JOB DESCRIPTION Under Review 1. Post Title CARE TEAM MEMBER SOCIAL WORKER 2. Grade CT3, Points 23 to 27 CT2, Points 21 to 22 is available for those with limited post registration / relevant experience. 3. Location Little Harbour, Porthpean Road, Porthpean, St. Austell, Cornwall PL26 6AZ and other locations, as needed, in order to care for children who use the hospice. 4. Brief Overall Description of the Post 5. To Whom Directly Responsible 6. For Whom Directly Accountable 7. Any Specific Training / Experience 8. Details of any Particular or Informal / Extended Links Necessary to Achieve Tasks To provide social work expertise to the multi disciplinary Care Team at the hospice, offering advice, training and support. To create a homely and welcoming environment in which families feel nurtured and rested. To provide friendship and care, (including physical, emotional, social and spiritual care) to the sick child and their immediate and extended family working flexibly alongside the families, supporting them in the manner that they choose. To develop a supportive relationship as a professional friend to named children and their families, keeping in touch with them between visits to the hospice and maintaining close liaison with other practitioners and agencies involved in their care. Head of Care. Children. Self. Relevant professional qualification in social work and current professional registration. Post registration experience working with children and families essential, preferably working with children with life limiting/life threatening conditions or with chronic ill health/disability. Training in counselling and/or care of the dying and bereaved advantageous. To Head of Care and named Team Leader on Care Management Team To fellow members of the Care Team. To Medical Director and Children s Hospice Doctors To the sick children and their families. To the other agencies involved in the child s care at home. 1
9. MAJOR TASKS: CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 9.1 Care of children and families. i. To contribute positively to the creation and sustaining of a caring, friendly and welcoming community environment, informal in nature and minimising institutional practices. ii. To offer friendship and support to the sick child and their families (parents, siblings and extended family) according to the individual needs and wishes of the family. iii. To provide total care (physical, emotional, social and spiritual) for the sick children and members of the family. This may include feeding; washing; play; specific medical/nursing care; listening/befriending; giving information; and outings with the sick child and/or siblings. iv. To work flexibly alongside the families, recognising the child and family s expertise, and allowing the family to choose the level of involvement from the Care Team. v. To respect and follow the child s routine of care, as outlined by the parents, and ensure this is accurately recorded and clearly communicated to other Care Team members. If it becomes necessary to amend the child s care, to negotiate this with the child s family and liaise with other professionals involved with the child at home. vi. To participate equally with other Care Team members in general household duties, to facilitate the smooth running and family feel of the hospice and relieve the families of this pressure. This may include washing and ironing linen and children s clothes; cleaning the children and family bedrooms; answering the telephone; offering hospitality to family visitors; preparing meals in the absence of the cook/chef; and other duties as reasonably required. 9.2 Care of group of named contact children/families i. To foster close and effective working relationships with contact partners on the Care Team to ensure a cohesive and responsive support team for the children and families for whom you are the named contacts. ii. To develop and maintain a special interest in the children and families for whom you are a Contact, keeping in touch on regularly whilst the child is at home, and help the children and families gain maximum benefit from the hospice services and support. iii. Provide ongoing care and bereavement support to families after their child s death, tailoring the support provided to the needs and wishes of each individual family. iv. Liaise closely with other CHSW staff about any specific needs of the families for whom you act as Contact and maintain a close and collaborative working partnership with other professionals, services and agencies involved with the child and family at home. v. Ensure that documentary records are kept of all communication with children and families undertaken as part of contact role. vi. Participate in the annual review of contact children/families playing an active role in identifying the level of CHSW service use by each child/family; the needs of the child/family; and the services and support provided at home. 9.3 Safety and quality standards i. To be conscientious and careful in the maintenance of accurate records of all types, written and computerised, and to ensure confidentiality is respected and protected at all times. ii. To be aware of the safety needs of children, siblings, parents and other staff and adopt a preventative safety approach at all times. Report all accidents and incidents accurately and promptly to the Head of Care or, in her absence, the Duty Manager or Shift Co-ordinator. iii. To be aware of your health and safety responsibilities, as an employee of Children s Hospice South West, and adhere to these wherever you are working. iv. To regularly update and maintain your knowledge of safety rules; fire drills; internal security; and accident procedures and adhere to these at all times. 2
