on specialist fields of work.
•Supervise limited number of team members in accordance with the expectations in the supervision policy and the human resources policies. Note developmental areas and strengths for staff through continuous evaluation and supervision. Use development and management skills effectively to continuously develop staff performance.
•Manage your own work and be accountable for it.
•Collaboration within teams, networks and multidisciplinary and multi-organisational systems. Advise colleagues on complex work fields. Represent the local authority in relevant meetings.
•Practice a professional view and making decisions in complex situations. Support colleagues at different periods in their career to develop confidence regarding a professional view through the supervision role.
•Manage ethical matters, dilemma and conflict in complex situations. Support social workers at different stages of their careers to manage more complex matters through the supervising role.
•Prepare and submit professional reports and minutes by ensuring that the information is correct, consistent and is shared safely and appropriately. Support social workers at different stages of their careers to develop their report writing and keeping records' skills through the supervising role.
•Support people to participate in decision making processes through the supervising role.
•Advocate with and on behalf of individuals, families, supporters, groups and communities.
•Collaborate with people who require care and support and other professional workers in complex situations, and support colleagues with advice and guidance on different stages in their career through the supervising role.
•Undertake strength-based assessments and practice in a way that promotes self-determination, independence and empower and support colleagues with advice and guidance on different stages in their career. Support social workers at different periods in their career across this work field through the supervising role.
•Conduct an assessment that is result-focused by using the 'What Matters' conversation to note what is important to the individual, qualifying needs and develop plans that focus on results 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 periods in their career across this work field through the supervising role.
•Note, assess and research an Adult or Child who are at risk in accordance with the relevant legislation and Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Support social workers at different periods in their career to develop their skills and make decisions regarding working in the safeguarding field within the supervising role.
•Be a role model and share good practice, advice and support to enable team colleagues, less experienced social workers to develop their careers.
This will include mentoring, collaborating on cases and support the service's quality assurance by inspecting and sampling files and practice and advise social work colleagues on specialist work fields within the supervising role.
•Motivate, encourage and empower staff by delegating work effectively and creating an atmosphere of respect and working together. Give direction and feedback to staff by sharing the vision effectively.
•Manage effective use of resources including staff's knowledge and skills.
•Allocate work appropriately. Consider urgency and priority in a timely manner.
•Contribute to and lead projects locally and regionally.
•Contribute to the Workforce's planning agenda by coordinating the annual student placement process within the team.

Local Duties
•Leading on a specific area of work within the service (Court assessment work for the revocation of care orders and applications for Special Guardianship Order (SGO).
•Giving active guidance and leading/managing change to maximize the opportunities to get children out of the care system to the teams within the department that deal with children in care.
•Lead and mentor by giving support and guidance to other members of the Trobwynt service as needed.
•Contribute to developing the Service and be accountable for monitoring performance.
•Attend, form and lead on relevant forums with representatives from different teams/authorities, including partners such as AFKA Cymru Special Group of related individuals/Special Guardian (SGO) which reflects key national policies and direction.
•Having reflective and meaningful conversations with families in order to assess if they have made all the necessary changes and sustained the necessary changes to meet the needs of their child and safeguard their welfare.
•Having skilled and thoughtful conversations that focus on resolving contact issues or any other complex support need between families, by collaboration and establishing sustainable outcomes for the child and carers.
•Completing comprehensive connected person / kinship assessment/ assessment and Special Guardianship Order Support Plan, or any other care plan (such as Supervision Order or CASP) required by court.
•Work with children and their families/carers towards permanency and independence from Services.

Other Duties
•Responsible 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.
•Responsibility for managing information in accordance with the Council's information management standards and 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 and responsibility level of the post.
•Responsible for reporting any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special Circumstances e.g. the need to work unsociable hours, special working arrangements etc.
•Working unsociable hours occasionally as and when necessary.
•The post-holder will be expected to be involved in any arrangements that are put in place on a rota basis.