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Principal Social Work Officer - Fife Health and Social Care Partnership
Fife Council
Permanent
CO29
£92,676
Principal professional officer for assuring that the highest standard of evidence and value based adult social work practice is embedded within the Health and Social Care Partnership, by providing skilled and experienced leadership and practice knowledge to managers, social workers and social care practitioners, the organisation and its partners. The post holder will be required to establish key relationships with national bodies, including SSSC, Care Inspectorate, SWS, etc. To also be the lead professional linking with lawyers and courts in respect of significant social work practice.
As a core member of the Senior Leadership Team, the post holder will contribute to strategic direction and contribute to the corporate leadership of the partnership as a whole to help develop and deliver the strategic plan; deliver the outcomes of integration; enable locality based working and support organisational effectiveness and efficiency. The post holder is responsible for professional social work/social care leadership with delegated responsibilities from the chief social work officer across the Health and Social Care partnership working closely with Heads of Service in primary and preventative care services, community care services and complex and critical care services to contribute to the priority areas defined in the operational delivery portfolio’s including being part of review panels for long terms care placements.
This post holds functional responsibility for oversight, monitoring, assurance of the statutory functions and standards of regulated Social Work and Social Care including and aligned with Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 CSWO duties as they apply to Adult Social Work and Social Care. This will include, but not limited to
The post holder has responsibility to lead and report on Large Scale Investigations, complex abuse enquires and have responsibility for overseeing and reporting on the implementation of local and national social work/social care policies and legislative changes. Health and Social Care Partnership Social Work Lead for MAPPA/Public Protection; Drugs and Alcohol Partnership.
The post holder will establish, measure and monitor a social work/social professional standards framework rooted in quality assurance and improvement methodology to assure practice and performance is consistently high and ambitious towards being sector leading.
The post holder will hold responsibility for monitoring the social work/social care registered workforce, professional supervision standards, assuring the implementation of safe staffing legislation, inform social work workforce planning and act as a point of contact for any professional standards challenges arising.
As named lead officer for care governance and scrutiny committees the post holder will provide assurance on the delivery of the health and social care partnerships’ statutory requirements for care governance; support the roll out of the relevant policy and legislative context such as the Adult Social Care Review and National Care Service, Scott Review findings, Barron Report and the outcome of Scotland’s consideration of international Human Rights Legislation.
Delivery of these functions will be supported through a collaborative leadership with the Heads of Service, Head of Strategic Planning, Performance and Commissioning, Associate Director for Nursing and Deputy Director for Medicine and Principal Lead for Organisational Development. As a systems leader you will also support colleagues with the priorities defined in their portfolios relevant to social work and social care practice, governance and assurance and support corporate leadership within the Partnership.
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership is committed to developing a culture where delivery of the highest quality of care and support is understood to be the responsibility of everyone working in the organisation, built upon partnership and collaboration within teams and between health and social care professionals and managers. The post holder will champion Integration, support the Extended Leadership Team, and provide professional leadership for both social work and social care practice and the development of integrated teams. You will also provide professional leadership to champion “Team Fife” priorities across the interface with acute, third sector, Independent Sector, criminal justice and children’s and families social work. The post holder will represent Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership with partner agencies and organisations, including national professional and regulatory bodies. The post holder will engage with National social work board and also link with SSSC in respect of future social work planning. The post holder will also link with Colleges and Universities supporting student placements and play an important role in promoting Fife as a place to work for people graduating from university.
You will assure quality, safety and risk management in relation to social work and social care. Lead quality improvement and safety initiatives which assure the quality of social work and social care within the Partnership to provide a cohesive and high performing social work workforce, which embraces cultural change and improves strength-based and rights based practice with our citizens in line with national policy and as part of an integrated clinical and care governance system. The post holder will oversee the Social Work self evaluation programme and lead on the co-ordination of the improvement plan.
