Adolescent Support Team (AST) Social Worker

Role Responsibility

To deliver and improve services for Children in Need, with a clear focus on those in need of protection and the wider safeguarding agenda through the provision of high quality social work interventions and effective liaison with local partners.

To work within a team of professional Social Workers and/or early intervention staff to provide services to children or young people who are on the edge of care.

To provide statutory assessments and interventions to young homeless (aged 16 – 18) who would be considered as Southwark Judgements.

The caseload will be managed within the relevant framework of supervision dependent on the complexity of the case and post qualification experience of the post holder.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Manage a Children & Families caseload to include complex and diverse cases, involving joint housing assessments, child and family assessments and reviews, to effectively meet the needs of the client group, in line with the standards set out in the Social Care Capability Framework.
• Ensure that complex information is analysed, risks are identified and recommendations made for which there is professional accountability
• Initiate and develop close working partnerships with statutory agencies, voluntary and private sector agencies, carers and those with parental responsibility in order to facilitate good outcomes for children and their families.

• Advocate for the rights of young person, carers and families as detailed in current legislation, maintaining knowledge of available resources, and of the roles of other agencies and to liaise on behalf of service users

• Complete effective and timely recording of accurate information using agreed systems.

• Maintain a good working knowledge of legislation, local policies and procedures, particularly those relating to Young Homeless, Looked After Children, Children in Need and Child Protection, acting in line with these to ensure consistency and a high quality of service delivery.

• Attend training courses and other development opportunities as agreed with line manager to ensure compliance with HCPC and SCCF requirements

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification. 

Contact Details

For more information about the role, please contact Ruth Bachrach by email: Ruth.Bachrach@Kent.gov.uk or phone: 03000 410013

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.