Nhsct Senior Social Worker (Band 7)

Northern Health And Social Care Trust; Antrim; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland is seeking a Senior Social Worker (Band 7) for the Children and Young People’s Services to lead a team and deliver high quality social work with children and families.

The role emphasizes direct practice, safeguarding, court work and collaboration with partner agencies, with flexible working options and a commitment to continuous professional development.

Qualifications

• Professional Social Work qualification recognised by the NISCC.
• Three years post-qualifying experience in Children’s Services by the closing date.

Responsibilities

• Direct practice with children and families.
• Engage in direct work with children and families.
• Undertake assessments and case planning for statutory responsibilities.
• Participate in Child Protection and Looked After Children processes.
• Attend court and present evidence in legal proceedings.
• Engage in interagency and multidisciplinary practice.
• Provide supervision and guidance to team members.
• Contribute to research and development to improve practice.

Skills

Effective communication

Teamwork

Written & oral comms

Education

Professional Social Work qualification (NISCC)

Job description

Advertised role location: Dublin Road Site Offices

Official document: Job Description / Personnel Specification (docx)

Senior Social Worker Band 7

Children and Young People’s Services

Job Description

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) is responsible for the delivery of safe and effective health and social care (HSC) services to the population of the Northern Trust area in Northern Ireland.

We provide compassionate care with our community in our community. In order to do this we require the commitment of a highly skilled and professional workforce that meets the need of the service.

The diagram below outlines our values and our objectives which support the delivery of compassionate care within our community.

HSC Value

What does this mean?

What does this look like in practice? - Behaviours

Working Together

We work together for the best outcome for people we care for and support. We work across Health and Social Care and with other external organisations and agencies, recognising that leadership is the responsibility of all.

I work with others and value everyone’s contribution

I treat people with respect and dignity

I work as part of a team looking for opportunities to support and help people in both my own and other teams

I actively engage people on issues that affect them

I look for feedback and examples of good practice, aiming to improve where possible

Compassion

We are sensitive, caring, respectful and understanding towards those we care for and support and our colleagues. We listen carefully to others to better understand and take action to help them and ourselves.

I am sensitive to the different needs and feelings of others and treat people with kindness

I learn from others by listening carefully to them

I look after my own health and well-being so that I can care for and support others

Excellence

We commit to being the best we can be in our work, aiming to improve and develop services to achieve positive changes. We deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate care and support.

I put the people I care for and support at the centre of all I do to make a difference

I take responsibility for my decisions and actions

I commit to best practice and sharing learning, while continually learning and developing

I try to improve by asking ‘could we do this better?’

Openness & Honesty

We are open and honest with each other and act with integrity and candour.

I am open and honest in order to develop trusting relationships

I ask someone for help when needed

I speak up if I have concerns

I challenge inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour and practice

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Senior Social Worker – Temp

BAND: 7

DIRECTORATE/DIVISION: Children and Young People’s Services

INITIAL LOCATION: Family Support Early Intervention Team, Antrim

REPORTS TO: Social Work Service Manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Director of Children and Young People’s Services

FLEXIBLE WORKING PROVISIONS AVAILABLE:

Full-time working, Fixed working patterns and Part-time working.
(Compressed/elongated hours, working, or Homeworking will be considered upon application and subject to service need).

JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Social Worker (Team Leader) will be primarily responsible for the direct delivery of quality social work services to children and families. He/she will lead a team which may include Senior Practitioners, Social Workers, Social Care and administrative staff. The Team Leader will be responsible for the management, support and professional supervision of the team. He/she will also be responsible for team development, quality assurance and provision of high quality management information.

KEY RESULT AREAS / MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct practice with Children and families
• Engage in direct work with children and families.
• Undertake assessment and case planning and to discharge a range of statutory responsibilities in respect of children in need.
• Participate in Child Protection and Looked After Children processes.
• Attend court and present evidence in legal proceedings.
• Participate in effective interagency and multi-disciplinary practice.
• Facilitation, consultation& practice development
• Provide support and advice to others commensurate with own level of experience.
• Access and participate in, as appropriate, research and other developmental activity relevant to improving standards of practice.
• Participate in the development of evidence-based practice within the Child Care Programme.
• Promote high standards of social work practice.

