Job Introduction
We’re seeking a Social Work Assistant to work closely with vulnerable adults, their carers, family and the wider community.
You’ll be allocated a caseload of less complex cases than those held by qualified social workers, though you’ll have the opportunity to work with qualified colleagues on more complex cases and to offer them support.
You’ll attend and participate in team meetings, and liaise with colleagues from other teams, health professionals and other agencies to ensure comprehensive and appropriate services are available. There will be some lone working, visiting service users and their families in their homes, and you’ll be part of our duty rota.
You’ll ideally have an awareness of the issues regarding adult abuse. You’ll also have good keyboard skills to update electronic records.
In return, you’ll join a friendly and supportive team. If you would like an informal conversation or to drop in and meet us before applying, you are warmly welcome to do so. Please contact Jane Begley on 07702961903 to arrange this.
This is a site-based role.
Interviews will be held on 30 May.
Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk
Main Responsibility
- Key responsive front-line role with support from qualified staff as necessary.
- Either in short term crisis intervention or long/medium support to people as necessary whether living at home or in an alternative provision.
- Communicate with service users, families, friends, other professionals, and colleagues to ensure all are aware of decisions and agreed outcomes.
- Supporting service users and carers where necessary in meeting agreed outcomes in planned practical support e.g. helping with financial affairs, appointments etc particularly where the adult has no informal network often being the allocated worker for such service users.
- Advise qualified or senior staff where a reassessment or more complex advice or support may be required to avoid a crisis or breakdown in current situation. Make referrals using the safeguarding vulnerable adult’s procedure where appropriate.
- Be accountable for safety when visiting service users and carers within their homes by ensuring you have read the lone visiting policy and adhere to it and advise their line manager of any incidents or issues for concern that they have encountered.
- Ability to use the council’s email, social care data base and electronic recording system and any other systems deemed essential to the role.
- Be aware of need for confidentiality.
- Be aware of quality standards and performance measures and ensure they are adhered to.
- Attend supervisory meetings with team manager and/or qualified social worker allocated as your supervisor.
- Be responsible for personal development.
The Ideal Candidate
- Ability to prioritise own workload while being flexible to the needs of the service.
- Able to establish a professional and effective relationship with service users and their families.
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary manner and build relationships with other colleagues and professionals.
- Expected to problem solve while being aware that support is available from qualified colleagues.
For this role, the candidate is required to have a full UK driving licence, along with access to a vehicle. Evidence of the driving licence and vehicle insurance with business insurance will be required from the candidate should they be offered this position. Without this documentation the candidate will not be appointable.
Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
- Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
- Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
- Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
- Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Why join us? Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.
