CHW003 Social Worker, Senior Medical, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Community Healthcare West

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Social Worker, Senior Medical, CAMHS, Community Healthcare West

Job Specification & Terms and Conditions

Job Title and Grade

Social Worker, Senior Medical,

Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

Community Healthcare West

(Grade Code: 3019)

Campaign Reference

CHW003-SWSMCAHMS-2025

Closing Date

Friday 31st January 2025 at 12 noon.

Proposed Interview Date (s)

Proposed interview dates will be indicated at a later stage. Please note you may be called forward for interview at short notice.

Taking up Appointment

A start date will be indicated at job offer stage.

Location of Post

There is currently one permanent whole-time vacancy available in CAMHS as follows:

· Roscommon Community CAMHS Castle Court House, Castle Street,

A panel may be formed as a result of this campaign for Social Worker, Senior Medical, CAMHS, Community Healthcare West, from which current and future, permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part-time duration for the post of Social Worker, Senior Medical, CAMHS, CHW may be filled.

Informal Enquiries

Lianne Gallivan

Principal Social Worker

0864183382

lianne.gallivan@hse.ie

Details of Service

The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary CAMHS Team, providing a therapeutic service to young people under 18 with moderate to severe mental illness to include individual, family and group interventions. Referrals are accepted from local GPs, hospitals and community services to support those presenting with moderate to severe mental illness.

Reporting Relationship

The post holder will report to the Principal Social Worker.

Purpose of the Post

To deliver high quality therapeutic and social work interventions for young people and their families.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Social Worker, Senior Medical will:

Professional / Clinical

· Deliver a quality service to service users ensuring professional standards are maintained in accordance with the requirements as set out by CORU https://coru.ie/files-education/swrb-standards-of-proficiency-for-social-workers.pdf

· Ensure the delivery of social work services is in accordance with CORU's Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for the Social Work profession, relevant legislation and HSE policies, procedures, guidelines and protocols.

· Work in accordance with the principles and values of recovery as described in the National Framework for Recovery for Irish Mental Health Services 2018-2020.

· Incorporate Social Work values and ethical principles in planning, developing, implementing and reviewing interventions.

· Ensure the promotion of the social model of care and recognition of the social determinants of health and well-being.

· Ensure the implementation of models of best practice / evidence based practice.

· Be responsible for the management of the day-to-day provision of the social work service in conjunction with other Senior Medical Social Workers and the Principal Social Worker

· Take direct responsibility for a defined caseload as required, in particular cases that require a high level of experience and expertise.

· Provide a comprehensive social work service to patients and families, to include psycho-social assessment, intervention, discharge planning and follow up or referral on, as required, to statutory and / or voluntary services.

· Make it possible for clients / service users to advocate for their own needs, or where appropriate advocate on behalf of service users.

· Ensure the delivery of social work services in an integrated and multidisciplinary manner with a range of statutory and voluntary groups and organisations. Develop effective working relationships with and between individual, different agencies, community resources and other professionals.

· Formulate discharge care plans for Service Users together with the multidisciplinary team, to assess a Service user's support system in order to ensure that, upon discharge, Service users have an appropriate level of support for their needs in their families and community.

· Maintain continuity of service in Social Work provision to clients already known / referred through the Community Team when they have transferred to any other setting e.g. residential / hospital.

· Ensure anti-discriminatory practice and cultural competence, at individual and service levels.

· Provide an appropriate level of supervision for staff consistent with good practice and the local / national Supervision Policy.

· Actively participate as a member of the the multi-disciplinaryteam / service in team building and change management initiatives.

· Attend case conferences, meetings court, tribunals etc. as required.

· Participate in working groups / committees.

· Provide supervision and support to PQSWs as required and directed by line management.

· Keep Line Manager fully informed and up-to-date on all significant matters.

Education & Training

· Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by monitoring and reviewing the standards within their area of responsibility, participating in and organising continuous professional development initiatives and professional development planning.

· Engage in career and professional development planning in collaboration with the Principal Social Worker (or designate) and in meeting CORU expectations.

