To Be Responsible for the Supervision and Management of a Team of Specialist Social Workers

Job title:Specialist Practice Supervisor / Directorate: People
Post number: / Division: Education
Grade: / Section/team: Education Inclusion (Disability)
Overall purpose of job:
To lead and supervise a team of qualifiedSpecialist Social Workers responding to referrals, assessments, front line child in need, child protection, children in care and children subject to court proceedings. To provide reflective case work supervision and be responsible for quality assurance of Social Work practice within disability services, including providing a process for supporting social workers to identify needs and desired outcomes for the children and families. This will involve working autonomously in line with delegated responsibilities.
To provide an advanced level of professional Social Work expertise to the team in respect of a range of Social Work interventions, methods, theories and research.
Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility.
Main responsibilities:

To be responsible for the supervision and management of a team of Specialist Social Workers: including work allocation, quality assurance, reflective casework supervision, coaching, mentoring and employee development.

To provide an advanced level of professional Specialist Social Work expertise to the team in respect of Social Work interventions, methods, research and theories in respect of children with Disabilities. Make high level decisions on complex cases appropriate and within delegations.

Ensures implementation and understanding of departmental policies, procedures and legislation in relation to the staff performance and user group. Undertakes regular case file audits within and across teams.

Deputise for other Managers and peers in any other team when reasonably requested to do so.

Recruit, maintain and deploy a safe and competent staff team through effective recruitment, supervision, staff development and training, in accordance with North Lincolnshire policies.

Liaise with colleagues from Schools, Children’s Services, health colleagues and other agencies to meet the needs of children and families.

The postholder will be required to undertake ‘on call’ decision making duties as and when required, for which appropriate supplements will be paid.

To engage with children with disabilities, their families and other stakeholders in order to ascertain wishes and aspirations of the children and families and engage with those people in developments to meet these aspirations.

Undertake complaint investigation and disciplinary matters.

To work closely with schools and educational settings to ensure children with SEND are included within educational settings and can access the curriculum in order to improve their outcomes.

To convene, plan and lead strategy discussions in line with Working Together Statutory Guidance.

Support and promote the role of “champion of disabled children” across services on behalf of the local authority.

Knowledge, skill and experience:

HCPC registered, qualified social worker
Demonstrates an advanced professional knowledge of legislation procedure and guidance related to, children with disabilities, child protection, children in need and children in care.
Demonstrates commitment to their own and other team member’s continuous professional development. Having proven ability in managing change motivating and developing staff
Advanced knowledge of a range of professional Social Work interventions and methods, assessment tools and relevant research and theories, including differential communication methods.
Experience of multiagency working and the ability to develop partnership working. Representing all strands of the social work service, as required, at multi agency meetings, in a professional manner.
Extensive experience of working in a social care setting which has included, work with children with disabilities, direct work with service users, and experience of supervising other workers. With the ability to ensure effective staff development, enabling other workers to develop their professionalism and expertise by the use of effective supervision, mentoring, coaching, co-working and constructive feedback.
Detailed knowledge of child protection and child development and the ability to contribute effectively to complex decisions affecting the safety, wellbeing and quality of life of children and young people with disabilities managing complex case issues including complex child protection enquiries and private and public law proceedings.
Able to use ICT systems, including keyboard skills. Accurate and timely record keeping, service monitoring and communications.
Demonstrates motivation and an understanding of the requirements of the councils leadership and management competency development framework
Able to create systems for the effective collation and monitoring of service, staff and budgetary information and to produce reports for senior management
Highly developed influencing and negotiating skills
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage own and team’s workload effectively.
Excellent verbal, written, communication and presentation skills including the ability to explain complex information clearly and accurately including writing complex reports

To progress to Grade 11, it would be expected that Practice Supervisors would:

Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and skills in, supporting disabled children, child protection, child exploitation, safeguarding.

Experience in managing cases which feature complex health needs, mental capacity, developing training strategies, plans and programmes.

Demonstrate that they are able to offer specialist guidance and support to managers and practitioners within Services on complex casework issues that often involve a child’s immediate safety.

A high degree of specialist knowledge of child development, abuse and exploitation, in all its forms, causes and complications for children.

Experience of managing social work services in relation to making enquiries under S47 and S17 Children Act 1989 and PLO.

Previous experience of chairing child protection meetings and supervising social workers on child protection matters.

