Lead Social Worker

The main purpose of the Lead Social Worker role is to ensure the delivery of high quality palliative care social work services across the organisationthrough effective leadership, including operational responsibility for safeguarding. The role will provide strongprofessional role modelling and leadership across all areas of hospice services,with both strategic and operational influence,will be central to the design and delivery of services and contribute tothe continuous improvement of evidence-based practice in relation to holisticpsychosocial care and support for hospice patients and families.

The role has the potential for hybrid working, however the post holder is required to travel across all organisational sites in order to be able toeffectively undertake the role.

• Provide leadership, co-ordination, management, and development of the social work team across all organisation sites
• Act as operational safeguarding lead (adults and children) including MCA and DoLS, providing advice and guidance to colleagues
• Oversee the planning and allocation of the social work resource to meet service needs and ensure services are delivered
• Undertake direct social work practice with patients and families where required to maintain service delivery
• Lead and support the social work team in the review, evaluation and development of social work and wider psychosocial services
• Act as an expert resource on specialist psychosocial care and safeguarding issues
• Lead on audit, education and mentoring of staff
• Contribute to and manage quality assurance measures
• Provide professional supervision and safeguarding supervision
• Promote safeguarding as everyones responsibility across the whole organisation
• Lead on the delivery of Level 3 Safeguarding and MCA/DoLS education and training to clinical teams
• Work collaboratively with clinicians and stakeholders to support service development and improvement
• Represent the social work team at organisational level and lead on policy review and development
• Develop own professional role and practice, ensuring professional supervision is established and CPD requirements are met
• Co-ordinate opportunities for student placements within the social work team
• Manage staff sickness absence, annual leave ensuring adequate cross site cover where required

As an award winning employer, Pilgrims provides end of life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families.

Our Vision

Of a community where people with a terminal illness and their family and friends are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our vision and our organisational and charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a high standard, and actively role model our organisational behaviours and values.

As an Employer of Choice we are committed supporting our employees and volunteers through both a holistic benefits package, and also through wellbeing and work/life balance.

Our hospices offer:

• Friendly and highly professional working environments alongside passionate people
• Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
• A workplace pension scheme. Those joining us from the NHS may retain eligibility to membership of the NHS pension scheme
• Subsidised meals
• A good work life balance and realistic working hours

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide leadership, co-ordination, management, and development of the social work team across all organisation sites, enabling efficient working and effective delivery of high-quality palliative psycho-social care, support and intervention.
• To act as operational safeguarding lead (adults and children) including Mental capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), providing advice and guidance to colleagues
• Oversee the planning and allocation of…