Department of Children’s Services
SOCIAL WORKER - PROBLEM SOLVING COURT TEAM
Experienced SW: £28,485 - £33,437 pa
Advanced Practitioner: £34,538 - £35,444 pa
(Pay Award Pending)
1 x 37 hrs per week
Established
Based at Sir Henry Mitchell House
Accountable to: Care Proceedings Case Manager, Children’s Specialist Services
The Problem Solving Court is an innovative approach to assessing and supporting parents during care proceedings. The social work practitioner will become a keyworker for the parents and will be required to co-ordinate and implement intervention plans and complete detailed assessments in relation to their capacity to overcome the problems identified as having a negative impact on parenting capacity.
The Problem Solving approach is based on a model of practice where “problem solving” courts seek to engage with parents to help them overcome their difficulties and break the destructive cycles of behaviour which impact upon the quality of their parenting and the safety of their children. Early findings from similar models suggest that this approach to care proceedings can be successful in getting parents to engage with and stay in key services leading to more children being able to return home. Where parents do not engage and children cannot return home, quicker decisions are made about permanent placements for them and a greater proportion of parent’s remain engaged with services than might otherwise have been the case.
The Bradford Problem Solving Court Team is staffed by three dedicated social workers and managed by the Care Proceedings Case manager. Together these dedicated workers will advise the Court, devise Intervention Plans and link parents into relevant local treatment and support services.
Objectives of the Service
- A higher proportion of children will be successfully reunited with their parents compared to established service delivery methods
- Parents are able to access and maintain engagement with services for their identified problems.
- Parents are successful in achieving and maintaining change from their destructive behaviours and lifestyle choices.
- Parents are successful in addressing related psychosocial difficulties (Improved mental health; reduced exposure to domestic abuse; safer and secure housing; improved family planning; reduced parental criminal activity and violence; engaged in work, training or community activity).
- Parents are successful in making safer choices and are less likely to follow a pattern of having successive children removed in recurring care proceedings
Job Summary
To provide assessment of parents, their willingness and capacity to engage in therapeutic work, their parenting capacity and, of paramount importance, the safety of their children. The post holder will contribute to a multidisciplinary formulation of an intervention plan and work to mobilise and coordinate existing Local Authority, NHS and Independent Sector resources to address the agreed Care Plan.
The post holder will take a lead on providing specialist advice in relation to substance misuse, domestic abuse; emotional health and parenting capacity, develop clear pathways of care and support for families affected by these issues in order to promote the well being of parents, children and young people.
The post holder will be required to present reports in an authoritive manner in Court on a very regular basis, work with autonomy in other multidisciplinary and multi-agency settings and work closely with Problem Solving Court colleagues and partners.
For further information contact David Stephens on 01274 432570; or email; david.stephens@bradford.gov.uk
Closing date: 28th May 2018
Please find attached the Job Profile: Experienced SW - JP.doc