Remedy Recruitment Group are currently seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to work within a Children With Disabilities Team that includes Safeguarding for a Local Authority in West London.

Job Purpose

To undertake the range of duties and responsibilities on behalf of the Department as specified in the Children's Act 1989 and such other legislation as is or may be appropriate to work with children and their families, to include:

• The investigation of alleged neglect, ill treatment or abuse of children and to make enquiries as to the need to provide services to such children, instigate Child Protection procedures or an application to a court for an appropriate order in respect of such children
• The supervision of children placed on the Child Protection Register within the guidelines.
• The assessment and supervision of children looked after by the Council in order that statutory duties towards such children are met.
• To undertake the preparation of reports, statements and such other legal documents as may be required in relation to children and young persons in both criminal and family proceedings courts within the relevant timescales to attend court and represent the department.
• To undertake assessments, design and implement care/protection plans in complex situations by a variety of methods of intervention and to encourage the development of quality standards and practice.
• To receive, and manage the investigation and assessment of referrals and to instigate/recommend appropriate action.
• In the exercise of the duties and responsibilities described above, to manage the provision of such counselling, individual or family work as may be required other than that which could appropriately be undertaken elsewhere.
• To manage a more complex caseload working with a high degree of personal and professional accountability and autonomy.
• In key child protection cases, respond to public and other agencies in writing, by telephone or by direct contact, following Council protocols. When relevant liaise with relevant external agencies e.g. police, health authority etc.
• To provide innovative social work services to service users.
• To follow a guiding principle that children should remain with their own families wherever possible. Where it is legally upheld that natural family circumstance have irretrievably broken down, to plan a secure and permanent home future for children, ensuring that the family or care provider has clear information about the child or children's background and that contact with natural relatives is maintained wherever possible.
• Provide expertise in a specialist field acting as a resource to the team and department to develop best practice; to engage in research and evaluation of practice.
• Promote a learning culture and lead on sharing and disseminating best practice within multi-disciplinary teams, across the department and partnerships and contribute to learning and development activities.
• Model, identify and promote best practice, policy, procedures and training informed by current evidence. Provide practice consultation and promote respect for professional social worker expertise.
• Undertake complex assessments, make sound analytical judgements and utilise the most effective means of providing innovative care packages within budgetary constraints in conjunction with partners and external agencies.
• Utilise management information and information technology to record, retrieve and analyse information.
• To maintain contemporaneous notes of visits, interviews and telephone conversations; to complete appropriate forms, documents and correspondence according to the departmental code of practice.
• To supervise and support students using the practice educator framework and/or to support and enable learning of others.
• To support the Council's vision for Children's Services in line with overall corporate objectives.
• To represent the team on working groups, in multi-disciplinary teams or multi-functional settings or liaison meetings.
• To be reflect upon and review own continuous professional development

If you are interested and would like to find out more please apply to this advert with a copy of your updated CV. Alternatively, please send your CV directly