Provide operational management to multiple services that lead quality and performance and practice change such as the Adult Support and Protection Co- ordination Team and Action 15 Co-ordinators. Critically, the Principal Social Work Officer will provide professional supervision the FC12 Social Work/Social Care Service Managers.
As the most senior professional social worker in adult social work and social care, the post holder will be a direct report to the Director of Health and Social Care and Chief Social Work Officer and provide assurance on all matters that relate to social work and social care professional practice. Through professional supervision will develop the work force, providing professional leadership and assurance on the application of professional standards. The post holder will also hold delegated responsibility from the CSWO for monitoring and managing practice and performance issues that require escalation through regulatory or organisational frameworks, such as management of risk, care standards, fitness to practice of social services workers, application of professional standards through monitoring registration, recruitment, retention, conduct and capability.
On behalf of the Chief Social Work Officer, the post holder will lead on delegated professional responsibilities for Adult and Older Adult Social Work/Care enabling risk identification, mitigation or timely escalation of quality or fitness to practice issues.
As a member of an integrated corporate team within the Senior Leadership Team the post holder supports collective leadership for 6,000 staff and responsibility to ensure that the Fife Health and Social Care Budget of around £630million is used to best effect to deliver the Fife HSCP Strategic plan and outcomes of Integration. Please see the structure section of this job pack which defines the structure and the portfolios and the range of priorities and services that may be relevant to the role.
The post holder will have operational professional management responsibility for multiple teams responsible for quality and practice change such as Adult Support and Protection Team and Action 15 Co-ordinators. The post holder will also have people and budget management responsibility for projects and project teams ensuring compliance at all times with financial regulations. This will include financial responsibility for a significant budget. The post holder will have responsibility to report to various Boards and Committees.
As the most senior Professional Social Worker in the Health and Social Care Partnership professionally reporting to the Chief Social Work Officer and operationally reporting to the Director of Health and Social Care, Principal Social Work Officer will provide professional leadership and assure professional standards, quality, safety, risk and regulatory/policy requirements for all delegated Adult Social Work functions. The post holder will provide supervision to all Senior Social Work/Care Managers (FC12) and ensure that systems for professional supervision are embedded and implemented at all levels of practice in social work and social care. The post holder will therefore require having a seniority and extensive experience in respect of professional supervision.
Be visible and available to social workers and social service workers within Health and Social Care to ensure the availability of robust professional advice and practice guidance promoting values and standards of professional practice, including all relevant national Standards and Guidance, and ensure adherence with the Codes of Practice issued by the Scottish Social Services Council, Care Inspectorate and Chief Social Work Officer.
Lead, direct, influence, guide, motivate and promote the professional learning, development and practice of social workers and social services. Through the professional -management of quality and practice change teams, professional supervision of senior social workers and leadership of social work practice forums the post holder will implement practice assurance systems for adult social work and social care to lead a culture of support, quality, high performance and accountability throughout social work and social care services. A key responsibility is to champion integration and “Team Fife” culture working with and across all portfolio area priorities supporting practice change as relevant to social work and social care practice.
Work closely with the Associate Director of Nursing and Associate Medical Director to ensure appropriate systems are in place to support clinical and care assurance, promote continuous improvement, develop a learning environment that can openly identify and address systems based practice issues, implement learning from critical incidents, assure quality and standards and promote evidence-informed good practice, including the development of person-centred services that are focussed on the needs of people who use services and support, and assure the monitoring of care governance within adult and older adult social work reporting.
Lead on ensuring effective and professional social work supervision, with reflective practice and a rights-based approach is embedded and monitored at all levels in the in Adult Social Work to support safe, person-centred, anti-discriminatory and human rights best practice, education and support for social workers. This will include providing professional supervision of complex cases, professional standards and statutory functions to Senior Social Work Managers to assure delivery of high quality, rights and values based, safe, person-centred care in accordance with current evidence based practice and regulatory requirements including the management of the complex balance of need, risk and civil liberties.
Provide professional line management and leadership to multiple teams including responsibility for both people and budget. This includes multiple services that lead quality and performance and practice change including Adult Support and Protection Co-ordination Team and Action 15 Co-ordinators.
As Principal Social Work Officer you will provide expert professional advice on adult social work, adult protection, statutory and regulatory standards, service user/patient risk management, Social Work workforce and education, quality and experience of complex cases, statutory responsibilities and national best practice to the Director of Health and Social Care and Partnership Senior Leadership Team, Senior Managers, Committee’s and the Integration Joint Board to enable delivery of professional requirements to assure high quality, safe, effective and rights based care.
Lead implementation of policy and procedures working closely with the Heads of Service, Head of Strategic Planning and Performance and Service Managers to promote positive risk in practice and identify significant risk to the safety of vulnerable people and/or impact on the social work service, including findings of relevant service quality and performance reports to inform implications for the Health and Social Care Partnership; for people who use services and support and carers; implications for delivery of national and local outcomes; monitoring and reporting arrangements for identified improvement activity.
Lead on complex abuse enquiries, Care Inspectorate and Mental Welfare Commission inspections and attending local and national strategic public protection forums. Lead in disseminating learning from Large Scale Investigations, Safeguarding Adult Reviews to both managers and practitioners. Provide advice to the Director of Health and Social Care and the Senior Leadership Team and assurance to the Chief Social Work Officer on adherence to multiple complex social work functions associated with adult support and protection and statutory social work functions associated with the Social Work (Scotland) Act, Self Directed Support, Adults with Incapacity Adult Protection and Mental Health Care and Treatment Act and associated legislative requirements.
In conjunction with the Associate Director of Nursing and Associate Medical Director lead on Clinical and Care Assurance, co-chair the Quality Matters Assurance Group and Support the Quality and Communities Committee on behalf of the Director of Health and Social Care. Be the Health and Social Care Partnership Lead Officer for the Council Scrutiny Committee. Provide Professional Social Work Oversight for both Fife Council and Independent Sector Care Homes and Care at Home through the care home hub and assurance group in line with the Scottish Governance Enhanced Professional Assurance Systems. Lead on social work standards, quality and assurance of practice.
Provide assurance on the implementation of national standards/guidance and best practice within Adult and Older People’s Social Work and Social Care in Fife. Promote an environment where continuous improvement is central to all quality systems and in which a learning culture is developed and maintained and that practice is delivered in line with legislation and promotes quality and safety and respects the independence of service users, and affords them choice in the way in which the service is provided to them.
Support the Chief Social Work Officer in the development of the CSWO annual report to represent the contribution of the delegated services within the Health and Social Care Partnership. Work in partnership with local and national agencies raising the profile of social work and ensuring the unique role of social work is understood and valued. You will deputise for the Director of Health and Social Care or Chief Social Work Officer as required.
Lead on agreed corporate functions that support the delivery of agreed organisational objectives including sustainability and best value, and the medium-term change strategy and financial plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership. Provide leadership for a range of strategic priorities and programmes of change. Work with all members of the Senior Leadership Team to develop a culture which embeds quality, safety and person centred values and practices within both the governance and care delivery arrangements.
Work closely with all members of Senior Leadership Team to support improved outcomes for the people of Fife promoting empowerment, active citizens, human rights, wellbeing, independent living and equity and championing Self Directed Support. This will include championing best practice, best quality and best value in relation to: Access, eligibility and assessment; Structure and design of social work and social care services; Planning, commissioning and procurement; Developing the workforce, supporting unpaid carers; Registration, regulation and inspection and equality. Develop processes, procedures and pathways to support care, outcomes, and resilience in our health and care system.
In conjunction with the Chief Social Work Officer lead the development of adult social work strategy, policy and practice. Support the Chief Social Work Officer in developing and implementing strategies at national, regional and local level and improve and enhance the people’s experience in all aspects of service and care delivery. Support the development of new professional pathways developed in response to professional drivers and changing demographics. Attend forums and feedback national developments in adult social work and influence development policy and practice, by taking an active part in professional networks.