v. To be committed to the delivery of a quality service, keenly participating in any quality review measures in place at Little Harbour. To be responsive to feedback, actively seeking informal comments from families, and show a positive and open-minded attitude to new initiatives vi. To be committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable young adults, including siblings, and to: Comply with the CHSW Safeguarding Children/Vulnerable Adult policies. Recognise the rights of every child/vulnerable young adult attending the hospice and work within the principles of good childcare practice. To adhere to appropriate professional boundaries. To ensure any child/vulnerable adult protection concern is conveyed immediately to the Head of Care (or in their absence a member of the Care Management Team). 9.4 Support and supervision i. To be considerate and supportive of fellow Care Team members, and other staff and volunteers working for Children s Hospice South West. ii. To recognise the emotional toll caused by working closely alongside seriously ill/dying children and grieving families and to take responsibility for taking account of your own emotional well being. To take steps to maintain a balance between work and home life and to be aware of professional boundaries. To access the pastoral support offered by the Care Management Team appropriately and to participate in staff support strategies available within CHSW. iii. To play an active role in both individual and group supervision sessions provided by your Line Manager on the Care Team. 9.5 Communication/Team working. i. To contribute positively to the cohesiveness and well being of the hospice Care Team. ii. To regularly attend Care Team and other relevant meetings to be kept up to date with information and to participate in shared decision making. iii. To value the skills and qualities other Care Team members bring to the hospice and to be prepared to work in a multi-skilling environment. To be open about your capabilities and limitations, sharing your particular expertise and learning new skills freely and willingly. iv. To welcome new members of the Care Team in a positive manner and assist them to integrate into the Care Team. To participate in the orientation programmes for new members of staff. v. To make good use of the agreed systems of communication, (such as Care Team Meetings; shift handover; communication book; consultation processes; etc) to promote successful two way communication. 9.6 Resource awareness i. To be aware of the need to use the resources of Children s Hospice South West wisely and effectively to meet the needs of the children and their families, but maintaining a cost conscious approach to avoid wasteful use of funds. ii. To participate in the collection of service use data for contact children on an annual basis in order to supply PCT s and other commissioners with an overview of service use. 9.7 Networking and promotion of CHSW i. To promote the philosophy and practice of children s hospice care beyond the establishment by, for example, acting as a resource to other health care professionals and speaking at seminars/training events/open days provided from the hospice. ii. To take an active role in networking with fellow professionals involved in the care of contact children and families in order to assist the provision of seamless care for children and families. 9.8 Personal and Professional Development i. To adopt a positive and reflective approach to personal and professional development, participating constructively in an annual performance review, and to seek and utilise learning opportunities of all types to enhance your performance. 3
ii. To ensure that statutory professional updating and educational requirements are maintained and provide proof of renewed registration when this is due. To abide by your profession s published Code of Conduct; CHSW policies; and the CHSW Staff Handbook. 10. MAJOR TASKS: SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Social Worker i. To develop and maintain professional competence to meet the wide ranging social work needs of the children and families attending the hospice, developing specific expertise in children s palliative/bereavement care. To provide advice, guidance, training and support to fellow members of the Care Team with regard to the professional and practical aspects of social work which will enable them to deliver holistic, one to one care safely and competently. ii. To work in conjunction with the Care Management Team, Education Coordinators and fellow social workers to develop and maintain a comprehensive information and learning resource regarding social work practice. iii. To undertake the role of Safeguarding Link within the hospice in which they are employed, attending Local Safeguarding Children Board meetings and keeping abreast of changing legislation and guidance in safeguarding children practice. To support the Head of Care in responding to child protection incidents, providing advice regarding specific incidents if required but without assuming responsibility for the management of these incidents. In conjunction with the Head of Care, to support members of the Care Team when involved in following up child protection incidents. To participate in debriefs following child protection incidents and facilitate reflection and learning in the course of reviewing child protection incidents. iv. As Safeguarding Link act as the named lead for safeguarding training within the hospice. Working in conjunction with the Education Coordinators, responsible for: providing a comprehensive resource of guidance information to support the Care Team in the effective implementation of safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures; ensuring that all new staff receive training during induction regarding the Safeguarding Children Policy, the Child Protection Procedure, and how to recognise and respond to a child protection incident; and organising an annual safeguarding/child protection update training session for all care employees. v. With the agreement of the Head of Care, take lead responsibility for at least one project area relating to social work, for example benefits advice or bereavement care/counselling.. vi. To liaise with colleagues within the network of children s hospices and children s palliative care services who have expertise and specific responsibility for social work within a children s palliative care setting, ensuring the service at the hospice is informed by best practice and kept up to date with new innovations. vii. To liaise with colleagues working in social work services across the South West to ensure the hospice is recognised as part of the social care provision for life limited children and young people within the region. viii. With the Head of Care, determine time to be allocated off shift to dedicate to improving and developing the provision of social work at the hospice; agree objectives to be achieved during this time; and provide a report to the Head of Care regarding progress made. 11.0 To work contracted hours, including unsociable hours (weekends, evenings and nights) as required, and take meals with the families during your working hours when working alongside a child and their family. 4
NOTE: The above outlines the duties required for the time being, to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list duties, which do not change the general character of the job or level of responsibility entailed, may be varied from time to time. This job description will be reviewed annually, in line with the developing organisation and service specification, but any amendments made will follow consultation with the post holder. Originator s Reference: MR Amended: June 2011 5