Advanced Practitioner - Emergency Duty Team (EDT)

• 30 days annual leave
• Great opportunities for career progression in Somerset
• Permanent for 37 hours per week, based in Bridgwater
• 26.3% enhancement for working unsociable hours

We also promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home. We are currently office based Friday Saturday and Sunday and work from home during the week.

Emergency Duty Team (EDT) practitioners cover the whole of Somerset, children looked after in our area and children and young people from other local authorities who are in custody in Bridgwater police station. EDT also lead for children from other local authorities who have committed crimes or are a victim of crimes committed within the Somerset area.

The EDT service works from 17:00 until 04:00 Monday to Friday and 08:30 until 04:00 on the weekends and Bank Holidays. Shifts are from 17.00 until 04:00 Monday to Friday and between 09:00 until 19:00 or 17:00 until 04:00 on Saturdays and Sundays on a four week rota.

We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of the Somerset Children's social care Emergency Duty Team , responding to out of hours referrals where intervention from the council is required to protect a vulnerable child and where it would not be safe, appropriate, or lawful to delay that intervention to the next working day.

The role of the Advanced Practitioner is to oversee and supervise each shift, which means monitoring the calls as they are received and triaged by the Senior Social Work Assistants and ensure that appropriate response is given.

It is also the Social Worker’s duty to manage all Child Protection/safeguarding related concerns that will require further planning and decision making. It is the Social Worker’s duty to ensure the child’s safety and provide a plan that will keep the child safe from harm until the daytime services can pick up/ step in.

A Contact is defined as Information received whereby the child does not already have an open referral. This is then logged onto our system (LCS) as a contact. A referral is any matter that requires further action or assessment by a local office. A referral is progressed from a contact record.

When Social Workers are assessing the above cases, they are required to comply with the consent and information sharing guidance explained above. It is also best practice to work in partnership with families in an open and honest manner and gain consent.

The EDT is supported by several experienced Bank staff consisting of Social Workers and Senior Social Work Assistants.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be.

You will have:

• a recognised Social Care Qualification – Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• registration with Social Work England.
• PEPS Stage 1 (or experience of supervising and mentoring others) or willingness to participate in PQ study
• relevant multi-disciplinary Social Care experience within multi-disciplinary team - relevant to needs of post.
• evidence of partnership working with other agencies including Social Care Services, Health Services, Voluntary Agencies and/or Education
• the ability to interpret and use current legislation and guidance to protect and/or advance people’s rights and entitlements

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

The salary range for this role is £41,771 to £46,142 per annum. (£52,756 to £58,277 per annum including a 26.3% enhancement for working unsocial hours).

For further information on this role, please contact Galeyna Souttar, Service Manager on 07976 690765.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.

This post requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.