Governance & reporting responsibility

• Liaise with relevant statutory, voluntary and independent sector organisations.
• Maintain clear records of work undertaken including assessment and review reports.
• Participate in professional supervision process with Team Leader.
• Provide data for use in service development and monitoring performance and outcomes.

Continuous professional development

• Maintain and develop knowledge and practice skills through supervision and training, linked to continuing registration requirements.
• Engage with service users and carers to promote participation.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure the appropriate governance and risk management arrangements are in place for the services you are responsible for and take appropriate action to identify and manage risk and to maintain safety of users, staff and others in accordance with relevant regulations, policies and procedures;
• It is essential to ensure that the highest standards of infection prevention and control are maintained to ensure patient and client safety and maintain confidence in the Trust. As a Manager, you must ensure that you implement all instructions/ policy in this area and that all staff are made aware of and fully comply with these;
• Where the post-holder has responsibility for managing a budget, ensure that services are managed and developed both in accordance with agreed and funded priorities as set out on a yearly basis and in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions, particularly ensuring your compliance with payroll documentation procedures and timescales;
• Ensure the necessary arrangements are in place in regard to the ‘Knowledge and Skills Framework’ outlines, where this applies, for the posts for which you have management responsibility and ensure that each member of staff has an annual development and performance review, a personal development plan and that arrangements are in place to ensure that staff have maximum opportunity to progress through gateways in their pay bands and to contribute effectively towards our objectives;
• Promote a culture of continuous service improvement amongst your staff, encouraging their participation and that of service users in reviewing and modernising current services and in service development;
• Make sure you are trained and competent in the relevant policies and procedures which apply to the management of staff and other resources and abide by these policies; seeking advice as necessary from senior management or specialist staff as necessary;
• Communicate effectively with staff and maintain productive working relationships amongst your staff and with others;
• Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff in order to ensure optimum and effective service delivery and decision‑making, whilst retaining overall accountability and responsibility for outcomes;
• Promote a culture of learning and development and facilitate arrangements for and participate in training and development of staff as agreed for the performance of their duties. Where training is in accordance with relevant standards make sure you have the relevant competences in order to carry out this responsibility;
• Promote equality of opportunity for all by personal action, both in the management of your staff and in the provision of care to service users in accordance with the Trust’s Equality of Opportunity Policy and Equality Scheme;
• Take responsibility for ensuring appropriate standards of environmental cleanliness and for encouraging staff to maintain standards in their work area. Have an awareness of environmental issues and take appropriate action, for example to ensure the efficient use of energy and other resources, recycling etc.;
• Make sure that staff are aware of Trust policies regarding the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Records Management and that they must not disclose, withhold, retain or dispose of any information unless legally authorised.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Employees of the Trust will be required to promote and support the mission and vision of the service for which they are responsible and:-
• At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner
• At all times demonstrate practice the HSC values of Working Together, Excellence, Openness & Honesty and Compassion
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner which assures patient and client safety
• Comply with all instructions in regard to Infection Prevention and Control
• Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them
• Comply with the Trust’s Smoke Free Policy
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with health and safety policy and statutory regulations
• Adhere to equal opportunities policy throughout the course of their employment
• Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for HSC Employees which aims to guide staff, managers and employers in the work that they do and the decisions and choices they have to make. Professional staff are expected to follow the code of conduct for their own professions as well as this code.
• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT

All employees of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including (for example) the ICT Security Policy, Data Quality and Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

SALARY

£47,810 - £54,710 per annum (pro‑ratio for part‑time)

HOURS

Normal full‑time hours of duty are 37½ hours per week, exclusive of meal times

MEDICAL

Appointment will be subject to a successful pre‑employment health assessment.

