The posting
Position Title: Social Worker - Court Specialist
Main Purpose of Role:
To ensure that the Local Authority has good oversight of all care proceedings and all pre-proceedings currently underway in the authority. To ensure that all court reports are submitted on time and to a high standard and minimise delay for children with effective care planning. Together with the operational Team Manager take part in Permanence Planning meetings for children, and to ensure that any assessments required in relation to connected persons or similar, are running to timescale.
The Court Specialist will support social workers across the Care and Support Service including the Integrated Disability Service.
Key Tasks
To ensure oversight of all care proceedings in Powys (or an area within Powys). The post-holder will have an overview of all care proceedings and pre-proceedings and an understanding of the basic issues within each case, and the steps that are required in order to resolve the care plan. The post-holder will (alongside the Team Manager) support Social Workers in writing their court reports, particularly focussing on less experienced staff. The post-holder may need to attend court at times in relation to contentious cases or to support less experienced staff.
Tasks:
- Develop and maintain a database in order to monitor the progress of all care proceedings and pre-proceedings in the department/area
- Provide reports in relation to this information to assist the Local Authority to project demand for placements, therapeutic or other relevant services.
- Ensure that all children who are the subject of care proceedings have been subject to the relevant permanence planning processes in order to determine the care plan.
- Ensure that Social Workers have the resources they need in order to submit court reports on time and to a high standard.
- Provide practical assistance to Social Workers to ensure that they can complete court work to a good standard.
- Ensure that all work to be filed before the court has been through a QA process and that the views and feelings of the child are reflected and have been actively considered in drawing up the statement.
- Attend permanence planning and care planning meetings for children who are the subject of care proceedings.
- Ensure that in relation to pre-proceedings, that the plan of improvement is relevant to the concerns about the children and that progress is made in a timely way, or to alert the Team Manager or Senior Manager if the progress of the family is drifting.
- To attend Legal Planning Meetings in an advisory capacity.
- At all times to work in co-operation with the Team Manager of the social work team in which the care proceedings are held.
- To liaise with CAFCASS in relation to any concerns that they may have about the conduct of care proceedings in Powys.
- To ensure that all services are provided within a framework of Equality and Diversity and Anti-discriminatory practice and take account of the views of service users.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Experience
- Extensive post qualifying experience within Childrens Services.
- Extensive experience of undertaking assessments of needs and identifying risks.
- Extensive experience and knowledge in the field of Child Protection, LAC, Court and the writing/ preparation of court papers
- Previous experience of attending court proceeding
- Ability to collate management information
- Experience of mentoring and supporting less experienced staff
- Experience of writing comprehensive reports
Knowledge
- Understanding of the needs of service users.
- Knowledge of current legislation, national guidance and best practice relevant to the post.
- Knowledge of social care needs of children and families.
- An up to date understanding of the current agenda within childrens safeguarding.
- Demonstrate an understanding of quality assurance
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of legal and court processes
Qualifications & Training
- Appropriate social work qualification (i.e. Degree in Social Work, DipSW or equivalent).
- Registration as Social Worker with Social Care Wales.
- Commitment to undertaking any relevant qualification relevant to this post.
- Court skills training
Personal Qualities
- Ability to work on own initiative within a high pressured work setting
- Commitment to the development of practice and services which promote equality
- An enthusiastic motivated professional worker who is committed to improving outcomes for children, young people
- To regard Looked After Children as our own children and to promote their equal treatment and social inclusion at all times
- Committed to continual professional development
- Capacity to enable staff to feel more confident in their own abilities
Safeguarding Requirements
- This position has a requirement for an Enhanced DBS Check
Skills
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
- Good IT skills.
- Ability to offer training and briefing to staff
- Ability to organise, prioritise and manage own workload.
- Ability to demonstrate a commitment to equalities and non-discriminatory practice.
- To be able to work on own initiative
- Need to be able to multi task
- Have the ability to meet tight deadlines
- Commitment to the principle of confidentiality.
- Must have knowledge and commitment to the principles of social care as embodied in relevant legislation.
Other requirements
- Current driving licence and the ability to travel extensively around the county.
