Care Manager

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF INDEPENDENT LIVES

Adult Social Care in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where our passionate, caring and committed professionals do brilliant work every day.

Mrs D was frail and unwell. Her son was her main carer, but he wasn't coping. We stepped in to help, but they were hostile to outside agencies. They'd always lived together and were terrified they'd be split up. Our social worker did a great job persuading Mrs D to get hospital treatment and a temporary stay in a care home. In an epic effort throughout COVID, she gained the son's trust and sorted all the repairs, carers and nurses needed so that Mrs D could come home to live with her son. We also got Mr D regular respite and a personal budget awarded in recognition of him as her carer. After all, there's nothing more important than living the life you want.

As a Social Worker in the Hospital Discharge Service, you too can make a powerful contribution. Working within an acute setting with colleagues across different disciplines, you will assess vulnerable and older people's care needs, ensuring that their transition from hospital is a supported one. You will be hospital based and although you'll carry your own caseload, you will be part of a diverse, dynamic, and supportive team. You'll work with customers across the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council.

You'll carry a varied and complex caseload, and you'll ensure that the Care Act 2014 is implemented in all aspects of the role. It will involve taking timely assessments, including ones in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, to develop support plans and to facilitate hospital discharge. You'll also undertake safeguarding investigations. It's also important that you work in line with the council, service policies and procedures, including health and safety, data and case recording, supervision, data protection and information governance. Additionally, as directed by your manager, you'll participate in in an urgent response/duty system.

In all cases, you'll work with customers, carers and other professionals to minimise and manage risk, while enabling the customer to maintain their chosen lifestyle as far as possible. Plus, you'll provide clarity and advice to all on the role of the social worker and the service given. With the customer's consent, you'll take a multi-disciplinary approach to outcomes.

Improving is crucial to us. Support us in service developments, appraisals, audits and practice evaluations. You'll ensure that your own DBS and professional registration are up to date. And you'll commit to your own development through joining reflective practice and team meetings, as well as participating in training, such as Trusted Assessor Training.

This is a challenging but fulfilling role, as your expert social care insight makes all the difference to vulnerable and older people – seeing that they have a safe, supported discharge from hospital.

Please refer to the Job Descriptionfor more information.

To be a good fit, you'll bring at least one-year post-qualifying in a Local Authority of Healthy setting, with a Social Services Duty System. You've completed timely, accurate assessment work. You're familiar with the effectiveness of taking a multi-disciplinary approach and working together as part of a committed team. To this end, you're good at clear communication, both verbally and in writing (including reports). At times, you'll be asked to negotiate on behalf of the Commissioning Authority and/or the service user. Also, you have good computer literacy and are able to keep comprehensive case records, which can be shared with service users in line with Open Files Policy.

You have experience of working with older or physically disabled people, and the provisions for them. Plus, you'll have knowledge of relevant legislation, a fundamental understanding and commitment to the principles of personalisation, independence and choice. This has led you to promote self-directed care. However, you're also able to work proactively to pre-empt and manage placement breakdown or crisis.

You are comfortable working independently, using your own initiative to prioritise workload and meet deadlines. An understanding or experience of budgets and financial controls would be excellent to see. It would also be useful if you're able to communicate professionally in a language other than English.

You'll be a member of the professional register of Social Work with a relevant qualification (CQSW/Diploma in Social Work, Degree in Social Work).

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council's strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city's future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.