Senior Practitioner

Connect2Kent recruit exclusively for Kent County Council. We recruit for a range of Social Work position''s both Locum and Permanent.

Kent County Council are Ofsted rated as ''Outstanding''. We are currently seeking a Locum Senior Practitioner to join the Safeguarding Hub. The Hub''s main base is in Ashford however, you will be screening Safeguarding cases from across the County.

Purpose of the Job:

Lead and oversee safeguarding enquiries providing oversight, guidance and advice on activity within the team. Ensure that a strength-based approach is undertaken to inform care and support planning and the reduction of future risk of harm, abuse and neglect. Ensure people are enabled and supported to achieve their desired outcomes, identified needs and maintain wellbeing through MSP. Support in situations that require a higher level of professional intervention, ensuring effective support for people with care and support needs. Collaborate closely with Adult Social Care Connect Hubs, Adult Social Care Community Teams, the Market Support Team, Commissioning and Care Providers to enhance the quality and consistency of care delivery. Lead and oversee safeguarding enquiries assessed as presenting substantial or critical risk, where multiple concerns have arisen concurrently or within a short timeframe. Primarily work with-though not limited to residential care providers, and lead other enquiries as required, in response to evolving service demands. Provide oversight, guidance and advice on safeguarding activity within the Peripatetic Countywide Safeguarding Team. Ensure proactive engagement with providers and internal teams to promote best practices in the prevention of abuse and neglect, in alignment with the Principles of Safeguarding as outlined in the Care Act 2014. Support the development of practice, skills and knowledge with the registered practitioners and social care officers within the team. Provide supervision, direction and guidance to practitioners and social care officers within the Kent County Council (KCC) Adult Social Care directorate. Provide professional expertise, skills and advice to enable the provision of an effective, high quality social care service that meets existing and new KCC and multi-agency policies, procedures and practices.

Main duties and responsibilities:

* Support the day-to-day management and professional practice of registered practitioners and social care officers to ensure the delivery of high-quality service that identifies what is important to the people we support, and how they can live a life they want to live whilst delivering effective, safe and high-quality practice.

* Work in partnership with a range of teams, partner organisations and other parties to offer a broad range of options to the people we support, their carers and their families.

* Support Peripatetic Countywide Safeguarding Lead in delivering high standards of practice in line with the Practice Framework. Promote best practice in relation to strength-based approaches and making safeguarding personal and support practitioners to ensure effective action is taken to manage and reduce risk for people with care and support needs and their carers.

* Support Peripatetic Countywide Safeguarding Lead in improving performance, quality assurance and innovation for the team in line with national and departmental targets and objectives. Support with embedding improvement actions through the Quality Assurance Framework.

* Oversee staff building and developing relationships with wider partners to conduct person centered reviews, including annual statutory reviews, of clients'' care and support plans, and work together to enable people to achieve their personal outcomes.

* Work closely with other teams to identify, monitor, review and improve service delivery and ensure quality and outcome improvements are made where required. Contribute to the continuous improvement of practices, procedures, and initiatives to support high quality service delivery. Lead and contribute to a range of service-related projects as they arise, including the development of new initiatives through representation of working/multi agency groups. Actively contribute to a learning culture and the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care and support.

* Ensure all staff adhere to Departmental policies, procedures and capability frameworks including Safeguarding, Mental Capacity Assessment and Best Interest requirements in assessing the needs of the people we support. Ensure all staff have working knowledge of service provider regulatory and contractual frameworks.

* Support the Peripatetic Countywide Safeguarding Lead with the induction of new staff and in managing the development of the team''s knowledge base and expertise as well as supporting the day-to-day management of the team to ensure services are delivered and meet the standards required.

* Be flexible and adaptable in supporting people, their families and carers by using skills and expertise/training to undertake specialist work (including Best Interest Assessor, Practice Educator, Approved Mental Health Professional, Safeguarding and Social Supervision), by working with people in another locality if required and by working with managers and colleagues to provide access to the service during its operating hours in order to contribute to the delivery of an effective, accessible and resilient social care service.

Connect2Kent is a trading style of Commercial Services Kent LTD - A company wholly owned by Kent County Council. Connect2Kent is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.