Position: Deputy Social Care Manager (Fulltime)

Location of Post: Dublin 1

Organisation

Sherrard House is a small Residential Centre which is run by a Voluntary Organisation funded by Tusla catering for up to 5 young teenage girls. Sherrard House is in Dublin City Centre and easily accessible by public transport. Sherrard House is inspected by the Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Services Children’s Residential Centres under the framework of the National Standards of Children’s Residential Centres 2018 (HIQA). Our primary aim is to offer the young people in our care a nurturing, caring and protective environment. We aim to support, encourage and enable each young person to meet their full potential by working with them in conjunction with their families, social workers, counsellors, schools and other relevant professionals. We also aim to provide the young people with positive life experiences, trusting positive appropriate adult relationships and role models, doing so enables the young people to learn new coping skills that can support them in their interactions with their families, school, work and in their future lives.

Qualifications

Eligibility Criteria Qualifications and / or Experience

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• Have 3 years’ experience of working in a Social Care Grade in a Children’s Residential Centre as relevant to the role.
  and
• Be registered in the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board maintained by CORU.
  or
• Hold a CORU approved Social Care Worker qualification and have applied for CORU registration (evidence of application will be necessary)
  (https://coru.ie/health-and-social-care-professionals/education/approved- qualifications/social-care-workers/)
  or
• Be eligible for registration in the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board maintained by CORU (evidence of application will be necessary)
  and
• Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of office.

Hours: The hours are 39 hours Monday to Friday plus on call.

Salary: As per HSE Scale for the role.

Reporting to: Social Care Manager

Duties and Responsibilities

Young people

• To ensure the young people receive the highest standard of care, education and development in line with their care plans and placement plans to ensure that they reach their maximum potential.
• To co-operate with the Collective Risk Assessment process with the National Placement team.
• To manage each young person’s behaviour by creating a friendly, safe, happy and caring environment for all.
• To consult with young people placed in the centre, their families, centre staff and external stakeholders as appropriate.
• To promote a culture where children / young people and their families are treated with dignity and respect, always promoting a culture of unconditional positive regard.
• To ensure the development and implementation of age-appropriate programmes for the young people.
• To promote a culture of attendance at school, training centres, medical and clinical appointments
• To liaise with external agencies (schools, Social Workers, counsellors, medical practitioners etc.) on behalf of the young people, and work with personnel in a professional and respectful manner
• To ensure that care and placement plans are in place agreed implemented and monitored regularly in respect of each young person in the centre.
• To ensure that all safeguarding procedures are being followed by staff in their day-to-day work with young people in line with each young person’s safeguarding plans
• To ensure all records are completed and all professionals working with the young people are kept updated of their progress.
• To ensure that Placement Support Programmes are developed for each young person
• To promote the rights and responsibilities of each young person in the centre.
• To oversee that safeguarding policies and procedures in line with Children’s first are adhered to by all staff. That all SEN’s Child Protection reports, CSE1 forms are completed as necessary

Staff Management

• To manage and supervise staff in the centre.
• To arrange the duty roster and manage the designated staff resources, ensuring that staff levels and skill mix are appropriate and within the resource allocation.
• To identify in consultation with the Social Care Manager the training and development requirements for the centre.
• To maintain staff records within guidelines laid down by the Child and Family Agency and the Department of Children.
• To participate in relevant professional development and training programmes.
• To attend and participate fully in professional supervision with Social Care Manager
• To provide leadership and motivation which is conducive to good staff relations and effective work performance
• To display good time management skills
• To assist staff in making risk assessments, judgements and decisions based on the needs of the young people, including relevant facts, observable information, the quality of that information and the likely consequences of any actions taken / decisions made
• To actively support social care manager and staff in working with challenging behaviour through role modelling, direction, guidance and where appropriate through the professional supervision of staff
• To ensure that staff are aware of and implement current Policies and Procedures within the Centre in line with HIQA National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres.
• To ensure that all new staff take part in comprehensive induction programme.
• To ensure that all staff are familiar with the Centre’s Purpose and Function, Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
• To be aware of and act in accordance with the Children First Guidelines and all relevant legislation.
• To manage and ensure that professional supervision to all staff in the centre in line with the centre’s Supervision Policy
• Identify training needs in line with the training and development requirements of the centre and the profiles of the young people in the centre.
• To ensure all staff participate in relevant professional and training programmes
• To attend and participate fully in external supervision
• Maintain staff personnel files
• To organise an effective roster ensuring that staff levels and skills mix are appropriate and within resources allocated.
• To delegate duties and responsibility as appropriate to Social Care Leaders and Social Care Workers as appropriate
• To support and encourage staff members to use opportunities to develop their professional knowledge in line with their professional development plan.
• To organise and take part in regular staff meetings
• To ensure that confidentiality is always maintained by the staff team
• Report to the Social Care Manager on matters affecting the delivery of service.
• To be accountable for any visa debit and petty cash expenditure ensuring that all spending is receipted and is controlled within the agreed cash limits.
• To ensure that appropriate financial information is provided to the accountant
• Ensure that adequate staffing levels are maintained at all times, ensure that staff are deployed in a most effective manner delegating responsibilities as appropriate
• Ensure that handovers are recorded accurately reflecting up to date and accurate information.

