Management Grouping: Children’s Services
Team: Children with disabilities team
Location: Bexleyheath
Salary: £31,290 to £33,129
Contract: Permanent – 36 hours per week
Closing Date: 10th of October
We are looking for an enthusiastic person to be our Short Breaks Coordinator/Social Work Assistant in the Children with disabilities team.
As a Council, we prioritize our responsibilities for children, young people, their families and carers. We are working to strengthen families, to enable them to identify their own solutions where there are difficulties, creating strong family networks and effective safety plans as the fundamentals to the protection and care of children.
Our established family engagement group, FL.A.RE (Family Learning, Advocacy & Restorative Engagement), and children in care forums Positive Journeys, Positive Journeys Seniors, and Bexley’s Young Director support us with practice development and delivery. Front line practitioners have the opportunity to learn from our children, young people and families, and be part of this work.
The Social Work Assistants undertake a range of support tasks including providing practical support for children, young people and their families. This includes coordinating aspects of care packages, recognising where social work input is required and supporting clients to make informed decisions. You will be involved in contributing to assessments of children with disabilities and their families, providing support and guidance to children and their families who are subject to Child in Need and Child Protection plans and undertaking specific pieces of work with families to support child and family plans.
The successful candidate will need to be resourceful and able to use practical problem solving skills and be able to encourage, support and motivate children and their families. You will need to be able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and be able to listen and observe to identify problems. A relevant child care qualification and an understanding of the principles of the 1989 Children’s Act would be an advantage.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Job Purpose
Short breaks are positive, fun activities for disabled children and young people (0 to 18 years) to take part in. They can be anything from a couple of hours at an after school activity or weekend club, to an overnight stay for those with more profound needs
The Short Breaks Coordinator will be responsible for supporting children with disabilities and their families to access and benefit from high-quality short breaks provision. The post holder will oversee the administration and monitoring of Direct Payment accounts and pre-paid card systems, provide guidance to families on employing personal assistants, and work collaboratively with both commissioned and non-commissioned services to ensure the delivery of meaningful short break activities. They will hold a caseload of families, contribute to reviews and panels, and work alongside social workers and social work assistants to ensure children’s needs are met and safeguarding standards are upheld.
Direct Payments and Financial Oversight
- Support families to set up and manage Direct Payment accounts and the pre-paid card system.
- Provide advice and guidance to families to ensure that personal assistants employed are HMRC compliant.
- Audit Direct Payment accounts on a three-monthly basis, ensuring that funds are used appropriately for the hire of personal assistants or for agreed short break activities.
- Address discrepancies in expenditure and escalate concerns as necessary.
Short Breaks Provision and Coordination
- Work with commissioned and non-commissioned providers to ensure the availability of appropriate short break activities, particularly during key school holiday periods.
- Monitor engagement and participation in short break programmes, reviewing uptake after each holiday period and feeding into future planning and commissioning discussions.
- Support the development of new and innovative short break opportunities tailored to the needs of children and young people with disabilities.
Casework and Family Support
- Hold a caseload of families, providing regular contact and support to ensure their short break needs are met.
- Attend annual Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reviews for allocated children.
- Undertake six-monthly home visits to families on the caseload to monitor progress, review arrangements, and provide support.
- Offer advice, guidance, and signposting to families to ensure they can access wider support services.
- Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns promptly to the allocated social worker within the team.
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Partnership and Team Working
- Work closely with social workers and social work assistants within the Children with Disabilities Service to ensure a joined-up and effective short breaks offer.
- Attend and actively contribute to the fortnightly Short Breaks Panel, presenting cases and supporting decision-making.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with providers, families, and colleagues to ensure high-quality service delivery.
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General
- Maintain accurate and timely case records in line with statutory and local recording requirements.
- Participate in supervision, appraisal, and training to support professional development.
- Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the role.
- Adhere to all council policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, health and safety, and data protection.
Knowledge and Experience
- Experience of working with children and families, preferably within the disability or short breaks sector.
- Knowledge of Direct Payments, pre-paid card systems, and financial monitoring processes.
- Understanding of employment responsibilities when hiring personal assistants (HMRC compliance, contracts, etc.).
- Experience of working with service providers and commissioning processes.
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and the ability to identify and escalate concerns appropriately.
Skills and Abilities
- Strong organisational and case management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Ability to explain financial and administrative processes clearly to families.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and positive relationships with families, colleagues, and providers.
- Ability to analyse engagement and activity data and feed into future service planning.
- Competent in report writing, case recording, and contributing to panel discussions.
Children with Disabilities Team
Our Children with Disability Service safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in line with Children Act 1989 and 2004, Children & Families Act 2014 and Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance 2015.
We work with the SEN education department to implement the biggest education reforms in a generation for children and young people with special educational needs which became law in September 2014. In line with the Children and Families Act (SEND Reforms).
We work with Children in Need, Looked After Children & Children subject to Child Protection Plans. We also work to the Public Law outline and initiate care proceedings.
We keep children and young people at the heart of our work. We listen to children, respect their views and champion their rights ensuring that each child’s voice informs the work that we do.
We have a permanent management team, and you will receive monthly reflective supervision, training, and professional development as part of the role. There are regular team meetings and development opportunities as well as opportunities for career progression.
Ideal candidates will possess highly developed knowledge in children’s social work practice and ideally will have experience of working with children with disabilities.