· Keep up to date with advances in Social Work research, and on-going review and evaluation of literature relevant to the assigned area.

· Keep abreast of developments in national policies and strategies and international best practice.

· Keep up to date with organisational developments within the Irish Health Service.

· Actively engage in staff development and training by making recommendations with regard to the on-going education, mentoring, training and in-service needs of social workers.

· Act as a resource by participating in and promoting the education and training of Social Work colleagues, other health professionals and service user groups including clinical audit and research.

· Manage, participate and play a role in the practice education of student social workers, supervise student social work placements.

· Foster an understanding of the role and contribution of social work by providing professional consultation and education to other members of the service.

· Take an active role in professional clinical supervision and engage in reflective practice in accordance with CORU requirements and the local / national Supervision Policy.

· Engage in the HSE performance achievement process in conjunction with your Line Manager and staff as appropriate.

Health & Safety

· Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.

· Document appropriately and report any near misses, hazards and accidents and bring them to the attention of designated individual (s) in line with best practice.

· Work in a safe manner with due care and attention to the safety of self and others.

· Be aware of risk management issues. Adequately identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risk within their area of responsibility.

· Comply with department procedures with regard to assessment, recommendation and/or manufacturing of all assistive devices.

· Promote a culture that values diversity and respect.

· Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.

· Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

Management

· Contribute to service developments by monitoring and evaluating emerging needs and trends / identifying unmet needs and service requirements into the future, and recognising and replicating successful interventions.

· In consultation with the Principal Social Worker (or designate) develop the role of the social worker and the service through, for example, planning, audit, production of standards, continuing education, quality improvement initiatives and research.

· Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring and budgetary control of service.

· Provide leadership and motivation in optimising service delivery by developing teams and promoting change management.

· Take responsibility for the supervision and line management of staff as required.

· Be responsible for the probationary appraisal of staff and the completion of probationary appraisal reports as required. Make appropriate recommendations regarding whether employees' standard of work during probation is satisfactory and whether appointments should be confirmed.

· Ensure compliance with and implement HR policies, procedures and guidelines.

· Contribute to a range of reports including annual reports, performance indicators, etc. as required.

· Maintain a high standard of documentation, including service user files in accordance with local guidelines, Freedom of Information (FOI) and GDPR Acts.

· Maintain accurate up to date records and files, and submit activity data as required.

· Write accurate, clear, concise and purposeful reports.

· Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols and audit systems.

· Assist in ensuring that the social work service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in IT.

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/ or experience

Candidates must have at the latest date of application:

(i) Be registered, or be eligible for registration, on the Social Workers Register maintained by the Social Workers Registration Board at CORU.

AND

(ii) Have 3 years full time (or an aggregate of 3 years full time) relevant post qualification experience.

AND

(iii) Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

(iv) Provide proof of Statutory Registration on the Social Workers Register maintained by the Social Workers Registration Board at CORU before a contract of employment can be issued.

Annual registration

(i) On appointment practitioners must maintain annual registration on the Social Workers Register maintained by the Social Workers Registration Board at CORU.

AND

(ii) Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character

Post Specific Requirements

Demonstrate your depth and breadth of Social Work experience in Mental Health Services as relevant to the role to include evidence of:

• Therapeutic experience or knowledge working with young people and/or their families.

• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

• Ability to provide detailed psychosocial assessments and relevant interventions as part of the MDT.

• Ability to develop and deliver groupwork interventions as the need arises

Other requirements specific to the post

· This post may involve some rostered weekend work

· Have access to appropriate transport to fulfil the requirements of the role.

· Experience in creating reports as a mandated person under Protection of Children Guidance and Legislation is desirable.

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge

Professional Knowledge & Experience

· Demonstrates sufficient professional knowledge to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role safely and effectively within the legal, ethical and practice boundaries of the profession.

· Demonstrates knowledge of the various theoretical models, approaches and interventions that apply in current practice.

· Demonstrates a commitment to promoting and applying evidence based practice and research.

