Family Service Worker A Family Service Worker has a varied and rewarding role working within Children's Services to help support children and families with daily routines, parenting techniques, meeting children’s physical and emotional needs and supporting children who are in care to see their birth families. You will carry out direct work with children and look to understand their lived experiences by talking to them, their family and Social Worker to understand their life at home. If you join our academy as Social Work Apprenticeship you will begin as Family Service Worker to gain vital experience and insight as to what social work entails, and to understand the types of individuals, families and situations they will be encountering as they progress through our career pathway.
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Social Worker Newly Qualified Social Worker’s (NQSW’s) are at the start of their social work career journey. During their first qualified year they will undertake in an Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme after becoming a registered Social Worker. During these 12 months they will gain extra support from Senior colleagues to provide them with the required skills, knowledge and experience to progress their social work career and become the very best Social Worker they can be Our Social Worker’s complete children and families assessments gathering information from children, their families, services and work with them to make decisions and recommendations to support children, keeping them safe and developing plans for intervention when needed. This also includes multi-agency working with other professionals working with children and their families. Social Workers can be in the Child in Need/Child Protection Teams based in Crewe or Macclesfield, or the Cared for Children and Care Leavers team based in Crewe.
Early Professional Development (EPD) Social Worker When the ASYE 12 months has been completed, Social Workers continue to learn throughout a further year with the Early Professional Development (EPD) network to develop more specialist skills and training. On completion of their EPD year individuals will have gained the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to continue to progress into the role of a Progressed Social Worker.
Lead Practitioner When an individual has more experience of being a Social Worker and wants to develop their career there is the opportunity to become a Lead Practitioner. Lead Practitioners are experienced frontline Social Workers who promote excellent social work practice that is strengths based and child focused so that practitioners can empower the children and families Cheshire East works with. The team’s tasks are varied, where Lead Practitioners respond to the needs of the service, which are linked to the outcomes of quality assurance work. Lead practitioners spend time supporting practice through 1:1 work with Social Workers, role model good practice and support Social Worker recruitment and development. The team also facilitate targeted and specialist training to support continuing professional development throughout practitioners' careers, including students and newly qualified Social Workers embarking on their first years in practice.
Independent Reviewing Officer There are two Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) roles within the Cheshire East Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit. All IRO’s make sure that the plans for children and young people match their assessed needs and clearly state what is required to meet these needs. The make sure children, young people, parents and carers all understand their plans and hold all individuals accountable for their part(s) in these plans. Cared for (CF) IRO’s also monitor the quality of care, pathway plans and services provided to children and young people. They also undertake Cared for reviews, Pathway Plan reviews and chair disruption meetings. Child Protection (CP) IRO’s become involved when there are significant risks to a child or young person and a multi-agency child protection plan is required. They chair child protection conferences, contextual safeguarding conferences, harmful sexual behaviour conferences (AIM2) and Level 2 Meetings (Pan Cheshire Protocol) for children missing from home.
Principal Social Worker The Principal Social Worker manages the Lead Practitioner Team to break down relevant learning to the service teams, supporting discussion within practice forums and unit meetings whilst supporting ASYE’ within their practice. The Principal Social Worker provides leadership to Social Workers and practitioners and represents their views to senior managers, supports social work teams to ensure positive outcomes for children and families. They provide quality assurance to help Social Workers navigate complex decisions, monitor cases to ensure professional standards are met and work with team managers to manage resources and performance. They are expected to contribute to the development of policies, procedures and practice model and provide training to social workers to support professional development.
Advanced Practitioner When a social worker has more experience and wants to start supporting other social workers in their practice, the Advanced Practitioner pathway provides an opportunity to continue to learn and develop skills to facilitate the development of others. Advanced Practitioner Social Workers will hold more complex cases, with a higher level or risk to manage and will be practice educators for students on placement to support their learning. Some Advanced Practitioner’s known as Advanced Practitioner Practice Leads (APPLs) will support their team, especially NQSW’s with casework and reflection and help team managers in their role by deputising for the team manager when needed, for example when the team is on duty dealing with new referrals and by managing more difficult casework on their team.
Team Manager Team Managers report directly to the Head of Service within frontline children in need/child protection and cared for children’s teams. They have teams of Social Workers to deliver effective services undertaking child in need plans, child protection and care proceedings work. Team Managers have a focus on building relationships with their Social Workers, children and families to ensure Social Workers provide a good quality social work service and intervention. As a member of our wider management team, we will make sure you have access to support, continuing professional development and training opportunities to continually improve your practice and advance your career when you become a Team Manager.
Service Manager Service Managers set objectives for their service, develop plans, identify resources and mobilise staff to meet those objectives to ensure the needs of children and their families are met. Service Managers oversee Social Work teams and their managers, prioritise and allocate tasks, provide guidance and direction to ensure effective service delivery to children and their families and oversee casework to ensure high quality assessment and plan and review cases in line with statutory regulations and guidelines. Service Managers also recruit, develop, motivate and support employees to ensure effective and accountable working practices and ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff.