Job info	Job info details
Job title	Social Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help or Decisive Multi Agency Child Protection Systems
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Team Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Team Manager
Salary grade	I
JE ref	SS10

1. Key purpose of job

• To provide a high quality and effective social work service to respond to the needs of children, young people and families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines, policies and standards.
• To assess need, plan and deliver focused intervention and family support to safeguard and protect children and young people and promote positive outcomes.
• Working to models of best practice and actively promoting and adopting integrated approaches for the benefit of children and young people and their families.
• To understand and promote the core business of the Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership and deliver its priorities.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Children and young people have their needs identified and met through the completion of targeted or specialist assessments. Preventative and early intervention activity reduces the need for statutory based activity wherever possible.
• Children and young people receive appropriate levels of support and provision to meet their assessed needs, within the team’s care management budget.
• The wishes and feelings of all children and young people are obtained and recorded.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Initiate appropriate safeguarding action to protect children and young people at risk of significant harm.
• To undertake interviews, observations and gather information from children, young people, families and other agencies to analyse, summarise and evaluate the information to provide an holistic assessment of a child or young persons need, balancing risk and protective factors within a decisive child protection system.
• To produce focused and purposeful care plans for interventions with explicit aims and objectives about desired outcomes within the context of managing risk to children and young people.
• Undertake regular and/or statutory reviews in accordance with Legislation and Policy to ensure care packages are meeting the needs of children and young people and comply with best value principles.
• Contribute to the promotion and use of preventative and early intervention services within the community to prevent the need for Children’s Services or statutory intervention, by actively collaborating with Service Users and partner agencies including schools.
• To effectively use partnership threshold criteria to determine Service User need and to ensure the most vulnerable children or young people receive an appropriate service.
• To be a member of a Social Work team and actively engage in shared team responsibilities according to team requirements.
• To complete Section 47 Child Protection investigations and risk assessments in accordance with ‘Working Together 2023’ and South West Child Protections Procedures.
• To use and comply with the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need to complete both Initial Assessments and Core Assessments within the agreed timescales.
• To use Liquid Logic LCS electronic system for routine communication, recording, information gathering and assessment in order to secure the best outcomes for Service Users and their families.
• To comply with Financial Regulations and business support policies and procedures.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Lone working with complex families. This may include a level of risk and challenge, and ability to work with vulnerable people. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal agile working resources and direct work tools. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External - Colleagues in Partnership Agencies including, health, police, education providers and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector/ Engage with regulatory bodies including Social Work England and Ofsted. Court staff and Cafcass. Children, young people and their parents/carers.
• Internal - Colleagues in all children’s services teams, all other Council departments and Council members.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at Electric House, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• This post is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Social Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help or Decisive Multi Agency Child Protection Systems

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Able to convey respect for others. 
• Ability to demonstrate skills in mediation, negotiation and problem solving. 
• Able to assess situations with clarity and sensitivity and act professionally in crisis situations. 
• Ability to work in an open and challenging way with families. 
• Organisational/time management skills. 
• Ability to implement anti-discriminatory practice in all areas of work. 
• Ability to prepare and present reports in a variety of settings. 
• Demonstrate skills in working to achieve focussed outcomes.
• Customer focussed.
• Ability to exercise individual judgement and consult where and when appropriate.
• Ability to be able to use own initiative.
• Assessment skills including balancing risk and protective factors. 
• Excellent case recording skills. 
• Ability to create good working relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues and other professionals.
• Ability to use IT packages including Microsoft word and IT based Care Management Systems.
• As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post. 

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• General knowledge of the range of options available to children, young people and their families. 
• Knowledge of appropriate child care legislation and how it affects children and young people. 
• Knowledge of current CP practice, framework for Assessment and CLA materials. 
• Awareness and understanding of relevant Child Care issues. 
• Knowledge and understanding of application of an evidence base in practice. 

Desirable knowledge

N/A

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Direct work with Children Young People, Families and professionals. 
• Experience of working independently and as part of a team. 

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of participating in a variety of meetings (including child protection). 
• Experience of working in/or placement in Children and Families team. 
• Experience of working in a multi agency environment. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Social Work degree qualification, e.g., Dip SW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent. 
• Membership of Social Work England. 
• Commitment to continued professional development. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

N/A

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional/ home-working.