Lead practice that recognises the strengths of individuals and our communities, ensuring the person requiring support is at the centre of all decision-making. Lead on research and development and implementation of good practice, ensuring links with external research providers. Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and governance requirements, reporting to strategic and other relevant Committees. Champion the rights of citizens in the context of professional ethics and strategic decision making, using a legal and human rights framework.
Represent the Health and Social Care Partnership in the Chief Social Workers Practice Governance Group. Support and advise managers in maintaining and developing high standards of practice and supervision in line with relevant guidance and ensure that the values and standards of professional practice are communicated on a regular basis and adhered to, and that local guidance is reviewed and updated periodically.
Work closely with universities and colleges to ensure good social work education and programmes assure the provision and quality of practice learning experiences for social work students in adult social work services including supporting probation/mentoring arrangements and effective workplace assessment arrangements, in accordance with the SSSC Code of Practice for employers of Social Service Workers. As Principal social worker with delegated CSWO responsibilities advice on workforce, assure safe staffing and lead on advancing practice to maximise the contribution of Social Work and social care. Participate in the development of the relevant Workforce Development strategies and plans including workforce planning, leadership, continuing professional development, careers, recruitment and retention, education and training, new ways of working and job redesign.
Establish and maintain effective liaison internally/externally with partner agencies, people’s and public representatives supporting a community development approach within the profession to support the development of services that are safe, person centred and focused on the needs of people and to maximise the contribution of social workers. Work in partnership with professional organisations and trade unions in promoting professional and staff governance. Work collaboratively to address shared priorities across the Health and Social Care Partnership.
The Fife Health and Social Care Partnership are led by an integrated Senior Leadership Team that has responsibility for working across health, social work and social care remits. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team the Professional Lead Social Worker will work collegiately and demonstrate Systems Leadership including supporting the development of an Extended Leadership Team.
Objectives will be agreed annually with the Director of Health and Social Care and Chief Social Work Officer, through a collaborative and collegiate approach focused on adult and older people social work and social care and integration.
The post holder is responsible for ensuring delivery of those objectives. Formal review will take place at mid- year and year-end. Update of objectives and review of progress will also take place through regular meetings with the Director.
The work of this post is largely self-directed in line with strategic plan, SLT strategic objectives, the priorities and challenges facing the Health and Social Care Partnership, agreed social work priorities and individual objectives.
The nature of the work will be a mixture of routine, planned and timetabled tasks. This will include chairing meetings, visibility with front line teams, attending Management and Governance meetings to provide professional advice, lead on agreed strategic priorities, assessing data and writing reports. In addition, ad hoc assignments with tight timescales may be assigned for prioritisation. Work may involve a requirement for on-call and out of hour’s provision.
Beyond this the post holder’s work will be informed by issues and priorities arising across both Health and Social Care Services where applicable, as well as evolving best social work practice across Scotland and UK. The Director of Health and Social Care will advise on shared priorities for systems leaders.
Workload management is the responsibility of the post holder. The post holder is required to prioritise workload to ensure all the demands of the Health & Social Care Partnership and Integration Joint Board (& Committees) and relevant Fife council Committees are understood and all necessary deadlines are met.
The post holder will participate in the performance review process, including peer review, ensuring the process reflects a culture of parity and respect across SLT that supports system leadership.
The post holder will decide on priorities, solve problems, and by initiating improvement activity across adult social work/social care, monitoring performance and working closely with Heads of Service and Senior Managers to drive improvement. The post holder has freedom to act within the parameters agreed with the Director of Health and Social Care and Chief Social Work Officer and in line with a systems leadership approach.
