Practice Supervisor (DoLS)

at  Oxfordshire County Council

Job Introduction
About us
Do you want to help us radically change the way we deliver social care?
Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which is enabling us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of daring to do it differently as we continue to strive to do better.
In Adult Services, this means we’re daring to do adult social care differently by supporting Oxfordshire’s residents to stay fit, healthy and independent in their communities for as long as possible through a strength’s-based approach. Working with local NHS services, care providers and community and voluntary groups, we make the most of what each of our strengths are, pulling in the same direction, and united by one shared vision.
This means we keep the people we support at the heart of all that we do. And that works. By listening to people and building on the positives in their lives, we can work collaboratively to help them live the lives they want with the right support around them.
It is something we call the Oxfordshire Way and we can’t do it alone – our proactive, positive approach to social care gives everyone the opportunity to make a bigger difference. If we’re doing a good job, we don’t stand still – we’re ambitious and we’re always striving to do better; it’s in our DNA.
About the role and team
The DoLS Team comprises of substantive BIA’s, from a variety of professional backgrounds, that are able to react more quickly to referrals that require a faster response than our rota, Locality Team based BIA’s are able to provide. These BIA’s traditionally take on more complex cases where there is involvement from the Court of Protection, or where the person is being deprived of liberty with the use of restraint, or medication to control behaviour, whether this is being administered covertly or not, or where the referral indicates that the person is objecting to the deprivation. We work closely with our S12 medical assessors to enable the subject to receive the benefits of the Safeguards that a DoLS Authorisation can provide.
We are currently expanding the Team to enable us to manage the referral rate now that LPS has been delayed. We like to think of ourselves as being a closely knit and supportive team and one where we help others develop their skills and knowledge base within the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and DoLS legislation.
The Practice Supervisor role will be central to the new structure. Along with one other Practice Supervisor, You will be responsible for the day to day running of the team, allocating cases to the Team BIA’s and to the BIA rota. You will be expected to share your more detailed understanding of DoLS and MCA legislation and case law with other professionals working both internally for OCC or for our partner organisations, when called upon to do so.
You will be responsible for supervising a number of team members in line with Oxfordshire County Council policies and procedures.
You will stand in for the Team Manager in their absence and to help further develop the team skills and knowledge base.
We’re transforming the way we help our frontline social workers support our communities to get the best outcomes possible for each and every person we work with. We do this through our commitment of strengthened supervision, ongoing professional training and manageable caseloads, so that you can bring your best self to the people you work with.
About you

You are…

• Driven to do it differently to find creative solutions that problem solves with the person, rather than for the person.
• Willing to take responsibility, you are a self-leader who has the passion to promote people’s strengths to gain the best outcomes for people.
• Kind and caring, with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities and diverse backgrounds.
• Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do with a commitment to human rights and social justice, and with your strong communication skills you will work collaboratively to achieve the best outcome.
• Always learning, to continuously develop your skills and knowledge in theory and case law.

• Passionate about following the professional standards of SWE with a commitment to continue your professional development.

  Rewards and benefits

  Up to 33 day’s holiday p.a. plus bank holidays - Option to ‘buy’ additional days

• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%

• Relocation package up to a maximum of £8,000 to cover reimbursement of expenses for newly appointed employees (conditions apply in line with council policy)
• Regular monthly formal and informal support and supervision
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Extensive Continuous Professional Development opportunities, career progression scheme including the opportunity to train as a Practice Educator, Best Interest Assessor or Adult Mental Health Practitioner.

Would you like to know more?
Are you a passionate qualified Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with a BIA qualification and skills that that you would like to more fully develop?
Would you like to join an expanding dynamic team and assist in the development of new staff and in the formation of the expanding team? If so, we would also like to hear from you.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Robert Barton, DoLS Manager, 08165 323620

Please refer the Job description for details