Administration Responsibilities

• To ensure that all administration records in the centre is recorded to a high standard and to ensure that the standard is maintained through regular monitoring, auditing and oversight
• To implement Sherrard House procedures and policies.
• To undertake ongoing professional training and development.
• To attend regular supervision with an outside supervision facilitator
• To supervise the Social Care Leaders
• To be responsible for the preparation and oversight of staff timesheets.
• To ensure that all personnel files are maintained to the highest standards in line with HIQA national standards
• To maintain the Centre Risk Register, identifying risks and developing a risk management plan in relation to these.
• To assist the Social Care Manager in the investigation of complaints grievances or disciplinary issues
• To maintain an up-to-date auditing system such as care planning audits, medication management audits, health and Safety audits, staff training audits.
• To ensure that serious incident reviews take place and are recorded comprehensively

Health and Safety

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards in a timely manner.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the service for example National Standards for Child Protection and Care and comply with associated Tusla – Child and Family Agency protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• To ensure that all staff are aware off and adhere to the Centres Health and Safety Policy
• To ensure that maintenance work is completed efficiently and effectively
• To ensure that all fire drills are completed in line with the Centres Fire Safety Programme

General Responsibilities

• To work within framework of all relevant legislation
• To ensure the Centres Policies and Procedures are adhered to by all staff.
• To provide information to the staff team as required by the National Standards and Child Care Act
• To take responsibility for personal and professional development and to undertake training as provided.

Professional knowledge/experience related to the Role

• Demonstrate sufficient clinical and professional knowledge to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role.
• Demonstrate an understanding of theory and practice in the delivery of care to the young people.
• Demonstrate sufficient awareness of policy, legislative and professional requirements to ensure an appropriate standard of service deliver (e.g. a working knowledge of the Children First Guidelines and HIQA standards and requirements as related to the function of the role).
  • Child Care related Legislation, Regulation, Policy and Procedures.
  • National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres.
  • Child Development.
  • Care / Placement Planning.
  • Need / Risk Assessment Procedures.
  • Intervention Procedures.
• Demonstrate an ability to apply knowledge to best practice.
• Demonstrate a willingness to develop IT skills relevant to the role.
• Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development.

Commitment to Providing a Quality Service

• Demonstrate initiative and innovation in identifying areas for service improvement.
• Demonstrate a commitment to assuring high standards and strive for a user centred service.
• Display awareness and appreciation of the young people as expert through experience including promoting the role of the young person in care planning, decision-making and service development.
• Demonstrate the ability to empathise with and treat others with dignity and respect.
• Demonstrate flexibility and openness to change.
• Unconditional positive regard towards vulnerable young people.

Leadership and Team Skills

• Demonstrate the ability to manage and develop self and others in a busy working environment including the ability to prioritise caseloads for self and others.
• Demonstrate effective supervision skills.
• Demonstrate effective leadership and team skills.
• Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage conflict.
• Demonstrate effective flexibility and motivation.
• Demonstrate effective time management skills.

Evaluating information and judging situations

• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate information and make effective decisions especially about the young people’s care.
• The ability to appropriately analyse and interpret information, develop solutions and contribute to decisions quickly and accurately as appropriate.
• A capacity to develop new proposals and recommend decisions on a proactive basis.
• Confidently explain the rationale behind decisions when faced with opposition or competing demands.
• Ability to seek advice as required

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, you may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the position which may be assigned to you from time to time by the organisation

Sherrard House values individual’s rights and freedoms in respect of privacy and fully complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

All roles within Sherrard House carry responsibility towards the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Responsibilities under Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017)
The safety and welfare of children and young people is a key priority for Sherrard House. All employees of Sherrard House are required to be vigilant to any concerns regarding the protection and welfare of children and to bring them to the attention of the Designated Person or in her absence Deputy Designated liaison person in a timely manner, in keeping with Sherrard House Child Protection policies.

What we offer

• Maternity Pay
• Sick Pay
• On Call Allowance
• Professional supervision
• Professional Development training
• In House training
• Generous Annual Leave
• Paid induction
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme
• The Bike to Work Scheme
• Taxsaver travel scheme

Application Process

Please submit cover letter and CV to: vivianmolloy@SHERRARDHOUSE.COM

Closing date: Monday 16th of December 2024