Job Description

Dudley Lodge Safeguarding Children Services

Dudley Lodge Family Assessment Centre - 143 Warwick Road, Coventry, CV3 6AT

Bonner House - 172 Sellywood Road, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 1TJ

Job Title:

Senior Practitioner (Team/Case Manager)

Grade:

Scale Point 44 - 59 (42,059 - 52,583 per annum)

Hours:

37.5 hours per week

Base:

Coventry

Apply:

We do not accept CVs, we only accept fully completed applications forms,


gaps in employment are required to be identified in your application form


due to being compliant with safer recruitment and Ofsted regulations. CV's,


incomplete application form and gaps that cannot be identified will not be


accepted for shortlisting. Details on how to apply can be found at the


bottom of the advert





Is the post exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? Yes


Does the post require a DBS check?Yes

Our Commitment Statement



Our expectation of all staff is to demonstrate kindness, empathy, and fairness to all.



Dudley Lodge strive to provide an inclusive working environment and experience, where

employees can bring their best, and authentic self to work. Where difference is recognised,

respected, valued, and celebrated.



Our approach to inclusion and diversity is rooted in listening, learning and acting. This includes

conducting ongoing listening forums across the company, the implementation of Inclusion &

Diversity talking/support groups, workshops and training, good quality supervision, surveys and

collaborative working parties. All with the core aim to receive honest feedback, reflect and

continuously strive to be the best that we can be.

Purpose of Job

To be part of the Senior Management Team which is responsible for undertaking comprehensive


assessments with vulnerable children and their families in a residential setting, applying the


Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000) and adhering to


Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).




Further, to supervise and oversee a team of Family Assessment Workers, providing on hand


support and advise as well as supervisor oversight, review of performance and to provide a high


quality and dependable standard of service which meet our organisations values and standards.

Background

Dudley Lodge is a UK registered non-profit making organisation established in 1895, we are one


of the leading Family Assessment Centres in England and Wales. The whole emphasis of our


organisation is to safeguard children.




We have been conducting quality Family Assessments for over 30 years and over two sites:


Coventry and Birmingham.




Our purpose is to provide the Courts and other relevant parties concerned with the safeguarding


of children, a range of high quality, independent assessments, interventions and services


regarding referred parents/carers' abilities to keep children safe, and to assess their capacity and


potential for promoting children's continuing wellbeing.

Effectiveness Areas

1. Senior Management Team Membership


2. Family Assessment


3. Staff Management

Duties & Responsibilities

Senior Management Team Membership:

Main Responsibilities:

To assist and support the Centre Managers and Executive Team members in the
management of the Centres and the staff,
To develop in conjunction with the Centre Managers and Executive Team, a safe,
structured, learning environment which is based on the values and standards of


behaviour of Dudley Lodge as set out in the Dudley Lodge Way,
To look for opportunities to improve existing practices. To establish and maintain
appropriate liaisons with other professionals.
To represent Dudley Lodge at community/professional functions and to promote its
services

Family Assessment:

Main Responsibilities:

To ensure that the child's immediate welfare is afforded paramount consideration, To conduct assessments which fall within the 'Working Together documents' protocol, In conjunction with the Centre Managers and members of the Executive Team, develop
existing policies and procedures, service provision and resources,
To case manage up to three families (community based or residential) at any one time
and provide cover for any absent Case Manager,



To be responsible for undertaking comprehensive assessments taking a leading role in: -



? Constructing an 'initial' baseline (2-4 weeks) assessment


? Undertaking comprehensive parenting/risk assessments that inform other


professionals and the court, long term recommendations in relation to the welfare


and safety of a child


? Devising, implementing, supervising and evaluating work programmes incorporating


direct interventions which will inform your final recommendations


? Completion of reports and finalising the assessment process making decisive


recommendations





To work with parents/carers, social workers and relevant others on Pre-placement


plans, work programmes and interventions which address identified needs. These


would include:





? Teaching parenting skills and practices


? Assessing child and family interaction and parental ability


? Construction and testing of hypotheses regarding family functioning and needs


? Providing structured feedback to parents/carers


? To monitor and evaluate the effects of any such intervention on a child's emotional


and physical wellbeing.




