Reviewing Officer for Children with Complex Needs

Trafford Council; Sale; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in England is seeking a Reviewing Officer to support children with complex needs. The role involves screening inquiries, conducting assessments, and collaborating with service providers. Candidates should have experience with disabled children or a strong interest in this area of work. The council emphasizes a manageable workload and offers opportunities for professional development and career progression. Join a supportive environment where you can make a real difference in children's lives.

Benefits

Flexible workplace

Development opportunities

Living Wage Employer

Qualifications

• Experience working with disabled children or strong interest in this area.
• Understanding of social work practices and duties.
• Ability to collaborate with social workers and support staff.

Responsibilities

• Screening of Short Break Enquiries and working with services.
• Supporting children and families with complex needs.
• Participating in assessments and reviews of care packages.

Skills

Experience working with disabled children

Interest in working with children with additional needs

Job description

Overview

We want to have practitioners and managers who are confident and brave in their practice and are supported by strong leaders at all levels. As a relatively small local authority, we pride ourselves on our friendly teams, manageable caseloads, creative approach and colleagues who support each other. We were pleased to see this recognised in the Ofsted report that followed our ILACS inspection in late 2022, which highlighted that social workers in Trafford are overwhelmingly positive about both the local authority and the support they receive.

In Trafford our approach is strengths‑based, using relational and restorative practice. Our recent Ofsted report referred to our "relational model of social work practice, which is well regarded by the wider workforce, has been successfully implemented."

We believe that a culture and environment in which our managers and social workers can thrive is an essential element of improving outcomes for children and families. Our 2023 Ofsted report recognised this, noting a cultural shift that has been underpinned by a strong training offer to support social workers to develop the skills they need to provide a better service to children.

Complex Needs Team

The Children with Complex Needs Service has been through a significant journey over the last two years or so and this is an excellent time to be joining the service. The recent Ofsted Focused Visit highlighted the quality of assessments being completed and that disabled children are well supported and have their needs met and Reviewing Officers have been instrumental in this.

The Children with Complex Needs Service has also been trialling different delivery models and is well placed ahead of the Social Work Reforms and the role of the Reviewing Officer has expanded to take on a combination of Short Breaks Assessments, Reviews of existing care packages and a range of other Team around the Child work including case holding of families needing this level of support but where a social worker may not be needed.

The role will also involve the screening of Short Break Enquiries and working closely with Commissioned Short Breaks Services.

There are 5 Reviewing Officers, each managed by one of our very experienced Practice Managers, and who work closely with social workers in the service and have the support of an Advanced Practitioner as well.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone with experience working with disabled children or children with additional needs or else with a very keen interest in this area of work and will consider those with relevant experience.

Our Commitment to You

Induction

We have recently updated our induction programme for new colleagues joining us at all levels. During your first two weeks you will have protected time to get to know your team, our systems and other parts of the service.

Workload

We are absolutely committed to ensuring that your workload is manageable. We believe that manageable workloads are critical, and managers will support you and confirm priorities through discussion and supervision. We have performance management reporting of workloads and therefore at all levels we are responsible for monitoring workloads across the service.

There will be times where there is a level of flexibility required to meet the needs of the service or for individual children you work with, particularly in times of crisis. We will ensure that you are able to take additional hours back quickly to give you balance between your work and home life.

Supervision

One of our practice‑led improvements has been to refresh our supervision framework, which has been a really exciting piece of work. We commit to offering monthly formal supervision that is both reflective and supportive and provides you with clear advice, guidance and direction. We also offer peer supervision as part of our refreshed framework, with practitioners involved in deciding the topics of discussion.

Opportunities for Progression

A number of Trafford colleagues have been supported through the apprenticeship scheme to progress with recognised qualifications including coaching and social work.

It is always wonderful to see colleagues progress within the service and we are keen to support all colleagues to reach their full career potential here at Trafford.

A note from Pamela Wharton, Director of Early Help and Social Care.

Thank you for showing your interest in a role here in Trafford. I hope that you find the information we have provided helpful and that you feel that Trafford is somewhere you want to come and work.

Trafford is a great place to work and we are striving to make it even better. We believe the service structure we now have in place is working well and is enabling children and families to get the right help at the right time. You will find more information directly from colleagues about working at Trafford on our website. We hope you will like what you see and hear - and will be inspired to join us.

I look forward to receiving your application. I firmly believe together we can truly make a difference., Trafford Council and its partners in the public, private and third sectors have a Vision which sees us working together to close inequality gaps and maximise Trafford s huge potential.

Our vision: Trafford where all our residents, businesses and communities thrive.

Trafford is a lively, prosperous place to put down roots and build a career. The council and Trafford schools employ around 8,000 people, who are central to making the area great. In return for their commitment, the council offers its employees development opportunities, as well as a fair and flexible workplace. The council is a Living Wage Employer.