Job Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and committed Social Worker to lead the Hospital Discharge Team. You will work alongside medical, nursing, allied health professionals within the hospital and other partner agencies, including the third sector to deliver an outstanding service that will support clients and their carers during the patient journey, to facilitate timely, safe and effective discharges. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a new, dynamic team, with a strength based, home first focus.

Ongoing professional training will be offered, and the successful applicant will play a key role in the development of the service, leading to a trusted assessor and Discharge to Access approach for efficient hospital discharge.

Experience of working in a Hospital environment would be desirable, but not essential.

For further information please contact Jackie Tardivel on 442570 or by email j.tardivel@health.gov.je

Statutory Responsibilities

• The postholder will have to comply with all relevant States Laws, such as the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 and any other associated legislation, Standing Orders, Financial Directions, and other relevant Codes of Practice, in respect of managing the key project deliverables of programmes and costs through the active management of procurement, approval, financial and administrative procedures.
• To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law, 1989
• To work in accordance with the Data Protection (Jersey) Law;
• This role is politically restricted. The jobholder is not permitted to undertake political activity involving standing for election to the States or as a Parish Constable, or publicly supporting someone who is standing for election or playing a public part in any political manner.

Job Purpose

Manage and provide a comprehensive assessment and protection service to the adult and children’s at-risk population in Jersey and their carers and approve resource allocation so as to manage risk and meet identified needs.
Supervise and monitor the work of a group of social work staff and lead on the delivery of the day to day working of social work services in their delegated area.

Budgetary Responsibility

No direct budgetary responsibility.

Job Specific Outcomes 1 of 2

1. Plan and organise case co-ordination for a team of Social Workers, and oversee the implementation of care and protection to ensure that that prompt referral of cases takes place where social work intervention is required to protect or support vulnerable members of the community and that public trust and confidence in Health & Social Services is upheld.

2. Manage a team of Social Workers, providing the guidance, coaching and mentoring necessary for each team member to maintain the highest standards of personal and professional conduct, adherence to relevant codes of conduct, policies, procedures and legislation and to ensure that the criteria for continuing professional registration are fulfilled.

3. Manage a personal caseload of more complex cases, working with service users and their families/carers in one or more social work specialist areas to deliver social services to a range of users, including children in need of care and protection, children with special needs, adults with learning disabilities, older people, people with a brain injury, those with a physical disability and those with a sensory impairment.

4. Holistically assess individual needs and develop and design care and intervention plans that treat each person as a unique individual, in order to protect, promote and monitor the safety and welfare of service users and carers. Wherever possible, promote service users’ individual views and wishes in order to support their rights to self-determination, to control their own lives and to make informed choices about the services they receive.  

5. Deliver appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward communication to service users and carers, clearly explaining service policies and the professional role and responsibilities of the social work team including any statutory intervention which may prove necessary, in order to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers

6. Guide and support Social Workers in challenging and reporting dangerous, abusive, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour or practice, including potential criminal offences, wherever this may be found, in order to ensure the wellbeing of service users and carers  is safeguarded at all times. Lead on the utilisation of statutory powers to ensure a service user’s protection and safety when necessary.

Job Specific Outcomes 2 of 2

7. Implement risk assessment policies and procedures, ensuring that they are followed by social workers at all times, and lead on accessing specialist professional advice and guidance in all complex cases, so that potential and actual risk is identified and managed,  particularly in relation to those who are assessed as being the most vulnerable to risk of harm by self or others.

8. Monitor and audit case records produced by Social Workers to ensure that they are clear and accurate as required by established procedures and best practice, always bearing in mind that such documents may be disclosable for the purpose of Serious Case Reviews, external inquiry and inspection, and to the Royal Court in respect of civil applications or in criminal proceedings associated with the protection of vulnerable individuals.

9. Implement and monitor data protection and confidentiality policies to ensure that all information about service users is always treated by Social Workers and other staff in the strictest confidence in line with data protection, relevant disclosure and consent policies, and information sharing protocols and procedures.

Qualifications

Essential

A professional qualification in Social Work (e.g. Degree, Diploma or equivalent in Social Work).
Registered with the appropriate UK professional governing body i.e. the General Social Care Council and locally, must also register under the Health Care (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1995.

Knowledge

Essential

• Specialist knowledge in social work underpinned by theory and relevant practical experience.
• An understanding of children’s & adult Safeguarding issues.
• Good understanding of the management of risk and supporting vulnerable children and families in the community.
• Understands how to assess and manage risk when making complex decisions that may be disputed in court.
• Practical knowledge of assessing and arranging delivery of social care packages for caseload clients.
• Understanding of therapeutic services, their arrangement and provision.
• Knowledge of mentoring social work students and new entrants.
• Good understanding of legislation relating to their specialist area of social work, the general workings of civil courts and the conducting of police investigations into related criminal activity.
• Practical knowledge of maintaining records according to confidentiality and data protection protocols.
• Knowledge of undertaking care audits.

Desirable

• Comprehensive knowledge of the range of services provided both within CYPES, Health and Community Services, by other States Departments and by private and voluntary sector providers

Technical Work Based Skills

Essential

• Able to demonstrate a range of information technology skills i.e. an ability to effectively use IT equipment and role critical software.
• Ability to attain Enhanced DBS clearance

Desirable

• Safeguarding certificated

Experience

Essential

• Providing a social work service in a community, mental health or hospital setting; discharging a statutory social care function on behalf of the organisation.
• Developing, implementing and managing programmes of social care and care packages, including for the most complex cases.
• Co-ordinating and developing support services and advising carers and families.
• Providing clinical supervision and management support to a team of social workers.
• Organising and allocating team workloads.
• Negotiating services for vulnerable service users, including issues involving child protection, vulnerable adults, mental and physical health issues and bereavement.
• Commissioning care packages.
• Managing delegated social care budgets.

General skills / attributes

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously, with the capacity for independent, responsible, professional decision making, often whilst under considerable pressure.
• Management, organisational and administrative skills
• Ability to take on board complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options in order to arrive at a complex judgement.
• Able to communicate calmly and clearly using a variety of media on highly sensitive and complex issues, including legislation, often in emotive situations.
• Can provide highly specialised advice to social workers in relation to client care and maintain and ensure quality standards.
• Able to facilitate the involvement of a range of stakeholders (public and private sector) to deal effectively with complex issues relating to vulnerable service users.
• Able to assess risk, develop management strategies and provide advice and direction to team members when dealing with a range of complex cases.
• Able to develop and implement policy and understand the implications and ramifications for areas outside of their own area of responsibility.
• Highly resilient – good coping mechanisms for dealing with challenging, stressful and emotional situations involving vulnerable children and adults.

Personal Attributes

Appointees to this role will be required to adhere to and perform their duties in line with the standards identified in the States of Jersey tier 5 core accountabilities, attributes and behaviour indicators.