Job title: Senior Social Worker
Salary: PO3 £44,253 – £47,665
Hours: 37 / 37 pro rota
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds
As a Senior Social Worker (LD Care Management), you’ll thrive on enabling adults with learning disabilities to realise their potential and have a voice in decisions about their care and support.
It’s not only about managing a complex caseload; our Senior Social Workers change lives using a person-centred approach that values the uniqueness and strengths of individuals and involves their carers, family and wider community.
It’s an exciting time to join our adult social care team in Leeds. As key partners with the National Development Team for Inclusion we’ve led on developing the strengths-based approach to social care delivery. We want everyone we work with to feel listened to, empowered, and to receive support that reflects their hopes and what really matters to them.
Our Better Lives Strategy sets out our ambition for improving lives in Leeds. We want people with care and support needs to be able to do the things that matter to them and live in a good home within a caring community. It’s about more than social care, it’s a council-wide initiative so that services will work together to make a real difference to individuals and their communities.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
You will be qualified as:
- A Senior Social Worker registered with SW England.
- An Approved Mentor/Practice Assessor
- Practice Educator Level 2 or equivalent, or undertake this on appointment (funded by us)
You will bring to the role:
- Significant post qualifying experience
- knowledge and understanding of current learning disability practice and the role of a multi-disciplinary team, including statutory and voluntary agencies
- skills in effective assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation of work in supporting people with learning disabilities
- ability to build good working relationships with professional colleagues and partners, chair meetings and represent the council in a multi‑agency environment and engage positively with individuals, families and carers
- experience of using a person‑centred approach, creativity in problem solving and reflective practice techniques
- ability to lead, motivate, mentor and supervise staff, with a commitment to continuing professional development of self and others
About the role
As a Senior Social Worker, you will be central to a network of partners working across health and social care in Leeds who are committed to increasing integration for better services supporting people with learning disabilities.
You will manage a complex and diverse caseload to safeguard the welfare of individuals, families and carers. You will assess needs and manage risk, devise and implement support plans, commission services and evaluate outcomes, working with colleagues and partners to provide direct support to individuals and their carers.
You won’t be doing this alone, you will be supported and guided by team managers, and in your turn play a key role in mentoring and advising other team members. We strive to achieve the right balance between support and challenge in all roles, to promote staff wellbeing as well as a clear career development pathway.
We value connection and professional relationships so we continually learn from each other and from the people and families we are working alongside. These strong support networks and learning opportunities enable our colleagues to deliver the best possible outcomes for the adults they work with.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job purpose
As a Senior Social Worker within the Learning Disability Team, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, strengths-based social work services to adults with learning disabilities, their families and carers. Working within statutory frameworks, organisational policies and professional standards, you will undertake complex assessments, manage risk, promote wellbeing and support individuals to achieve positive outcomes, maximise independence and exercise choice and control in their lives.
Alongside managing a complex caseload, you will provide professional leadership, guidance and support to colleagues, helping to promote reflective practice, continuous learning and high standards of social work across the team. You will contribute to the development of best practice, support service improvement and act as a source of expertise in relation to learning disability practice, safeguarding, mental capacity and statutory responsibilities.
Working collaboratively with colleagues, partner agencies and local communities, you will ensure that support is person‑centred, outcome‑focused and informed by relevant legislation, research and best practice. At all times, you will carry out your responsibilities in accordance with Leeds City Council’s values, policies and procedures, and the professional standards set by Social Work England.
Responsibilities
The duties outlined below are not exhaustive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the service, provided they remain consistent with the grade and purpose of the post.
- Manage a complex and varied caseload of adults with learning disabilities, undertaking assessments, reviews, care and support planning, safeguarding enquiries and risk management in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures.
- Lead on complex casework involving significant risk, competing views, safeguarding concerns, mental capacity issues and legal interventions, exercising a high level of professional judgement and autonomy.
- Undertake Care Act assessments, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests Assessments and associated decision-making, ensuring compliance with statutory duties and professional standards.
- Develop, implement and review person‑centred care and support plans that promote independence, wellbeing, choice, positive risk‑taking and the achievement of agreed outcomes.
- Lead and coordinate safeguarding enquiries and investigations,
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