Specialist Social Worker - Paediatric Kidney Service

• To provide a specialist social work service to children, young people and families receiving care within the South West Paediatric Kidney Service.
• To promote the wellbeing of patients and families and help achieve the best possible health and social outcomes.
• To support families in managing the emotional, practical, financial and safeguarding challenges associated with kidney disease.
• To contribute to multidisciplinary care planning and service development initiatives within the Paediatric Kidney Service.

• Deliver a needs-led specialist social work service in accordance with legislation, professional standards and best practice.
• Undertake psychosocial assessments and identify social, emotional, safeguarding and practical needs of children, young people and their families.
• Coordinate psychosocial aspects of care pathways including diagnosis, dialysis, transplantation and transition to adult services.
• Provide emotional and practical support to children, young people and families during periods of illness, treatment and hospital admission.
• Support families experiencing distress, uncertainty, significant life changes or bereavement.
• Assist families with accessing financial support, welfare benefits, grants and charitable funding opportunities.
• Promote treatment engagement and help address barriers to treatment adherence and attendance.

• Provide advice regarding safeguarding, child protection and social care issues affecting children and families.
• Liaise with safeguarding teams, local authorities and external agencies as appropriate.
• Advocate for children, young people and families to ensure their needs are recognised and addressed.
• Promote anti-discriminatory and inclusive practice throughout all areas of work.

• Participate in multi-agency meetings, Team Around the Child meetings and safeguarding discussions as required.
• Promote awareness among external agencies of the challenges associated with paediatric kidney disease and long-term health conditions.
• Support coordinated discharge planning and community reintegration where required.

• Contribute to service development projects and innovations within the Paediatric Kidney Service.
• Support family workshops, patient education events and peer support opportunities.
• Assist with organisation of family engagement activities including peer-support days and annual renal family events.

• Actively participate in supervision, appraisal and mandatory training.
• Participate in local and national paediatric renal social work networks and peer supervision opportunities.
• Maintain professional registration and continuing professional development requirements.
• Contribute to the performance management process through objective setting and review.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role and grade as agreed with the line manager.

• Better outcomesforourPatients
• More opportunitiesforourPeople
• Fairer more consistent careforourPopulation
• Best ValueforPublic Purse

Our visionforfive years from now

• Patients will wait less time to be diagnosed and treated, and they will have the same high-quality experience and outcomes, regardless of who they are or where they live.

• We will meet rising demand by maximising the use of our available resources.
• More care will be delivered nearer to patients, in their homes or the community.
• Digital technologies will have transformed the way we work and the way we deliver care.
• Our people will feel engaged, energised and empowered by their work.
• We will be known as a place where people enjoyworking, training and building a career.
• Our volume of globally renowned research and innovation will have grown significantly.
• We will contribute to system financial balance

Essential

• Current registration with Social Work England
• Degree in Social Work or recognised equivalent qualification

Essential

• Minimum three years post-qualification social work experience
• Experience of working with children, young people and families with complex needs.
• Experience of safeguarding and child protection work
• Understanding of equality, diversity, and anti-discriminatory practice

Desirable

• Experience working within healthcare, disability or long-term conditions
• Experience working within paediatric services
• Experience in service development, quality improvement or research activity

Essential

• Ability to manage a varied caseload and prioritise effectively
• Able to manage sensitive information and demonstrate active listening skills
• Able to demonstrate empathic and relatable manner in working with families and team members
• Able to demonstrate good organisations and time management skills

Desirable

• Driving licence and ability to travel within the South West

Essential

• Able to assess the SW needs of patients and families in a physical health setting
• Able to generate systemic and individual assessments and interventions based on applying socal work principles to the complex information generated by the family, health and social care systems
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the roles of a specialist social worker in relation to a patient/ their family/ the staff teams/ and the wider organisational systems around them
• Able to prioritise workload depending on risk/need
• Understanding of own needs related to job role and evidence of managing this

Desirable

• Knowledge of welfare benefits and charitable funding systems