A detailed, in depth high level knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and guidance, as it pertains to safeguarding disabled children, child protection mental capacity and DoLs.

Experience of organising, facilitating and delivering presentations and training on supporting disabled children and their families, safeguarding disabled children , child exploitation and child protection policies and processes.

In depth knowledge of developing support for disabled children and their families procedures which will influence the strategic approach the service may take with such issues.

Management of statistical information to a high standard.

Demonstrate enhanced coaching and management skills

Model and use critical reflective skills in management, practice or organisational supervision settings to enhance your own, others and the organisation’s strategic outcomes

Ability to take a leading role in the recommissioning of services for disabled children and their families within North Lincolnshire

Creativity and innovation:

The post holder will be required to apply creativity and innovation to develop ways to ensure disabled children are protected from harm and meet the needs of children and families.
The post holder will be required to develop innovative and creative ways to engage disabled children, often with complex needs to ensure they are able to fully partake in their plans.
The post holder will continuously review, develop and improve systems, processes and services in support of the service’s pursuit of excellence.
To lead on new projects and manage existing projects to creatively develop services
To develop user focused procedures and practices, actively encouraging disabled children and their families to assist in the development of services
To work in partnerships to develop and implement policies and local/national service drivers, which may impact on how we deliver services
To advise on complex case issues and manages complex cases
To seek alternatives to unresolved practice issues through innovative problem solving
Promotes and encourages innovative solutions to develop child centred support safeguarding solutions, including the analysis and management of risk
Identifies a range of opportunities to develop staff team, introducing best practice initiatives
To contribute and participate in service planning, review practices and amend as appropriate
To deliver presentations and training materials to a diverse audience especially legislative changes, local priorities etc
Will need to be creative in allocating work to staff and managing cover for absences, periods of exceptional pressure.

To progress to Grade 11, it would be expected that Practice Supervisors would:

To creatively respondto highly complex cases, and safeguarding concerns whilst maintaining a central focus on the child.
To lead creatively to the continuous improvement of services including recommending proposals for development and negotiations with external agencies within delegated responsibilities amending operational practice as required

Contacts and Relationships:
Due to the high level of risk involved in child protection, CSE and safeguarding work, such contacts can involve complex issues associated with safeguarding and protecting children.
Multi Agency:
Will be required to use sensitivity, tact and challenge when dealing with a range of issues as presented by various groups. Daily
Promotes the public image of North Lincolnshire Council with all agencies, staff and families. Daily
Maintain, develop and promote good working relationships with social and health care agencies, statutory, voluntary and independent, sector. Which at times can involve contentious issues and require a high level of challenge and negotiation. Daily
Utilisation of advanced communication skills, motivating, persuasive, fact finding and evaluation. Daily
Promotes the work of the service seeking to influence other partners in order to deliver collaborative and innovative services and support. Daily
Maintains contact with appropriate local and regional groups, visiting other agencies to learn from best practice, ensuring local developments are made and priorities identified. Monthly
Involvement with the LSCB for the implementation of policy (including negotiating with police, health, legal and other multi-disciplinary teams and organisations). To ensure policy is correctly followed and all investigations are fully carried out, reports compiled etc. Weekly
Lead on multidisciplinary working within the service, setting objectives, reviewing practices and ensuring any issues are addressed
Work with Service Managers and Senior Social Workers offering advice, support and guidance
Will be required to use sensitivity, tact and challenge when dealing with a range of issues as presented by service users and their carers. Promotes the public image of North Lincolnshire Council with all service users and families. Daily
Works with service users and families to obtain information to ensure their needs are central to future service planning. Daily
Contact with Human Resource staff for exchange of information and support on all staff issues of a contentious and difficult nature. Monthly
Refer to senior managers for guidance on specific tasks or on particular complex issues. Weekly
Works with Service Managers and Team Leaders and Social Workers, offering advice support and guidance on a range of matters including, complex health needs, child protection, CSE and safeguarding issues.Daily
Decision making:

Responsible for the day-to-day management of the team and the deployment of resources in order to meet demand within delegated authority.

Responsible for ensuring that all stakeholders have appropriate information, including that, which will influence safeguarding and partnership arrangements.

Recommends changes to the Head of Service on policy and implementation matters on areas which affect service provision and which impact on the public, the council and other organisations.

Responsible for ensuring policies and procedures are adhered to by team members and takes appropriate action in respect of non-compliance and where practice requires improvement.

