Graduate Recruitment Professionally Qualified Social Worker

The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st January 2014 and is responsible for a range of statutory functions including provision of child protection, alternative care, specified regulatory services and a range of family support services.

The Agency has commenced a major improvement programme with significant focus on Practice, Culture and Structure.

The Agency currently has responsibility for a budget of circa €1.2billion and delivers its services

through over 5,500 people in 259 locations across the Country.

The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Parenting, Family Support and Early Help Services
• Birth Information & Tracing and Adoption
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..ie

• Provide a direct point of access for the local community and offer initial and holistic social assessment and intervention to children, youth, families and groups.
• Provide an initial assessment service to the care group and to develop referral procedures with other social work networked services.
• Identify service users’ individual and collective needs in partnership with them and co-create early interventions and/or social action strategies to meet those needs.
• Manage and prioritise a caseload appropriate to the post.
• Provide supportive counselling, emotional and practical support, and information to service users and their families.
• Adopt a holistic approach aimed at enhancing the quality of life, health and social well-being of all persons within the service area.
• Promote independence, self-reliance, self-determination and empowerment with persons in their environment, with families and local groups.
• Make it possible for service users to advocate for their own needs, or where appropriate advocate on behalf of service users.
• Plan, deliver and engage in systemic interventions as appropriate with children, youth and families, groups, organisations and communities.
• Participate and take leadership in community needs assessment and ongoing community involvement including initiating and participating in prevention and health promotion activities.
• Deliver social work service in collaboration with other disciplines / agencies as required, in appropriate settings reflecting the needs of the service user.
• Assess where social conditions are a major factor in health and social wellbeing, consult and plan with the service user/ relevant team/ service and arrange appropriate social services for those who need them.
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes of person centred care plans for individual service users.
• Actively participate as a member of the relevant team/ service in team building and change management initiatives.
• Attend case conferences, meetings and other relevant fora as required.
• Attend court, tribunals etc as required.
• Work within current legislation, relevant policies and procedures, guidelines and protocols as laid down by the employer.
• Incorporate Social Work values and ethical principles in planning, developing, implementing and reviewing interventions.
• Implement models of best practice / evidence based practice.
• Work within a key worker / case worker system, providing a co-ordinating role for case management where appropriate.
• Take direction from his / her line manager.
• Take an active role in an appropriate level of planned professional supervision, in accordance with the local/ national Supervision Policy.
• Engage in reflective practice.
• Deputise for the Social Work Team Leader as agreed / appropriate.
• Promote a culture that values diversity and respect in the workplace.
• Keep the Team Leader fully informed and up-to-date on all significant matters.

• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attendance at courses as appropriate.
• Engage in career and professional development planning in collaboration with the Social Work Team Leader / Principal Social Worker.
• Keep up to date with advances in Social Work research, and ongoing review and evaluation of literature…