Senior Social Worker - Service Improvement Team

at  Essex County Council

SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER - SERVICE IMPROVEMENT TEAM

Fixed Term / Secondment, Full Time
£45,217 to £54,395 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: Anywhere worker
This is a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity until 31/03/2025.
The Team
This is an exciting opportunity to join a team with a focus on driving service improvement within Essex County Council’s Adult Social Care services. The team lead on service wide initiatives, providing support to the Adult Social Leadership team, ensuring that teams are ready for quality assurance duties.
You will be a champion for best practice and an advocate for change. You will work collaboratively using a strength-based approach with teams across Adult Social Care to deliver quality improvement and assurance activity in readiness for the CQC inspection.
The Opportunity
Senior social workers are passionate in demonstrating expert and effective practice ability in complex situations. Managing a caseload and supporting colleagues with complex cases, with an ability to mitigate high levels of risk. Working collaboratively with statutory and non-statutory/voluntary agencies ensuring a joined up approach.
Significant experience of social work or occupational therapy, modelling good practice and providing expert advice and guidance is essential in this role.

In summary you will:

• Work within the statutory legal framework, policy and guidance and determining when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached in line with legislative and organisational standards within the Care Act 2015 (e.g MCA/DoLS/CHC assessments etc).
• Provide a source of specialist advice and professional expertise that will contribute to the development of practice standards.
• Contribute or lead on projects, maintaining accurate and timely data reports and presentations as required.
• Participate in a range of focus groups, meetings, conferences and pro-actively taking a lead when a social care perspective is required.
• Evaluate performance and evidence outcome measurements or indicators and use these to inform future direction and ensure compliance with policies and all external and internal regulation linking with ASC services.
• Develop an evidence base of insight gained from lived experience and coproduction activities across Adult Social Care and produce regular reports with the insight gained as and when required.
• Build strong effective working relationships across the Council, with partners and members of voluntary agencies.
• Contribute to the delivery of high-level expertise in particular areas of practice and lead on those areas, contributing to the development of a lean and agile system that is responsive to the needs of the people in receipt of services.

About you

• Educated to degree level (i.e. Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS) or equivalent.
• Evidence continuing professional development and demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards eg professional capability framework, knowledge and skills statement. Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or Social Work England (SWE)
• Have significant experience of social work / occupational therapy, demonstrating a comprehensive, up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulations, guidance and how to generate the conditions of success and culture in line with the Essex approach to social care.
• Experience of leading change in a complex environment, and ensuring the organisation delivers best practice within financial constraints.
• Effective communicator with ability to build good relationships with a range of colleagues and stakeholders; assertive in communications with the ability to persuade, influence and negotiate effectively
• Uses initiative and judgement and decision-making skills in providing quality assurance to the work undertaken for customers.
• Have proven ability to work flexibly, be proactive and able to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Evidence of working within a fast-paced team
• Experience of chairing meetings or focus groups involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children and vulnerable adults.
• Understanding of the financial implications to Social Care

This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.
What We Offer in Return

We’ll support you to be your best…

• Training and development to empower you from our award-winning Essex Social Care Academy.
• With us you can make your career work for you with flexible working options
• With us you can get the support you need with employee wellbeing and counselling
• Lease Car scheme
• Up to £8000 for relocation*
• With us you can have peace of mind with life assurance of three times annual salary
• Payment of professional fees for approved professions
• Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ’s about the LGPS.
• Volunteering leave
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
• Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC
• T&Cs Apply.

Whatever you want to achieve in your social care career, you can do it here.
For more information visit our Adult Social Care Brochure or contact Abbie.Mollison@essex.gov.uk.
Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment .
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.
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Please refer the Job description for details