Job Description

In this role, you will be responsible for assessing relatives or friends to care for children & young people, when their own parents are not able to.

As a Social Work Assistant in the service, you will be responsible for supporting the work completed within your social work team; which will include:

Contacting potential Connected Persons Foster Carers / Special Guardians to introduce yourself/the service and talk through the stage one checks & references required as part of the full Form C (Coram BAAF) assessment. It will also be necessary to be able to give an overview of the assessment process, why this is taking place and what will be expected from applicants.

Being confident in using electronic systems (CHARMS, Eclipse, spreadsheets etc) to keep records up to date and be able to communicate with people using a variety of different methods.

Working alongside and communicating effectively with Social Workers and other professionals across the service including child care social workers, legal representatives, GP's and the medical advisor.

To meet with potential applicants and help them complete paperwork, check ID for the purposes of DBS checks and to ensure people have the correct paperwork and understand the process for requesting a full adult medical with their GP.

To support social workers within the service to complete the full Form C (Coram BAAF) assessment; this may include completing one to one sessions with applicants, or supporting with other documentation (i.e. health & safety checklist, safer care agreement, chronologies etc).

Purpose

To support social workers who safeguard and promote the welfare of the most vulnerable children and young people in the City through the delivery of high quality service.

Responsibilities

To be responsible for an 'allocated worker' casework role, as assigned by Team Manager/Social Worker:

• To collect, accurately record, using management information systems, and critically analyse all relevant information and take appropriate actions to fulfil statutory responsibilities to promote and safeguard the well-being and interests of the child/young people.
• To ensure the well-being and safety of the child/young person is paramount through analysing all necessary information to complete assessments that comply with statutory requirements.
• As directed, provides practical day to day support to children and their families.
• Liaise and work with other professionals and agencies to achieve optimal outcomes for children and young people; and ensure that services are 'joined up' in approach.
• To accurately record, report and communicate using accurate, up-to-date evidence based information in accordance with statutory and organisational requirements.
• To communicate effectively to a variety of audiences through written, verbal and other means of communication.
• To take personal responsibility for your own professional development and reflective practice and keep up-to-date with changes to legislation, court rules, policies, procedures and best practice development.
• To work as a team member and attend team meetings and service reviews to positively contribute to the outcomes for children achieved as a team.
• Actively support the Team Manager by undertaking any other duties commensurate with the job or needs of the service.

Required

You will also have strong administration and IT skills, as your time will be split between office-based tasks and work in the community, visiting families.

Key effective communication and positive relationship skills are essential, as well as clear, concise record keeping, in a timely, accurate manner, applying your time management and organisational skills.

The ability to work effectively with colleagues and other agencies; solve problems, negotiate and make decisions are also a necessity to be able to support the social work team.