Dudley Lodge Safeguarding Children Services Dudley Lodge Family Assessment Centre - 143 Warwick Road, Coventry, CV3 6AT Bonner House – 172 Sellywood Road, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 1TJ Job Title: Grade: Hours: Base: Apply: Job Description Senior Practitioner (Team/Case Manager) Scale Point 44 - 59 (£42,059 - £52,583 per annum) 37.5 hours per week Coventry We do not accept CVs, we only accept fully completed applications forms, gaps in employment are required to be identified in your application form due to being compliant with safer recruitment and Ofsted regulations. CV’s, incomplete application form and gaps that cannot be identified will not be accepted for shortlisting. Details on how to apply can be found at the bottom of the advert Is the post exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? Does the post require a DBS check? Yes Yes Our Commitment Statement Our expectation of all staff is to demonstrate kindness, empathy, and fairness to all. Dudley Lodge strive to provide an inclusive working environment and experience, where employees can bring their best, and authentic self to work. Where difference is recognised, respected, valued, and celebrated. Our approach to inclusion and diversity is rooted in listening, learning and acting. This includes conducting ongoing listening forums across the company, the implementation of Inclusion & Diversity talking/support groups, workshops and training, good quality supervision, surveys and collaborative working parties. All with the core aim to receive honest feedback, reflect and continuously strive to be the best that we can be. Purpose of Job To be part of the Senior Management Team which is responsible for undertaking comprehensive assessments with vulnerable children and their families in a residential setting, applying the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000) and adhering to Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023). Further, to supervise and oversee a team of Family Assessment Workers, providing on hand support and advise as well as supervisor oversight, review of performance and to provide a high quality and dependable standard of service which meet our organisations values and standards. 1 Background Dudley Lodge is a UK registered non-profit making organisation established in 1895, we are one of the leading Family Assessment Centres in England and Wales. The whole emphasis of our organisation is to safeguard children. We have been conducting quality Family Assessments for over 30 years and over two sites: Coventry and Birmingham. Our purpose is to provide the Courts and other relevant parties concerned with the safeguarding of children, a range of high quality, independent assessments, interventions and services regarding referred parents/carers’ abilities to keep children safe, and to assess their capacity and potential for promoting children’s continuing wellbeing. Effectiveness Areas 1. 2. 3. Senior Management Team Membership Family Assessment Staff Management Duties & Responsibilities Senior Management Team Membership: Main Responsibilities: • To assist and support the Centre Managers and Executive Team members in the management of the Centres and the staff, • To develop in conjunction with the Centre Managers and Executive Team, a safe, is based on the values and standards of structured, behaviour of Dudley Lodge as set out in the Dudley Lodge Way, learning environment which • To look for opportunities to improve existing practices. To establish and maintain appropriate liaisons with other professionals. • To represent Dudley Lodge at community/professional functions and to promote its services Family Assessment: Main Responsibilities: • To ensure that the child's immediate welfare is afforded paramount consideration, • To conduct assessments which fall within the ‘Working Together documents’ protocol, • In conjunction with the Centre Managers and members of the Executive Team, develop existing policies and procedures, service provision and resources, • To case manage up to three families (community based or residential) at any one time and provide cover for any absent Case Manager, To be responsible for undertaking comprehensive assessments taking a leading role in: - 2 ➢ Constructing an ‘initial’ baseline (2-4 weeks) assessment ➢ Undertaking comprehensive parenting/risk assessments inform other professionals and the court, long term recommendations in relation to the welfare and safety of a child that ➢ Devising, implementing, supervising and evaluating work programmes incorporating direct interventions which will inform your final recommendations ➢ Completion of reports and finalising the assessment process making decisive recommendations To work with parents/carers, social workers and relevant others on Pre-placement plans, work programmes and interventions which address identified needs. These would include: ➢ Teaching parenting skills and practices ➢ Assessing child and family interaction and parental ability ➢ Construction and testing of hypotheses regarding family functioning and needs ➢ Providing structured feedback to parents/carers ➢ To monitor and evaluate the effects of any