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• Demonstrates a clear understanding of risk assessment.
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• Demonstrates the ability to utilise supervision effectively and a commitment to continuous professional development.
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• Demonstrates a willingness to engage with ICT and develop ICT skills relevant to the role.
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Planning and Managing Resources

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• Demonstrates the ability to effectively plan activities and co-ordinate resources to ensure value for money and maximum benefit for the organisation.
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• Demonstrates the ability to manage self and others in a busy working environment including the ability to prioritise and effectively handle multiple tasks.
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• Foresees potential problems or competing priorities and takes appropriate action to ensure service standards don't suffer / deadlines are met.
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• Demonstrates innovation in aiming to work within resource limitations to sustain and enhance the service, within a model of person-centred care.
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Managing & Developing (Self & Others)

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• Demonstrates the ability to manage and develop self and others in a busy working environment including the ability to prioritise caseloads for self and others.
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• Actively promotes multi / interdisciplinary team working.
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• Demonstrates effective leadership, providing clear direction for staff in relation to the goals of their function and how they fit in with the broader organisational strategy.
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Motivates and empowers staff by appropriately delegating responsibility and authority

Commitment to providing a Quality Service

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• Accepts accountability for standards of performance in area of responsibility.
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• Monitors and reviews the work of the team to ensure its quality and accuracy.
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• Demonstrates initiative and innovation in identifying areas for service improvement.
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• Motivates self and others in facilitating change and improving service delivery.
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• Promotes the service user as expert through experience by involving service users in care planning, decision-making and service development.
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Evaluating Information and Judging Situations

· Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse, evaluate information, and make effective decisions with regard to service user care.

· Demonstrates the ability to think ahead to the consequences of decisions and considers precedence to ensure consistency.

· Confidently explains the rationale behind decisions when faced with opposition or competing demands.

· Establishes integrity by ensuring that the professional, ethical and safety factors are fully considered in decisions into which they have input.

Communications and Interpersonal Skills

· Displays effective communication skills (verbal & written).

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• Maintains a professional relationship in all communications, treating others with dignity and respect
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• Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with others to understand and establish expectations and desired outcomes.
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• Demonstrates sensitivity, diplomacy and tact when dealing with others, is patient and tolerant when dealing with conflict situations.
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• Demonstrates strong negotiation skills, remains firm but flexible when putting forward a point of view.
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Campaign Specific Selection Process

Ranking/Shortlisting / Interview

A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements.

Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands' depending on the service needs of the organisation.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

The HSE is an equal opportunities employer.

Employees of the HSE bring a range of skills, talents, diverse thinking and experience to the organisation. The HSE believes passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to its success – we aim to develop the workforce of the HSE so that it reflects the diversity of HSE service users and to strengthen it through accommodating and valuing different perspectives. Ultimately this will result in improved service user and employee experience.

The HSE is committed to creating a positive working environment whereby all employees inclusive of age, civil status, disability, ethnicity and race, family status, gender, membership of the Traveller community, religion and sexual orientation are respected, valued and can reach their full potential. The HSE aims to achieve this through development of an organisational culture where injustice, bias and discrimination are not tolerated.

The HSE welcomes people with diverse backgrounds and offers a range of supports and resources to staff, such as those who require a reasonable accommodation at work because of a disability or long term health condition.

For further information on the HSE commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, please visit the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion web page at https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/diversity/

Code of Practice

The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be applied on a principle basis. The Code also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, facilities for feedback to applicants on matters relating to their application when requested, and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process and review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice. Additional information on the HSE's review process is available in the document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice, Information for Candidates”.

Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs in the document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice, Information for Candidates” or on www.cpsa.ie.

The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as structures change the job specification may be reviewed.

This job specification is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

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Social Worker, Senior Medical, CAMHS,

Community Healthcare West

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Tenure

The current vacancy available is permanent and whole time.

The post is pensionable. A panel may be created for Social Worker Senior Medical, CAMHS, Community Healthcare West, from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part time duration for the post of Social Worker, Senior Medical, CAMHS, CHW may be filled. The tenure of these posts will be indicated at “expression of interest” stage.

Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 and Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Amendment Act 2013.

Remuneration

The salary scale for the post at 01/10/2024:

€68,899-€70,863-€72,830-€74,794-€76,759-€78,722-€79,474

New appointees to any grade start at the minimum point of the scale. Incremental credit will be applied for recognised relevant service in Ireland and abroad (Department of Health Circular 2/2011). Incremental credit is normally granted on appointment, in respect of previous experience in the Civil Service, Local Authorities, Health Service and other Public Service Bodies and Statutory Agencies.

Working Week

The standard working week applying to the post is to be confirmed at Job Offer stage.

HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service Needs (Extended Working Day / Week Arrangements); Framework for Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016” applies. Under the terms of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to promotional posts from Dec 16th 2008 will be required to work agreed roster / on call arrangements as advised by their line manager. Contracted hours of work are liable to change between the hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day services in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016).

Annual Leave

The annual leave associated with the post will be confirmed at Contracting stage.

Superannuation

This is a pensionable position with the HSE. The successful candidate will upon appointment become a member of the appropriate pension scheme. Pension scheme membership will be notified within the contract of employment. Members of pre-existing pension schemes who transferred to the HSE on the 01st January 2005 pursuant to Section 60 of the Health Act 2004 are entitled to superannuation benefit terms under the HSE Scheme which are no less favourable to those which they were entitled to at 31st December 2004

Age

The Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act, 2018* set 70 years as the compulsory retirement age for public servants.

* Public Servants not affected by this legislation:

Public servants joining the public service, or re-joining the public service with a 26 week break in service, between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2012 (new entrants) have no compulsory retirement age.

Public servants, joining the public service or re-joining the public service after a 26 week break, after 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Pension Scheme and have a compulsory retirement age of 70.

Probation

Every appointment of a person who is not already a permanent officer of the Health Service Executive or of a Local Authority shall be subject to a probationary period of 12 months as stipulated in the Department of Health Circular No.10/71.

Protection of Children Guidance and Legislation

The welfare and protection of children is the responsibility of all HSE staff. You must be aware of and understand your specific responsibilities under the Children First Act 2015, the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 in accordance with Section 2, Children First National Guidance and other relevant child safeguarding legislation and policies.

Some staff have additional responsibilities such as Line Managers, Designated Officers and Mandated Persons. You should check if you are a Designated Officer and / or a Mandated Person and be familiar with the related roles and legal responsibilities.

For further information, guidance and resources please visit: HSE Children First webpage

Infection Control

Have a working knowledge of Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.

Health & Safety

It is the responsibility of line managers to ensure that the management of safety, health and welfare is successfully integrated into all activities undertaken within their area of responsibility, so far as is reasonably practicable. Line managers are named and roles and responsibilities detailed in the relevant Site Specific Safety Statement (SSSS).

Key responsibilities include:

· Developing a SSSS for the department/service[1], as applicable, based on the identification of hazards and the assessment of risks, and reviewing/updating same on a regular basis (at least annually) and in the event of any significant change in the work activity or place of work.

· Ensuring that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is integrated into day-to-day business, providing Systems Of Work (SOW) that are planned, organised, performed, maintained and revised as appropriate, and ensuring that all safety related records are maintained and available for inspection.

· Consulting and communicating with staff and safety representatives on OSH matters.

· Ensuring a training needs assessment (TNA) is undertaken for employees, facilitating their attendance at statutory OSH training, and ensuring records are maintained for each employee.

· Ensuring that all incidents occurring within the relevant department/service are appropriately managed and investigated in accordance with HSE procedures[2].

· Seeking advice from health and safety professionals through the National Health and Safety Function Helpdesk as appropriate.

· Reviewing the health and safety performance of the ward/department/service and staff through, respectively, local audit and performance achievement meetings for example.

Note: Detailed roles and responsibilities of Line Managers are outlined in local SSSS.

[1] A template SSSS and guidelines are available on the National Health and Safety Function/H&S web-pages

[2]See link on health and safety web-pages to latest Incident Management Policy