With others, to represent the organisation at Court, providing written and verbal evidence as


required.





To understand and implement Birmingham, Coventry Child Protection and Adult Protection


policies and procedures as appropriate





In relation to residential placements - to manage the relevant arrangements for accommodation


of families prior to admission to the Centre, including health and safety aspects, equipment,


staffing and other resources as appropriate





To meet deadlines for submission of written reports and prioritise workloads effectively within


established timeframes.

Staff Management:

Main Responsibilities:

To manage a staff team (numbers to be agreed dependent upon experience), effectively
and efficiently. This will include: -



? Responsibility for the quality and standards of service provision,


? Developing and managing a Performance Management process for the staff team,


? To provide 'on-call' advice, guidance and support for staff members, on a rota basis in


conjunction with other Case Managers,


? To provide training/mentoring/supervision to develop and sustain standards of


performance and service,

? To work on own initiative and judgment whilst actively engaging as a team member with


co-workers,

Title of post to which this job normally reports:

Service Manager

Supervision

Supervising Officer Job Title: Service Manager

Number and type of staff to be supervised:

Varies in relation to need and experience

Special Conditions:

Case Managers are contracted to work a 37.5 hours per week. Additionally, they are required to


be on call, on a rota basis. The on-call rota is shared amongst the Senior Management Team; and


will require being on call to the Centre during weeknights from 5pm to 7.30am in addition to


weekend on-calls which may require the presence of a Team/Case Manager. Typically, a


Team/Case Manager will be on-call every 4th weekend.




All staff are expected to work in a flexible way to cope with the needs, demands and


requirements of the Centre. This may mean working across the three Centres, Coventry,


Birmingham and Wolverhampton.




Dudley Lodge operates a non-smoking policy for staff.




Observance of the Centre's Equal Opportunities Policy will be required, and to work at all times in


accordance with all the Centre's policies and procedures.




Failure by a member of staff to report actual or suspected physical or sexual abuse of a child by


another member of a staff or other person having contact with the child may constitute a


disciplinary offence.

Organisation Chart

Board of

Directors/Trustees

Chief

Executive

Operations Manager Finance/HR Manager

Quality Audit

Manager

Service Manager &

Registered Manager

Deputy Centre

Managers

Team/Case

Managers

Permanent

& Bank

Family

Assessment

Workers

Person Specification

Job Title: Senior Practitioner/Case Manager

ATTRIBUTES ESSENTIAL CRITERIA DESIRABLE CRITERIA

Relevant o Experience of conducting comprehensive family Experience of managing staff


Experience assessments


Experience of working with children and families in
the field of Safeguarding/Child Protection
Experience of working with vulnerable families Presenting evidence for children & families within the
court arena


Relevant o Knowledge of child development, parenting skills Knowledge of the National Minimum


Knowledge and risk assessment management Standards, Care Standards Act 2000,


Knowledge of the Child Protection Procedures and and The Residential Family Centres
Working Together (2023) Regulation 2002
Knowledge and understanding of child care law,
particularly the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004


and the Public Law Outline 2014
Knowledge of Every Child Matters Working knowledge of Framework for the Assessment
of Children in need and their families (DOH)


Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation Skills and o Excellent Report Writing skills o Ability to manage, motivate and


Abilities o Excellent/Good Court skills lead staff effectively


o Excellent/Good Skills in relation to computer literacy o Skills and knowledge in staff


Ability to form effective relationships supervision and appraisal Excellent/Good ability to communicate (written and systems verbal) clearly and appropriately at all levels o Ability to monitor work


Ability to demonstrate a good level of applied performance of staff literacy and numeracy


Ability to maintain professional judgement and sustain performance when working under pressure


Ability to diffuse volatile situations Able to plan and prioritise workload Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and promote good team working


Ability to demonstrate flexibility and initiative Ability to develop work practices of self/others Ability to contribute to the development of the service Ability to learn and develop new skills Ability to undertake training and apply new methods of working


Qualifications o BA Hons Social Work Dip SW, CQSW, or CSS. o Over 2-years post qualification


and o Child protection and Vulnerable Adults training experience


Training o Registered to Social Work England o NVQ4 in Management or


equivalent

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