Responsible for complex case management and decisions, which may affect service provision and impact upon clients, families, and services.

Clear understanding of thresholds for Early Help, Child in Need and Child protection and Court proceedings.

Act as decision maker with the police, health and education where strategy discussions are required in line with Working Together statutory guidance. To determine the required actions with Social workers and partner agencies and ensure these are carried out in required timescales.

Responsible for ensuring the team receives all appropriate information and training to enable them to work within relevant policies, procedures and legislation

Within legislation, guidelines and procedures will be expected to make decisions on the allocation of services within delegated responsibilities.

To progress to Grade 11, it would be expected that Practice Supervisors would:

Make decisions in relation to the training plan, providers and procurement resulting in an effective annual training strategy.

Monitor, analyse and evaluate child protection data, making proposals and decisions based on more effective safeguarding arrangements. These decisions have a major impact on the whole service area with particular significance to the safety of children and corporate risk management.

Contributes to the development of local child protection best practice guidance for allChildren’s Services staff that corresponds with LSCB procedures, submitting to the LSCB for decisions as required. This guidance will feed in to other service areas such as Children/ adult services and Prevention & Commissioning.

Make recommendations on the information systems for the disabled children, case management and safeguarding services.

Identify solutions for resource and policy gaps regarding disabled child protection performance data and appropriate solutions to overcome these.

Make decisions with managers on howto tackle weak safeguarding practice and workers to continually improve and monitor safeguarding effectiveness.

Identify areas in which advice on performance management is needed and provide it.

Take responsibility for monitoring and evaluating policy and practice and the impact of this on the service.
Take a whole systems approach and understand the connectivity and interrelations between the service areas in order to evaluate impact and make recommendations for service improvement and outcomes.
Be able to apply knowledge to hypothesise and make complex in complex strategic situations.

Responsibility for resources:
Responsible for personal communication equipment (laptop, mobile phone) to the value of £450
Budget management up to £50
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work demands:

To lead and supervise a team of qualified Specialist Social Workers to ensure disabled children within North Lincolnshire are supported and protected from the harmful effects of abuse and neglect.

The post holder will be required to set priorities and meet deadlines, internal and external, that are open to change and frequent interruption due to needs of service users, families and managerial demands.

The nature of work dictates a constantly changing environment with a degree of unpredictability.

Requirement to ensure deadlines are met by the team as a whole and that conflicting demands and pressures are prioritised

Responds to safeguarding investigations as required, urgent referrals and assessments

Meeting deadlines determined by other departments e.g. cabinet reports, financial deadlines and project work, attending meetings on a daily weekly basis

Flexibility to work as service required i.e. out of hours meetings, consultations etc

Developing, maintaining and managing effective partnerships for the benefit of service users and carers

Is available to meet the needs of the users including out of hours on call decision making including emergencies and management of complex cases

Managing a diverse workforce with conflicting demands and pressures to prioritise the implementation of the projects and operational practices of the service, whilst responding to service issues on a daily basis

To progress to Grade 11, it would be expected that Practice Supervisors would:

Work to meet the high risk and complexity demands providing advice and guidance to managers and professionals involved in safeguarding children work, these can frequently change and have conflicting priorities

The post involves responding to deadlines, managing conflicting priorities and responding to urgent requests for advice and guidance on complex cases and SSM

Working to provide information for announced and unannounced inspections in relation to safeguarding and performance management.

Provision of managing deadlines for safeguarding information related to performance

Oversee the production of the training plan

Will be required to respond at short notice to emergency situations

Physical demands:
Normal physical effort
Working conditions:
The post is primarily office-based
Work context:
The post is highly demanding, with an expectation of flexibility in the hours worked by the post holder and an assumption that work will have a high degree of priority for the post holder, often beyond the normal working week. The post holder will also be involved from time to time in dealing with aggressive people who are dissatisfied with the council's response to their issues. Whilst normally risk assessment will take place before these encounters, they will occasionally be unpredictable.

Position in organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for:
Are posts in more than one location?
Is this at the same site? Are the posts managed highly mobile?
Posts all have same contractual base but all are highly mobile.
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? Yes  No 

The post is subject to:
Disclosure of convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exemption) Act 1974 Yes □
Political restriction No□
Employee:
(signed) / (print) / Date:
Manager: (signed) / (print) / Date:

Policy and Resources Cabinet Member – 19th September 2012, Implemented – 8th October 2012 Page 1 of 12