Senior Practitioner

Role Responsibility

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Dover Supporting Independence Team. The service assesses and provides support to Older People and Adults with Physical Disabilities, with the focus on maximising independence.

The practitioners work with people over the age of 18 with a diverse range of care and support needs. You will manage staff with a dynamic caseload requiring assessment, review and ongoing support. This is to facilitate achieving improved outcomes and promoting independent living for the service user alongside working with service providers.

We have recently reorganised our services and part of the role will be to embed new processes, support staff to increase their skills and knowledge and to work in partnership with other Senior Practitioners to allocate resources where needs present.   

The role requires excellent communication skills as you will be working in partnership with professionals within and external to KCC.

We are looking for a dynamic and confident practitioner with experience of working in a fast pace, high pressured environment with a detailed understanding of complex case work and supporting, supervising and developing both qualified and unqualified staff. The successful individual will be able to demonstrate an ability to manage their own time, delegate and prioritise their own and the teams work load.

As part of the OPPD restructure the service operates with modernised office processes and performance management systems. The service is also increasingly accessible to the public outside of traditional office hours, as we move towards an 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week service. OPPD staff and managers are increasingly working on a rota basis to ensure service needs are met.     

You are responsible for ensuring that all County Adult Protection Policies are adhered to and concerns are raised in accordance with these policies.

As this position will require access to care home facilities the government has set down legislation that requires all staff who access care home facilities to be double vaccinated before 11 November.

This means that you must receive your first dose no later than 16 September and your second no later than 11 November, unless you are medically exempt.

Social Work or Occupational Therapy registration will be accepted for internal applicants only. For external applicants, Social Work registration will be required.

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.

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.

Our offer

• Relocation packages up to a maximum of £8,000
• A Market Premium Payment is available to those joining KCC from outside of the Council
• Full induction and comprehensive professional learning and development
• Starting annual leave allowance of 27 - 30 days 
• A minimum of 5 day's training each year 
• Excellent local government pension scheme 

Contact Details

For further information on this role, please contact Kate Smith - Team Manager

03000 414182 Katherine.smith@kent.gov.uk

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.