Social Care Assistant - Adults Level 1 Bexley06

London Borough of Bexley Job Description Job Title: Social Care Assistant Grade: Bexley 06 Management Group: Adult Social Care & Health Department: Adult Social Care Reports to: Senior Social Worker or Operational Manager Responsible for: No direct reports Main purpose of the job: • To assess the needs of adults and older people with physical disabilities, mental health , and/or learning disabilities and their informal carers in accordance with the Care Act and eligibility criteria • To work collaboratively with other health and social care colleagues to facilitate an integrated approach and seamless support to service users. • To formulate and implement strengths-based support plans with service users, their informal carers and other appropriate people, which will maximise their independence, help them live in the community for as long as possible or assist them to move into more appropriate accommodation. • To assess service users and their informal carers’ activities of daily living and organise appropriate solutions to meet needs, such as minor home adaptations and assistive equipment including Assistive Technology, basic Moving and Handling equipment screening for major adaptations and work in a rehabilitative manner to facilitate independence. • To support service users and or informal carers to identify and commission resources that enable them to choose the best support options that fit their assessed needs and preferred lifestyle choices. This includes creative thinking around support planning, discussions around and calculation of direct payments and supporting in private provision. • To provide on-going assistance where required to service users in the management of their rehabilitation and complex support needs. Major Duties and Responsibilities: • To use strengths-based approaches to assess, monitor and review the social care needs of service users and informal carers and find appropriate solutions and make appropriate referrals to external agencies within a preventative, enabling and rehabilitation framework and universal services in accordance with the Care Act eligibility criteria. • To hold an individual caseload of varying degrees of complexity excluding casework that requires the expertise of a qualified professional. • Take responsibility for managing casework with the supervision of a qualified senior practitioner within an outcome focussed approach and within the teams expected performance targets and outcomes, whilst promoting independence and assessing and managing risk. • To conduct Assistive Technology assessments and organise provision of suitable equipment. • To conduct risk assessments and undertake initial enquiries in response to vulnerable adults safeguarding concerns with support from senior staff, including responding to Merlin Reports. • To undertake Continuing Health Care Checklists contributing as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Support Team to the decision support tool. • Within the remit of caseload and with support as required, assess Mental Capacity and undertake the role of Best Interest decision maker when required in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act and have awareness of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. • To implement and co-ordinate individual support plans and/or reablement programmes in conjunction with the client, informal carers, health and social care colleagues, providing support, advice and monitoring as appropriate. • To refer service users and/or informal carers where required to other health and social care professionals, whilst remaining the main case co-ordinator. • To develop and maintain extensive knowledge of services and resources available within the local community, identifying and utilizing existing information, in order to inform and empower service users and/or informal carers to find individualised solutions to meet assessed needs, or signpost when needs fall below the Care Act criteria. • To provide information and support about welfare benefits, to support clients to benefit appointments and refer to other financial support services. • To promote self-directed support and ensure that service users and informal carers are aware of how a personal budget can be used to meet their assessed needs. • To develop, in partnership with service users and brokerage team, support plans tailored to meet individual needs and requirements. • To contribute to service development by providing information and ideas to team managers. • To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and in collaboration with Health colleagues and external partners to ensure the best outcome for the service users and informal carers. Job Activities: • To maintain accurate and relevant records, including needs assessments, mental capacity assessments, best interest decisions and support plans, inputting relevant information onto computer systems in accordance with Bexley Care Policy and procedures. • To contribute to the review and development of structures, procedures and working methods for which the post holder is responsible to ensure an integrated, effective and efficient approach to the delivery of services. • To contribute to case conferences and service user reviews when required. • To identify and alert safeguarding concerns to the appropriate manager in a timely manner. Whilst ensuring the person is made safe. • To discuss any matters outside remit of role with supervisor/manager and seek advice, support and training where appropriate. • To contribute to working practices and processes that maximise the use of new technology to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services. • To take responsibility for own personal development, by undertaking appropriate activities to ensure knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date, including attending in-service education programmes, and developing reflective practice through supervision and attendance at internal and external service development meetings. • To present timely and relevant information including sensitive issues to the line manager. • To establish and develop effective working relationships and productive partnerships with all the relevant partners, including those in education, health, social services, independent and voluntary sectors. • Carrying out lone working which can sometimes involve visiting clients in unpleasant conditions. • Work as part of the team to enter and process new referrals, this includes decision making, risk assessment and prioritisation. • Complete urgent home visits for welfare checks, urgent equipment and first response for safeguarding as required in line with team responsibilities. Bexley06 The post holder will undertake work which requires a good standard of practical knowledge and skills acquired through recent paid or voluntary experience of working with people with social care needs (e.g. learning disability, physical disability, mental health, older persons and end of life/palliative care). The allocated caseload will include service users with less complex needs than those allocated to higher level workers. Although some service user needs will not be known until a visit/contact is made if this does occur then a greater level of support and oversight will be provided or the case may be referred to a more senior worker or qualified worker. The worker will generally receive a higher level of support from senior staff on how to deal with the service user – in addition guidelines and statutory frameworks are available.

