Reviewing Officer for Children with Complex Needs

inploi; Trafford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a Reviewing Officer for Children with Complex Needs to conduct assessments and reviews for disabled children. The role focuses on enhancing outcomes for children and families through supportive practices in a friendly team environment. Applicants should have experience or keen interest in this area. A fixed-term contract is offered with a salary band of £32,061 to £33,699, working full-time on-site in Trafford.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Professional development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience working with children or families needing support.
• Strong understanding of relational and restorative practice.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and reviews of care packages for disabled children.
• Coordinate with commissioned short breaks services.
• Support families needing assistance.

Skills

Experience working with disabled children

Interest in working with children with additional needs

Job description

Reviewing Officer for Children with Complex Needs

Salary: Band 5 - £32,061- £33,699

Contract: Fixed Term 9 months maternity cover (possibility of extension)

Working Pattern: Full time

Working Hours: 36.25 hours per week

Location: Sale Waterside

Here in Trafford Children’s Services our vision is that our teams are offering the right help at the right time, and that at all levels our interventions make life better for children and families. We are ambitious for our children and for our practitioners - and our core value is ‘would this be good enough for my child’?

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 Focussed 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.

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

We know that when you come to work in Trafford, we have a responsibility to provide you with the right tools and support to flourish in your new role.

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.”

Contact Details

If you would like any further information please get in touch with Rachael Scott [e-mail]

Additional Information

Please note the advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications so, please do not delay in submitting your application.

DBS Enhanced Adults & Childrens Barred List re-check required

About us

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.

About the benefits

You will be welcomed into a friendly environment where your personal and professional development will be encouraged. You will have the opportunity to work and grow in a people-centered and values-based organisation that promotes a positive permission culture. Your opinions matter so you will have the opportunity to shape how we do things here at Trafford.

To learn more about Trafford as a place to work visit and to view more about our awards and benefits please visit: Trafford - Benefits | www.inploi.com (greater.jobs)

If you are applying under the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme then you need to show that you meet the essential requirements of the job as set out in the ‘About You’ section of the role profile. You may be given the opportunity to demonstrate your skills, talent and abilities at an interview or other form of assessment.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment - greater.jobs | www.inploi.com

For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licensed sponsor and we won't be able to support with your work visa.

Privacy Notice - The Council needs to hold and process information about employees, workers and other individuals as appropriate, for various reasons. With the General Data Protection Regulations coming into force we have in place a new privacy notice for staff, contractors, volunteers, trainees, those on work experience and job applicants. To find out more, please click here: Recruitment & Employment Privacy Notice (trafford.gov.uk)

Supporting Documents

↗ Reviewing Officer for Children with Complex Needs Role Profile

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