As a direct report to the Chief Social Work Officer and Director of Health and Social Care the post holder will ensure they are briefed on areas of concern, risk identification, mitigation, escalation and to highlight, share and celebrate good practice. As the most senior professional social worker the post holder will also advise and work closely with Heads of Service and Service Managers to support the challenges faced in operational services regarding social care and social work practice to assure care, practice and standards.
Required to work autonomously, guided by national and organisational policy and regulations, and taking into account agreed priorities for the Health and Social Care Partnership leadership team and Integration Joint Board.
Informing future decision making within the Health and Social Care Partnership leadership, interpreting social work policy, practice and legislative requirements and advising the Director, Heads of Service and senior managers appropriately.
The ability of the post holder to maintain key relationships and effective communication with a range of other individuals and parties will be crucial to the success of this role. It is essential strong relationships are developed and maintained with colleagues in the Senior and Extended Leadership Team and across both NHS Fife and Fife Council.
The post holder will ensure Senior Social Work/Care Managers are engaged in relevant professional social work forums to support sharing of learning and best practice.
This role will work closely to the Associate Medical Director and Associate Director of Nursing and Associate Director of Allied Health Professions to enable an integrated approach to clinical and care governance and assurance common professional priorities to support new models of care, safety and new ways of working within integrated services.
The post holder will provide professional advice and communication will need to be appropriate and flexible to meet the requirements of the recipient(s), including high quality reports for a range of committees and boards, presentations, informal briefings, group discussions, and 1:1 meetings.
The post holder will require strong skills in persuasion, negotiation, diplomacy, setting direction and change management to overcome barriers examples include commissioning new educational programmes with universities and ensuring the planned transformation programmes are safe in accordance with professional social work standards.
Examples of key relationships include:
Before confirming your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Membership through Disclosure Scotland.
The successful candidate will be subject to occupational health screening.
The Health and Social Care Partnership is undergoing organisational change.
The content of the job description should be read in conjunction with the rest of the information in the job pack.
Payment is every 4 weeks in arrears by credit transfer to your bank or building society.
You will be automatically enrolled to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). You may opt out. Full details of the terms and conditions relating to pensions and the LGPS are available at www.fifepensionfund.org
A range of employee benefits, such as discounts with local businesses, childcare vouchers and lifestyle benefits such as cycle scheme and technology scheme, is available.
The period of notice to be given by either party to terminate employment will be 12 weeks.
Your contracted hours of work are 36 hours per week. The nature of your position requires flexibility to meet demands and, subject to the provisions of the Working Time Regulations, you are required to arrange your hours of work to meet organisational needs. This may require working out with standard hours of work and working more than 36 hours in a week, for which no additional remuneration will be received.
The leave year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
Annual leave entitlement for full-time is:
Public Holidays:
The Council provides a range of statutory and other leave, such as family-friendly leave.
The amount of sickness allowance depends on the length of employment service.
Your place of work will be Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes. A blended workstyle arrangement applies, allowing flexibility in working from home and working from base to meet the demands of the role.
The Council can provide financial assistance up to a maximum of £5,000 if you are moving home in order to take up an appointment with the Council. Further details can be requested from Lee-Anne French, HR Business Partner by emailing lee-anne.french@fife.gov.uk
Chief Officers will be expected to devote their whole-time service to the work of the Council and shall not engage in any other business or take up any other appointment without the express consent of the Council.
Canvassing of members or officials, directly or indirectly, will be a disqualification for consideration for appointment.
This post is designated as politically restricted within the terms of Section 2 of the Local Government & Housing Act 1989.
The Local Government Officers’ (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990 provide that your terms and conditions of employment be deemed to incorporate additional provisions set out in the Schedule to the Regulations. Copies are available from the Chief Legal Officer, Legal Services, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes.
References to “the appointee” in the Schedule apply to you, and you are subject to the restrictions in parts I and II. Part III only applies to political assistants.
The principal effects of the restrictions are:
We're here to serve the people of Fife, and we can only do that effectively by working together as a confident, happy and healthy team.
Read more about our workforce strategy and How we work matters.
