Salary range: Grade 10 £43,680 - £45,750 p.a. plus fantastic benefits
Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

25 -65 Disability Service

Social Worker – Central Locality Team Adults –

Role Purpose and Role Dimensions:

Working in localities, focusing on prevention and early intervention, and taking a whole family, strengths based community led support approach, work alongside residents and their families to maximise their life chances and outcomes. Using the Community Led Support resource wheel and other strengths based, person centred resources, hold good conversations with people in places where they feel most at ease, such as community venues to help people identify their strengths, gifts and abilities and those of their families, friends and communities. Help to connect people with people and with communities to support a good life. Co create support plans with people that enhance their strengths and help achieve their ambitions. For those who have eligible care and support needs as defined by the Care Act 2014 that require statutory or paid support, help to arrange that in ways which support peoples’ own strengths and those of their families friends and community.

Commitment to Diversity:

The council has a strong commitment to achieving equality of opportunity in its services to the community and in the employment of people. It expects all employees to understand, comply with and promote its policies in their own work, undertake any appropriate training to help them to challenge prejudice or discrimination.

Key External Contacts

People, their families, carers; members of the public a range of different external organisations and professions including: voluntary and community organisations and groups of all sizes and types; independent service providers; other local authorities; Care Quality Commission; other government bodies; Clinical Commissioning Groups; General Practitioners, GP huddles and integrated care networks, hospital doctors and managers, other health colleagues, integrated team members mental health clinicians and managers; professions allied to medicine; partner organisations; Courts; Metropolitan Police service; law centres; London Ambulance Service; Independent Mental Capacity Advocate; advocacy services.

Key Internal Contacts:

Other council departments and teams including Gateway and housing, commissioning and procurement; placements and brokerage, financial assessment and direct payments, integrated teams and managers, team managers and senior managers; departmental colleagues; safeguarding adults service.

Financial Dimensions:

Ensuring people are aware of social care charging processes, gathering information to assist financial assessment, providing information about and connecting people to advice about welfare benefits. Ensuring people are fully informed about and encouraged to take up direct payments. Where people require paid or statutory support, prepare written plans that describe how that support will complement the person’s strengths and those of their family, friends and communities. Participate in peer forums which will make funding decisions for people who require paid support. In line with internal governance arrangements final sign for spending decisions will be made by the appropriate senior manager. Work with placements and brokerage teams to describe the support required and work with the person to ensure any support that is provided is appropriate

Key Areas for Decision Making:

1. Holding asset based person centred conversations to identify strengths, risks and needs

2. Co- producing person centred support plans.

3. Formulating plans to manage risk that support the achievement of desired outcomes. 4. Identifying and intervening in line with Safeguarding Adult procedures when there are allegations of abuse.

5. Taking appropriate action to deal with emergencies, for example, the breakdown of an existing care situation

6. Undertaking statutory assessments under the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and other relevant legislation.

7. Preparing Court reports and representing the council in Court hearings when required

Other Considerations:

Ability to travel independently in connection with work, to undertake home visits and work in community settings. Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional planned meetings / appointments outside of normal office hours. Post holders that have a valid driving licence are able to either provide or use a car for work purposes or join and use the council’s Zipcar scheme. The only exceptions to this are social workers based in the Adult Care Team at Croydon University Hospital.

1. Social Work qualification recognised by and registered with Social Work England (SWE)

2. Best interest assessor or willingness to undertake training

3. Awareness of strengths based, person centred approaches to social work and social care, including strengths based assessments, and person centred support planning

4. Awareness of needs, assets, risks and issues relating to adults with social care needs and their carers

5. Working knowledge of relevant legislation/policies/codes of practice/guidance. 6. Knowledge of the benefits/welfare system

7. Knowledge of diverse communities and anti-discriminatory practice

8. Knowledge of adult protection issues

9. Knowledge and understanding of mental capacity assessments and best interest decision making 1

10. Knowledge of evidence based practice including within safeguarding setting

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