Senior Practitioner

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Job Description

The Service & Team:

The IWS Teams works with people who are new to Adult Social Care and those who are ready to leave Hospital and require support to do so. IWS comprises of a team of Access Assessors, Social Care Practitioners and Social Workers. Senior Practitioners develop an excellent understanding of the adult's lived experience and are able to convey their views and feelings through high quality practice skills in assessment, planning, intervention and review. They use evidence-based practice to improve the adult's welfare and safety, leading to improved outcomes.

The Role:

The role will work collaboratively and positively with other professionals and partner agencies in order to provide a seamless and coherent service delivered at place. Model continuous professional development and learning underpinned by social work principles and undertaking accredited post-qualifying awards. Demonstrate learning in practice and consistently good performance, possessing specialist knowledge and skills in an area of older adults, learning disabilities, complex care and safeguarding, leading on areas of practice within the wider service, extending knowledge, skills and expertise throughout the service. Senior Practitioners model positive engagement in reflective supervision and the system for appraising performance and engage positively in Quality Assurance and Performance Management.

This position will be subject to a enhanced criminal record disclosure check.

The Senior Practitioner will ensure teams use a strength based approach to all of their work, maximising people's independence by considering all options and leading by example in doing this. They will work alongside Team Managers and provide support in teams which experience increases in demand and performance. They will also take on a leadership role within teams when the Team Manager is on leave, providing advice and guidance for the team members as their first point of contact and monitoring the team folders. They continue to work directly with people who use services, and those who care for them, as well as families and communities. They contribute to the development of knowledge and promotion of excellence in their field using evidence-informed practice. The Senior Practitioner plays a key role in developing and monitoring the competency of front-line social work staff through supervision, developing, maintaining and championing expertise in specific areas of social work practice, driving excellent practice based on research and professional experience. They provide mentoring, training and support to less experienced team members including practice learning for trainee and student social workers, and newly qualified Social Workers undertaking the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment.

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.

This position will be subject to an enhanced criminal record disclosure check.

You will be a social worker qualified with a Social Work Degree, Social Work Qualification (Dip. SW) or equivalent and registered with Social Work England, who will have:

• Expert knowledge and experience of relevant legislation, social work theory, policy and principles and evidence of these in your practice.
• Previous experience of working in a social care environment with a proven track record of excellent strengths-based practice.
• Ability to undertake, analyse and translate complex assessments of need, risks, and strengths.
• Proficiency at recognising and responding to behaviour that may indicate resistance to change, ambivalent or selective cooperation with services, and recognise when there is a need for immediate action. You will be able to deliver difficult messages.
• Ability to form strong professional relationships with other partners within a multi-disciplinary setting.
• A high level of written and verbal communication skills.
• An understanding of mechanisms for quality assurance and performance management, along with the ability to improve the quality and consistency of practice.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.

Should your experience as a social worker be within another sector (such as Children's Social Care or the Voluntary sector), we provide additional support to transition into Adult Social Work through a supported induction period.

If you're inspired to make a vital contribution to Adults Services in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, we'd love to hear from you.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What you'll get in return:

Cornwall Council's ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary.

• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions

• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.

• A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme

• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Additional Information:

Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

The full role profile is attached here

We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as 'Application' on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here - The application process.

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact careers@cornwall.gov.uk if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.