Social Care Navigator

Barking & Dagenham Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Barking & Dagenham Council is seeking a Social Care Navigator to support adults within the Integrated Care framework. The role focuses on initial assessments, care planning, and coordinating with health professionals and local partners to facilitate timely and effective support.

The post requires engagement with carers and families, adherence to safeguarding, record-keeping, and ongoing professional development. Weekend work may be required as part of the duties.

Qualifications

• Experience in social care or health environment.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to liaise with professionals, agencies and organisations.

Responsibilities

• Complete initial social care assessments and reviews in the community and care homes.
• Identify eligibility for services under Care Act 2014 requirements.
• Draw up and implement support plans within resources, flagging concerns and unmet needs.
• Engage with carers and complete carers' assessments and reviews.
• Maintain high standards of record keeping on electronic systems and ensure timely, accurate data.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship building

IT skills (Word/Excel)

Education

Willingness to undertake CPD

Tools

ICT systems

Job description

To enable individuals, access appropriate and timely support - including that of universal services, early help and intervention, improving their capacity for self-care and their experience of the support they receive. To facilitate discharge of clients in time and in a seamless manner by liaising with our health professionals and local organisations. To undertake routine assessments and other related tasks in order to enable social worker to undertake the more complex assessments To offer initial advice and support to service users, helping them to navigate through the local care and support services. To assist service users in identifying and utilising available resources including benefits and other informal support. Specific Accountabilities of the Role

• To complete initial social care assessments and reviews, both in the community and care homes and ensure those accessing the service, including families and cares, are at the centre of decision making over their support arrangements.
• Identify eligibility for a service in line with Care Act 2014 requirements Assist service users, their relatives to complete financial assessments Draw up, implement support plans within available resources, highlighting any areas of concern and unmet needs in a timely manner Provide appropriate information, advocacy and advice in order to support service users and carers to make informed decisions about their care and support. Working with colleagues in Commissioning, maintain a thorough understanding of available local provision and make appropriate recommendations and action referrals to other specialist teams and providers. Initiate and develop close working relationship with health-related agencies, the third sector, local housing providers Embed early intervention, to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support for all local people. Engage with carers to carry out carers' assessments and reviews Identify and raise safeguarding concerns following local safeguarding procedures.
• Maintain high standards of record keeping on the Council's electronic systems, ensuring that all information is timely, accurate and complete to ensure the service meets all statutory recording requirements Participate in local supervision and performance management processes including team meetings and commitment to service improvement and development. Take responsibility for continuing self-development, undertaking required training, taking a lead in being a champion and actively participate in existing and new aspects of service provision. Work to agreed targets and standards and take responsibility for monitoring and achieving own targets. Participate in project work as directed by management. Liaise with partner agencies and other professionals, carers and families as required to enable service users to access appropriate community services and resources. Contribute to multidisciplinary assessments such as the Continuing Healthcare assessments.
• Must be able to work weekends when required
• Special requirements for this post This post carries a requirement to have a standard DBS check for both children and adults.

General Accountabilities and Responsibilities Ensure compliance with appropriate legislation, Council Policies, the Council Constitution, Financial Rules and other requirements of the Council. Promote the development of a high-quality individual need led service, to comply at all times with the Council's policies and procedures, particularly those regarding Data Protection, Equalities and Diversity and Health and Safety. Undertake a proactive, committed approach towards the Councils Best Value ethos. Ensure compliance with and actively promote the Council's Equalities and Diversity policies and strategies. Ensure compliance with and actively promote Health and Safety at work legislation, Council and Departmental H&S policies and procedures. Comply with the competencies and standard requisites agreed by the Council as relevant to your post. Comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (all employees of the Council will not disclose or make use of, for their private advantage, any information held on manual or computer records, which are not available to the public, however acquired). The above-mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the postholder may be called upon to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required.

Social Care Navigator Grade SO1 Section, Division Adults Care and Support (Integrated Care) Date of Person Specification.

Job Requirements Criteria (E or D) Method of Assessment Job Requirements Criteria (E or D) Method of Assessment

• Education, Training and Qualifications: (E/I) A willingness to undertake continuous professional development or training as required - Application form & Interview
• Communication, Contacts and Relationships: (E/I) Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, partner agencies, service users and carers (E/I) Effective communication skills, both verbal and written. Ability to be concise and clear when explaining issues that may be complex and contentious - Application form & Interview
• Knowledge, Skills and Experience (E/I): Experience of working in a social care or health environment Experience of identifying and raising safeguarding concerns Experience of liaising with other professionals, agencies and organisations Experience of using information technology, including word and excel and any other business-related databases at an operational level. Basic understanding of the role/remit of the service in providing resources to promote independence and the process of self-directed support/ personalisation. Knowledge of eligibility criteria relating to the Care Act 2014. Good working knowledge of ASC policies and procedures. - Application form & Interview
• Equalities and Diversity (E/I): Experience of promoting fair access to services and to ensure that high quality of services which are relevant to the diverse communities within the borough Understanding and commitment to the

Barking & Dagenham is changing. It Starts Here. Think you know Barking and Dagenham? Think again. While this small corner of east London might have a reputation for needing development, scratch beneath the surface and you'll find active communities and a place that consistently punches above its weight. The borough is changing - and changing for the better. And It Starts Here. Yes, the borough has its challenges. But it's on the cusp of something exciting. With one of the youngest populations in the country, ambitions are high and rightly so. 98% of our schools are rated Good or Outstanding and every year more of our talented teenagers get into Russell Group Universities and hotly sought after apprenticeship schemes. We have award winning parks, centuries old manor houses full of relics and artifacts you can go and see, and the ruins of one of Anglo-Saxon England's most powerful and wealthiest religious sites. We're even bringing beavers and white storks to the borough to help rewild the local landscape and boost biodiversity. Over the past few years, we've been working hard to improve how we deliver services and support our community. From tackling inequality to making sure our services are the best they can be, we're focused on what matters most to local people. We're creating the conditions for people to thrive - so everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, feel proud to call this place home, and be part of something bigger. #ItStartsHere - with our streets, our schools, our neighbourhoods.

Our values, known as

• DRIVE, shape how we work: Deliver our best every day - and do what we promise
• Respond in a prompt, positive way to our community's needs
• Inspire others with our attitudes and actions
• Value people for who they are and what they can do
• Engage with others to improve our resilience and flexibility
• We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.