Senior Independence and Wellbeing Practitioner

**Suffolk County Council - Ipswich IP1 2DH**:

- **£28,226 - £34,373 per annum (pro rata if part time)**:

- **37 hours per week**:

- **Permanent**

We are committed to **flexible working**, so please read the Job and Person Profile to find out about the types of flexible or part-time working available for this role.

A unique opportunity has arisen to join the Transitions Team within the Adult and Community Services (ACS) Learning Disability and Autism Specialist Support Team as a **Senior Independence and Wellbeing Practitioner** based at Constantine House in **Ipswich, Suffolk**.

**Your role**
- Are you looking for an exciting new challenge?
- Do you want to join a developing, enthusiastic and creative service?
- Are you passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of people entering ACS for the first time?

The Transitions Team within ACS has been working to develop and embed a new social care offer for young people who are between 17 and 24 years of age.

Your focus would be to ensure that the young people we support have access to early intervention to maximise their skills and independence. You would also carry out assessments under the Care Act 2014 when it is likely that the young person will have a need for care and support as an adult.

Transition in to adulthood for those who need care and support takes a variety of pathways and therefore the work completed to support transition requires an awareness of this complexity. Young People requiring transition support primarily come from one of the following backgrounds: Leaving Care, Child in Need or specialist/supported education placements. The Transitions Team also have contact with young people previously unknown to social care and provide support to families/carers who may be struggling with their caring role. You will support individuals who usually have a background including learning disability, autism and/or mental health difficulties.

As a Senior Independence and Wellbeing Practitioner in Suffolk, you will manage a caseload, including risk assessment and purposeful intervention through direct work quality-assuring interventions. You may be the first point of contact for new individuals entering ACS. You will have experience of developing strong working relationships with partners, other agencies and the voluntary sector to deliver improved outcomes.

**Key responsibilities are to**:

- carry out background research on referrals, some of which can be distressing and emotionally/mentally demanding
- implement and review Short Term Enablement Plans
- appropriately identify eligibility in line with current legislation and policy
- be the link between Children and Young People’s Services and the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism service within ACS.

**You will need**:

- excellent listening and communication skills
- the ability and experience to undertake innovative strengths-based assessments and care planning with individuals, carers and their personal support networks
- experience and resilience in supporting people with complex backgrounds and/or disabilities.

**The team**

The Transitions offer is built upon a strengths-based approach using the model Signs of Safety and Wellbeing.

This means that we make use of existing strengths and support to enable the young person to achieve their outcomes. This is a supportive team and the team itself is more widely supported as a part of the Learning Disability and Autism Specialist Support Team within ACS. This is a unique team within Adult and Community Services (ACS) in that the team operates under a pathways model which includes, in addition to the Transition pathway, the following pathways:

- Safeguarding: Undertaking safeguarding enquiries with organisations and individuals whom are not allocated to specific workers within the wider Learning Disability and Autism Teams.
- Out of County: Assessing/reviewing and otherwise supporting individuals living outside of Suffolk whom remain ordinarily resident/the responsibility of Suffolk regarding their care and support needs in accordance with the Care Act 2014.
- Progression: Supporting individuals from complicated backgrounds to make positive life choices, encouraging stability and independence.
- Transforming Care: Creatively supporting individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism to leave mental health hospital environments and live, successfully, in the community.

The work that this team undertakes is diverse and challenging but is also rewarding with scope for huge levels of creativity. The team is very supportive and whilst the team includes specialist workers within each pathway, all assist each other to achieve positive outcomes with the individuals we support. The team is passionate and welcoming with a positive culture and a commitment to achieving positive outcomes.

It is an exciting time to join our service in Suffolk as we strive to strengthen both our Learning Disability and Autism and Mental