such intervention on a child's emotional and physical wellbeing. With others, to represent the organisation at Court, providing written and verbal evidence as required. To understand and implement Birmingham, Coventry Child Protection and Adult Protection policies and procedures as appropriate In relation to residential placements – to manage the relevant arrangements for accommodation of families prior to admission to the Centre, including health and safety aspects, equipment, staffing and other resources as appropriate To meet deadlines for submission of written reports and prioritise workloads effectively within established timeframes. Staff Management: Main Responsibilities: • To manage a staff team (numbers to be agreed dependent upon experience), effectively and efficiently. This will include: - ➢ Responsibility for the quality and standards of service provision, ➢ Developing and managing a Performance Management process for the staff team, ➢ To provide ‘on-call’ advice, guidance and support for staff members, on a rota basis in conjunction with other Case Managers, ➢ To provide training/mentoring/supervision to develop and sustain standards of performance and service, 3 ➢ To work on own initiative and judgment whilst actively engaging as a team member with co-workers, Title of post to which this job normally reports: Service Manager Supervision Supervising Officer Job Title: Service Manager Number and type of staff to be supervised: Varies in relation to need and experience Special Conditions: Case Managers are contracted to work a 37.5 hours per week. Additionally, they are required to be on call, on a rota basis. The on-call rota is shared amongst the Senior Management Team; and will require being on call to the Centre during weeknights from 5pm to 7.30am in addition to weekend on-calls which may require the presence of a Team/Case Manager. Typically, a Team/Case Manager will be on-call every 4th weekend. All staff are expected to work in a flexible way to cope with the needs, demands and requirements of the Centre. This may mean working across the two Centres, Coventry, Birmingham. Dudley Lodge operates a non-smoking policy for staff. Observance of the Centre’s Equal Opportunities Policy will be required, and to work at all times in accordance with all the Centre’s policies and procedures. Failure by a member of staff to report actual or suspected physical or sexual abuse of a child by another member of a staff or other person having contact with the child may constitute a disciplinary offence. 4 Organisation Chart Board of Directors/Trustees Chief Executive Operations Manager Finance/HR Manager Quality Audit Manager Service Manager & Registered Manager Deputy Centre Managers Team/Case Managers Permanent & Bank Family Assessment Workers 5 Person Specification Job Title: Senior Practitioner/Case Manager ATTRIBUTES Relevant Experience Relevant Knowledge • • • • • • • ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Experience of conducting comprehensive family assessments Experience of working with children and families in the field of Safeguarding/Child Protection Experience of working with vulnerable families Presenting evidence for children & families within the court arena Knowledge of child development, parenting skills and risk assessment management Knowledge of the Child Protection Procedures and Working Together (2023) Knowledge and understanding of child care law, particularly the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004 and the Public Law Outline 2014 Knowledge of Every Child Matters • • Working knowledge of Framework for the Assessment Skills and Abilities • • • of Children in need and their families (DOH) Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation Excellent Report Writing skills Excellent/Good Court skills Excellent/Good Skills in relation to computer literacy • • Ability to form effective relationships • Exce llent/Good ability to communicate (written and ve rbal) cle arly and appropriately at all levels • Ability to de monstrate a good le ve l of applie d DESIRABLE CRITERIA Experience of managing staff Knowledge of the National Minimum Standards, Care Standards Act 2000, and The Residential Family Centres Regulation 2002 • Ability to manage, motivate and • lead staff effectively Skills and knowledge in staff supervision and appraisal systems • Ability to monitor work performance of staff lite racy and numeracy • Ability to maintain professional judgement and sustain performance when working under pressure • Ability to diffuse volatile situations • Able to plan and prioritise workload • Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and promote good team working • Ability to demonstrate flexibility and initiative • Ability to develop work practices of self/others • Ability to contribute to the development of the service • Ability to learn and develop new skills • Ability to undertake training and apply new methods of working Qualifications and Training • BA Hons Social Work Dip SW, CQSW, or CSS. • Child protection and Vulnerable Adults training • Registered to Social Work England • Over 2-years post qualification experience • NVQ4 in Management or equivalent 6 7