We Are St Helens Borough Council
Located in the heart of the Northwest close to Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire, St Helens is a transformational Council which is passionate and ambitious for the communities we support. We provide a wide range of local authority services to the residents, businesses, schools, and visitors to the borough. We can only do this because of our highly valued, highly skilled workforce.
Working together, our workplace vision and values guide our organisation, and the contribution of our workforce is key to our culture journey. Employees with us receive a wide range of benefits including well-being in work, financial benefits, ways of working and learning and development support.
Supporting Systems Change for the Homeless as a Trusted Assessor
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Senior Social Worker/Social Worker/ASYE to take on an innovative new role as Trusted Assessor within the wider St Helens Homelessness Pathway.
This post is offered on a temporary 18 month fixed term basis.
The role will require you to work with members of the homeless population, either street-living or within temporary accommodation (hostels), supporting them to move through the homeless pathway by assessing their social care needs; where appropriate making referrals to Adult Social Work and where they do not meet thresholds supporting other practitioners to identify alternative pathways of support.
Candidates for this post must have a passion for working with the most vulnerable and complex. They must possess an understanding of trauma and psychologically informed work.
This innovative role is part of a pilot to support St Helens with wider systems change across local authority services. As such, the candidate must feel confident networking with other organisations and possess a commitment to find solutions which may go beyond service boundaries. The candidate must also be willing to work flexibly, going to support individuals at their place of need (either on the street, or in their current accommodation provision).
Candidates must have experience in undertaking social care assessments, identifying eligible needs and outcomes and the care planning process.
Experience of the role of enquiry practitioner in a safeguarding adults context is vital, as is an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act regarding Best Interest Decisions.
You must possess a relevant social work qualification - CQSW, DIPSW, CSS or a Degree in Social Work and be registered with Social Work England. This post is subject to Social Work England Registration.
Day to day, the candidate will work alongside homelessness services such as temporary accommodation providers (hostels), Housing Options and Advice Service, the Homeless Health Service and the Assertive Outreach team. However, you will receive regular supervision with the Council’s adult social work team including training and appraisals and support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (commissioner) regarding learning and service development.
This Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all clients and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Chris Hardman, Head Of Social Work for Adult Social Work Working Age on 01744 673182 or Lee Norman, Head of Housing on 07765226644.
This post is subject to Enhanced DBS Disclosure
Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive a sufficient number of applications and encourage you to apply early, to avoid disappointment.
Equality & Diversity
St Helens Council respects and values the individuality that every employee brings. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our organisation. Further information about Equality & Diversity at St Helens Council can be found here https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/equality
St Helens Council is a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident Employers lead the way in helping to take action that changes attitudes, behaviours, and cultures for the better.
NOLAN Principles of Conduct in Public Life.
All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan
Principles: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.
