Advanced Practitioner Social Worker Learning Disabilities and Autism Team

Job Description

Purpose of post:
The main purpose of this role is to support the operational manager to manage social work team(s) and contribute to the effective leadership, quality assurance, risk management and safeguarding matters, supporting the senior management team in delivering good quality services and effective integration between health and social care through collaboration with stakeholders and partners across the system. You will be expected to work with others to influence and shape the local environment, to promote social inclusion and accessibility and ensure that identified needs are understood individually, by locality and fed into strategic commissioning. To provide professional support, leadership and line management to qualified and some unqualified social workers and other staff as directed, who form part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team that includes qualified and unqualified social workers, occupational therapists, rehabilitation workers, enablement workers, reablement workers, local area coordinators and related support services. You will be expected to be able to cover for your line manager on occasion and to also to cover for Advanced Practitioners from other teams if required.

Principal responsibilities:
1. To carry a small caseload of complex cases, requiring a high level of
professional skill. To support the Operational Manager to monitor the duty and
review systems for the team and take corrective action when required.
Deploying staff resources and capacity ensuring the appropriate allocation of Assessed Aug 20 & Nov 20 Desktop Assessment EH work to individuals in order to meet Key Performance Indicator’s and Council priorities
2. To supervise, support and mentor staff who are responsible for 30% providing
assessments and adult social care services. Ensuring that decisions made
meet the legislative requirements of the Care Act 2014 and are therefore
strength based and holistic, incorporating need and risk. To ensure that moving
and handling assessments are compliant with legislative requirements. To
authorise assessments and reviews within delegated authority
Under the direction of the manager to recruit, motivate, coach and
support the development of staff, providing professional effective
supervision, dealing with performance and conduct issues promptly
within Council procedures.
3. Under the direction of the operational manager, using professional skills
and experience, provide practice guidance to team members ensuring
compliance with national and departmental policies, procedures, peer and
user feedback. Ensure that case recording is accurate, this includes using the
agreed quality assurance framework and acting on the findings to improve
practice and accountability
4. Support the Operational Manager to commission services, efficiently,
effectively and within budget, supporting the wider delivery of savings attributed
to adult social care. Challenging and reviewing care packages, support plans,
minor works and equipment to ensure value for money. Taking corrective action
to manage overspends.
5. Chairing safeguarding strategy meetings (and other meetings
concerning complex issues) as required and supporting staff who are
involved in carrying out safeguarding enquiries. Will be expected to take
part in “MARAC , MAPPA and VARAC” rota.
6. To support the Operational Manager and liaise with the Principal Social
Worker in matters relating to service development. Participating in the
development of strategic objectives and the production of departmental,
service and team plans, policies and procedures manage projects in
specialised and complex areas in line with departmental objectives and service
development needs.
7. Maintain effective links and working relationships within the Directorate,
relevant statutory, local voluntary and private agencies, primary care networks,
Health and other local with other professionals and Partners to achieve
effective integrated and joint working through initiatives that require a multiagency approach. Report any provider deficiencies identified by staff in the
team are reported to the Commissioning, Quality & Care Placement Team.
8. Responding to any complaints or FOI’s that your manager delegates to you
in line with departmental policy ensuring any learning is implemented and
shared accordingly across the wider team(s).

Key skills:
Experience of innovative service development or project management. Experience of working with adults with dementia, sensory impairments, mental health, autism, learning disabilities, physical disabilities. Significant experience of supervising social care staff
Rehabilitation knowledge for visually impaired and deaf/hard of hearing people. Some knowledge of current policy developments and relevant research Knowledge of the needs and cultures of different communities in Luton.