The post holder will be able to use a greater level of creativity with less reference to more senior staff Career grade progression The proposed process for moving within the career grade scheme is as follows: • There must be a work available at the higher grade; • The officer must meet the relevant qualification requirement(s); and experience • The process would consist of the manager completing a written assessment setting out how the officer meets the requirements of the advanced level as set out in the Person Specification. A decision whether an officer will move through the career grade will be based on: • Confirmation that the officer has reached the requisite level of qualification and experience; • An assessment to demonstrate competence against the requirements of the Job Description and the relevant Person Specification; and, Assessment on the criteria for progression shall usually be undertaken by Team Manager which may include an interview process and testing. The Team Manager will make a recommendation to the Head of Service who will make the final decision in all cases. Any appeals will be dealt with by the Deputy Director/Service Director. Person Specification Management Grouping: Adult Social Care & Health Job title: Social Care Assistant Selection Criteria Essential/ Desirable (E/D) Method of Assessment (see key)* (a) Education and Formal Training Bexley06 NVQ Level II In Health/ Social Care Bexley07 Working towards an NVQ Level II In Health/Social Care D E A/I A/I (b) Relevant Technical Experience and Knowledge Bexley06 Recent paid or voluntary experience of working with people with social care needs (e.g. learning disability, physical disability, mental health, older persons and end of life/palliative care). Experience of working in a multi-agency environment An understanding of the needs of older people and or people with disabilities Ability to teach practical skills Ability to work in a community setting, respecting the privacy of people’s homes. Awareness of safeguarding interventions, able to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and to respond effectively. Understanding of the aims and principles of self-directed support. Understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and Equal Opportunities legislation Understanding of types of communication and possess the skills to address communication barriers. Awareness of the welfare and benefits system. Awareness of data protection and confidentiality issues. Ability to travel across a wide geographical area in a timely and flexible manner at various times of the day in accordance with the needs of the job. E E E E E E D E E D E E A/I A/I/T A/I A/I A/I A/I A/I A/I A/I/T A A/I A Bexley07 Significant relevant recent experience of working with people with social care needs (e.g. learning disability, physical disability, mental health, older persons and end of life/palliative care). Experience of working in a multi-agency environment to deliver services to people with social care needs. An understanding of the needs of older people and/or people with disabilities and Experience of teaching practical skills to individuals with these needs. Experience of working with people with social care needs in a community setting, respecting the privacy of people’s homes. Experience of dealing with people with social care needs where safeguarding interventions have been needed. Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and evidence of responding effectively. Understanding of the aims and principles of self-directed support and experience of advising people with social care needs and/or their informal carers in respect of self-directed support. Understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and Equal Opportunities legislation and experience of applying this knowledge in the workplace. Evidence of working effectively with people with social care needs and/or their informal carers where there are communication barriers. Detailed knowledge of the welfare and benefits system and evidence of signposting individuals to these services. Awareness of data protection and confidentiality together with experience of applying these principles operationally Ability to travel across a wide geographical area in a timely and flexible manner at various times of the day in accordance with the needs of the job. English Language Requirements • Ability to speak with confidence and accuracy, using accurate sentence structures and vocabulary. • Ability to write accurately and appropriately and competent in the use of spelling and grammar • Ability to choose the right vocabulary for the situation at hand without a great deal of hesitation. • Ability to listen to service users and understand their needs. • Ability to individually tailor conversation to the service user and others, responding clearly even in complex situations E E E E E E E E E E E E All E A/I A/I/T A/I A/I A/I A/I A/I/T A/I A/I/T A/I A/I A/I I *Selection Method key: I = Interview A = Application Form AT = Ability Test PQ = Personality Questionnaire P = Presentation PE = Practical Exercise High Performance Indicators: Post Title: Social Care Assistant Job Family: Customer Facing Grade: Bexley 06 Values Behaviours for staff Innovation I respond flexibly and adapt to changing demands I am prepared to take managed risks to achieve better outcomes I ask ‘What if…? to develop fresh thinking and innovative approaches to generate and implement solutions to improve performance and challenge the status quo Leadership I demonstrate a clear sense of purpose and direction, in line with organisational objectives I am willing to take difficult decisions My personal actions promote a positive image of Bexley Collaboration I show respect for others and value contributions from internal and external partners and customers I recognise the right solution, regardless of who initiated it I seek out and work with partners who can help me achieve the outcomes and objectives I need to deliver Listening and Responding I acknowledge other people’s viewpoints and work with them to find a win-win solution I prepare and present information anticipating questions and problems I adapt my style to the audience and their needs, using the most appropriate communication channels Open and Accessible I see issues from the customer / user perspective I monitor customer feedback and level of satisfaction with the service they receive, and use this to improve and pre-empt customer needs I seek to build and maintain positive relationships with customers and partners Impact I prioritise my activities and resources to focus on those which have the most impact for residents I take responsibility for making things happen and achieving my objectives I make decisions and clear recommendations based on my professional opinion, experience, and informed by a range of information and evidence