Children’s Advanced Practitioner

Job Category: Social Care & Health Qualified
Location: Laurence House – First Floor, Lewisham Council
Hours Per Week: 35.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:00
Salary: £29.72

Main Purpose of the job:
• To work as an expert social worker on the most challenging and complex cases.
• To model and support others to deliver reflective practice that meets local standards and is congruent with the vision, values and practice framework, promoting relationships and engagement with children, young people and families.
• To support and deputise for the Team Manager providing supervision, advice, mentoring and consultation to newly qualified and less experienced social workers.
• To manage and evaluate the performance of colleagues in line with guidance for Assessed Supported Year in Employment (AYSE) and Council policy.
• To lead on promoting the continuing professional development of colleagues within the service, including facilitating team practice development and group supervision sessions.

Knowledge:
• Of the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Adoption and Children Act 2002 and associated guidance and regulations.
• Of Child Protection Policy, Procedures and Practice.
• Of relevant theory in relation to child and family assessment, safeguarding and permanence planning.
• Of issues faced by children and families from ethnic minority communities.
• Of methods and to help others learn.
• Of methods to raise performance at an individual and Service level.

Aptitude:
• Ability to analyse data and formulate plans for intervention and service provision for children and their families.
• Ability to work in partnership with children and families and carers and other agencies.
• Ability to produce clear, literate and appropriate reports and correspondence for a wide readership and to a high standard.
• Ability to organise own work.
• Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility and to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
• An ability to use Information Technology.
• An understanding of the role of all parties in court proceedings and the different levels of responsibility/authority within a Local Authority setting.

Skills:
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent team working skills
• Offering advice, motivating, mentoring and supporting social workers/senior social workers.
• Ability to help others learn and develop

Experience:
• At least 3 years post qualifying experience in children’s social work, including safeguarding and permanence planning.
• Experience of transferring learning/knowledge to others.

General Education:
• Good general education with good standard of literacy and numeracy.
• DipSW or equivalent.
• Registered with Social Work England.