HOLIDAYS

27 days each year; 29 days after 5 years’ service; 33 days after 10 years’ service and 10 statutory and public holidays.

PENSION

The post‑holder can participate in the Health Social Care Pension Scheme.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

You will serve a probationary period of normally six months.

WAITING LIST

A Trust‑wide will be created to cover any permanent / temporary / full time/ part time vacancies arising in the next 12 months within the Northern Trust – Children and Young People’s Division.

PAY PROTECTION

Legacy Trust Staff who apply for a promotion after 1 April 2011 should be aware that they will lose their legacy protection arrangements and will be entitled to pay protection in accordance with circular HSS (JNF)(1) 2011. This circular will also apply to legacy staff who are currently in receipt of protection and who move post on promotion.

March 2026

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

Title of Post: Senior Social Worker

Band of Post: 7

Notes to applicants:

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

Volunteering experience may be considered appropriate in particular for roles within the context of direct patient/client care.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

• Factor
• Criteria
• Method of Assessment
• Experience
• Qualifications/ Registration
• Professional Social Work qualification recognised by the NISCC.
• By date of appointment be listed or eligible to be listed on the NISCC Register of Social Workers.
• 3 years post‑qualifying experience in Children’s Services by the closing date of application

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other

Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post

SECTION 2

The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

• Skills / Abilities
• Ability to work in a computer literate environment.
• Effective communication skills.
• Ability to demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills.

Ability to work in partnership with other voluntary and statutory agencies to assist families and children identified as being in need.

Ability to work in a team setting.

Ability to manage a diverse caseload on a day to day basis.

Ability to communicate effectively with children.

Knowledge

• Having commenced or giving a commitment to participate in post qualifying training linked to the NI PQ Framework.
• Knowledge of Child Protection work.
• Knowledge of Children’s Order & Legislation relating to Looked After Children and Court Work.
• Knowledge of and experience in assessment and therapeutic practices.
• Knowledge of general principals underpinning Children NI Order 1995.
• Knowledge and experience in the construction of Care Plans to meet a specific child’s identified need.

Interview / Test

Value Based Recruitment

Value Based Recruitment is a process adopted by the Northern Trust to attract and select employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with those of the Trust.

It focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ people do what they do.

Candidates who are short‑listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required knowledge, skills, competencies and values to be effective in this new role.

In answering the value based questions you have the opportunity to share examples of when you have demonstrated values relevant to the Northern Trust.

Criminal Offences, Investigations and Charges

Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with the Trust. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences or other information contained on a disclosure certificate. Where it is necessary to obtain an Access NI disclosure the Trust operates in line with the Access NI Code of Practice (www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/accessni-code-practice).

If you require further information or a copy of the policy on the recruitment of ex‑offenders or the policy on the Secure Handling, Use, Storage and Retention of Disclosure Information, please contact the Trust Human Resources Department.

Essential Leadership Capabilities

The successful candidate will need to provide evidence and demonstrate their Leadership capabilities against the required dimension on the NHS Leadership framework.

A shortlist of candidates for interview will be prepared on the basis of the information contained in the application form. It is therefore essential that all applicants demonstrate through their application how and to what extent they satisfy each criterion specified. An assessment centre may also be used as part of the short‑listing process.

Candidates who are short‑listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required competencies to be effective in this demanding leadership role. The dimensions concerned are given in the Healthcare Leadership Model details of which can be found at http://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/resources/healthcare-leadership-model.

Particular attention will be given to the following:

• Inspiring shared purpose
• Leading with care
• Evaluating information
• Connecting our service
• Sharing the vision
• Engaging the team
• Holding to account
• Developing capability
• Influencing for results

THE NHSCT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants:

• may be required to attend for a Health Assessment
• can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.
• have the right to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full‑time working, Fixed working patterns, Part‑time working, Flexi‑time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term‑time working, Job‑share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance

March 2026