Are you passionate about helping those in need? Do you have experience in caring for disabled individuals? If so, Reading Borough Council is offering a rewarding Support Worker role just for you.
About the Company
As a dynamic provider of services to the residents of Reading, Reading Borough Council is at the heart of one of the fastest-growing towns in the UK. With excellent transport links to Heathrow, central London, and beyond, Reading’s forward momentum is truly remarkable.
The town boasts a thriving retail center and the newly developed Abbey business quarter, which showcases a hidden heritage gem right in the middle of Reading. We’re committed to enhancing our cultural infrastructure, reflecting our status as a town on the rise. With the 7th highest employment rate in the UK, Reading’s workforce is also the 6th most well-educated, and the average weekly salary here is 18% above the national average.
Reading’s growth is evident not only in our economy but also in our housing market, with extensive new housing developments and a flourishing university attracting inward investment. We’re proud that the Council, through our Team Reading approach, is driving much of this transformation.
Our commitment to low-carbon, sustainable growth ensures that our progress benefits local people first and foremost. Join us in this exciting journey and make a difference as a Support Worker with Reading Borough Council.
Position: Support Worker
Salary: £33,024 to £43,418 a year
Job Type: Full Time
Location: Reading, UK
About the Role
Are you a qualified Social Worker looking to make a difference? Join the Physical Disability and Older People (PDOP) Social Care team at Reading Borough Council (RBC). No matter where you are in your career, we’re dedicated to providing the support and development you need. We believe diversity and inclusion are key to our success, and we seek talent from the widest pool of candidates. As a Disability Confident Employer, RBC is committed to the recruitment and ongoing employment of people with disabilities.
The PDOP team is an integral part of Reading Borough Council’s Adult Social Care (ASC) services. As part of the Living Well Service, we collaborate closely with other ASC teams, including the Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism (LDA) team. All services under the Living Well Service are overseen by a Head of Service.
Our multi-disciplinary team includes Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, and Social Care Coordinators. We provide comprehensive assessment and support planning for individuals aged 18 and over with long-term physical disabilities, as well as those over 65. Our focus is on supporting people who need unplanned reviews of their existing care, have been identified by the Advice and Wellbeing Hub as requiring ongoing care, or are involved in S.42 safeguarding enquiries and BIA assessments. We also handle various legal responsibilities in partnership with the Joint Legal Team.
We operate within the legal framework for adults, including the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) 2008. When appropriate, we also work under the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007). Our approach is strengths-based, aiming to promote wellbeing, rights, and independence, prevent the need for care, and deliver timely interventions with positive outcomes.
As a Social Worker in the PDOP team, you will be part of a high-performing, efficient, and multidisciplinary team that embodies the TEAM Reading values. We support and value our staff, recognizing the skills and diversity they bring.
We are seeking individuals with excellent communication skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with colleagues, service users, and healthcare providers. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact in the community and eager to develop your skills, we’d love to hear from you.
Main Duties
- Undertake assessments to establish cost effective, relevant, proportionate and appropriate options to meet individuals desired outcomes. Ensure a consistent high quality targeted service that supports a strength-based approach and their long-term independence and choice.
- Support, promote and apply a strengths-based approach by enabling individuals to identify their assets and networks, utilising connections with relevant voluntary organisations.  Conduct timely, regular and frequent reviews of people’s care and support plans, to ensure that the individual has the maximum opportunity to reach their potential and desired outcomes.
- Know and comply with all legal frameworks relevant to their work and in respect of their obligations to protect and promote people’s rights.
- Establish whether safeguarding contacts and referrals meet the statutory criteria for enquiry. Undertake section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries ensuring that safeguarding adults at risk is a fundamental element of this job, and that Making Safeguarding Personal principles are embedded in practice, decisions and support.Â
- Take responsibility for promoting, monitoring and safeguarding the welfare of people who come into contact with the service. Ensure full compliance with the safeguarding standards in relation to timescales, concerns, enquiries, planning, recording and audits
- Take action to ensure that potential deprivation of liberty is identified, assessed and, where required, authorised according to current legislation.Â
- Maintain effective working relationships with partners who operate both within and outside of the council, including health, Brighter Futures for Children, (BFfC) other care providers and colleagues to achieve an integrated approach to assessment, planning and review.
- Provide consultation and advice to support to apprentices/social care coordinators undertaking assessments and interventions, encouraging the development of highquality standards and practice within a culture of continuous service improvement, value for money and safer practice. Provide professional supervision to apprentices and social care coordinators when commensurate with experience and agreed with the Team Manager.
- Ensure service users have access to direct payments, personal assistants, technology enabled care and reablement to support the principles of wellbeing and prevention an promoting people’s choice and independence.
Qualifications
- Professional Social Work qualification.
- Current registration with the professional governing body e.g., Social Work England.
- Qualification as a Best Interests Assessor or equivalent attained or study for this qualification following 2 years of post-qualifying experience.Â
- Good working knowledge of Information Governance and Data Protection and the role of the Caldicott Guardian.Â
Experience
- Experience of assessing needs and implementing care and support plans.
- Experience of working with professionals from other agencies around cases, complexity would depend on experience and grade.
- Experience of managing own workload.
Skills, Abilities & Competencies
- Demonstrate the ability to work in a diverse community to promote equality of opportunity and access to care and support.
- Demonstrate the ability to independently interpret and analyse varied and complex information or situations and to produce solutions.
- Demonstrate the ability to undertake assessment of complex needs and develop, monitor and review care and support plans in collaboration with people, their carer and other agencies and work to define timescales.
- Demonstrate the ability to use coaching skills and enabling approaches whenever possible to support people to maintain or regain independence and to encourage service users and carers to use universal services to meet ineligible and/or unmet needs.
- Demonstrate the ability to organise own workload and to determine priorities and to raise concerns with managers as appropriate.Â
- Demonstrate the ability to use own initiative to respond independently to difficult problems and unexpected situations and seek advice when necessary.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate fluently, verbally and in writing, with a wide range of people.
- Demonstrate the ability to write complex reports, working under pressure, meeting deadlines and dealing with interruptions.
Benefits
- Generous holiday allowance
- Pay and pensions
- Housing rental deposit scheme
- Salary sacrifice schemes
Additional information on Sponsorship for Applicants
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For overseas health professionals and Sponsorship details, please visit the NHS careers website.
Required Documents
- CV/Resume
- Cover Letter
Application Process
Interested and qualified candidates should kindly CLICK HERE to learn more and apply
Application Deadline
September 29, 2024