Shared Lives Officer

Role Responsibility

About Us:

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Kent Shared Lives Service for an experienced Social Worker to become a Shared Lives Officer.

Kent Shared Lives is a Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated service that provides individuals the opportunity to stay in the homes of recruited, trained and approved Carers and their families who live in the community.

We are looking for employees who have a positive, forward-thinking attitude who can work autonomously and collaboratively as part of a team.  

The ability to travel across Kent in a timely and flexible manner at various times of the day is essential.

Interviews will follow the Choosing with Care process. Invited candidates will be required to attend a full day which will include the formal interview as well as written and numerical testing, profiling, and discussion group.

About you:

The Shared Lives Officer is responsible for the assessment, on- going monitoring and development of Carers to support adults in their home to lead more independent, fulfilling lives in the community. 

You will support and utilise your skills and knowledge to ensure high quality support is provided to individuals that meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) and in-house performance (IHP standards) standards and requirements.

You will also support the Referrals officer with the co-ordination of new placements to ensure a robust matching process with potential Carers and their families to ensure that they can meet the needs of adults being placed in their homes.

You will supervise the Shared Lives Assistant Officers and Shared Lives Workers.

You will have experience of working with people with assessed social care needs, completing assessments and care planning. You will have a sound understanding and experience of adult safeguarding.

You must also possess: 

• Experience of working within a multi-agency environment. 
• Knowledge of relevant Social Care legislation  
• Good computer literacy and report writing skills. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills and mediation and negotiation skills. 
• Ability to work in partnership with people and our wider partners to help   identify services or resources in the community that can support well-being. 

Our Support Offer:  

In return, KCC offer an attractive benefits package and a commitment to ensuring that you achieve a healthy work life balance and opportunities for flexible working arrangements that meet business need.

You will have excellent opportunities for professional development with access to our social care academy.

Closing Date: Friday 24th March 2023

Interviews to be held on 18th April 2023

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 a relevant professional qualification (Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy) as well as up to date registration with the appropriate professional body.

Contact Details

For further information on this role please contact Vanessa Childs

Vanessa.Childs@kent.gov.uk

07977076849

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.