In addition to the excellent support, training, and benefits associated with NEWFOCAS, you will enjoy career development within a highly respected and nationally recognised foster care agency. Furthermore, we have successfully gained the 'Investors in People' award as recognition of our high level of good practice, and pride ourselves on creating a happy, enjoyable, and productive work environment.
- Out of Hours Social Worker
North Wales
Hours: One week per month on an OOH rota basis / plus Monday morning Social work meeting (3 hours Approx.)
Salary scale: Weekly OOH rate + hourly rate for telephone calls etc.
Role: The ‘Out of Hours’ (OOH) workers are to complement the social work team, by providing an Out Of Hours Service - 5pm until 8.45am to include all day Saturdays and Sundays (as you work from home your sleep patterns are rarely interrupted) to support carers in caring for children whose lives have been affected by Trauma. Out Of Hours expectations are slightly different from conventional social work emergency support services. It is our expectation that OOH workers will provide a support service to our foster carers which will not only include emergencies but will also offer preventive advice and de-escalation for potentially volatile situations.
As an Out Of Hours worker you may have weeks where you may have no calls at all and other weeks a child/young person may be in crisis and may require your intervention on consecutive sessions. This is usually achieved over the telephone, you speaking to the carer, child/YP or both, as a support and mediator. Occasionally you will need to access additional support for the foster family, in order to maintain the placement through the crisis and liaise with relevant Local Authority professionals. You must therefore be comfortable and confident in acting upon your own initiative to set up the support necessary to get through the presenting crisis in a safe manner. You may also, in certain circumstances, be called out to the foster home if your assistance is needed in person.
You will work from your own home, or wherever you are, as you will have your own OOH mobile telephone. This gives you freedom of movement as long as you ensure you remain in a good mobile signal area and available to respond with immediacy. Because you work from home your sleep patterns are rarely interrupted after 1am and such late interventions are unusual.
By attending the Monday Morning Social Work Meetings, the OOH worker is able to contribute effectively to the overall care planning and is perceived as a valuable and valued team member of the team around the child. The role is best suited to someone with a great deal of varied social work experience and you will be able to use a variety of intervention skills as an integral part of this role.
If you would like to apply for this post, please contact us using the form below.