Support CoordinatorEmployerKingston CouncilLocation(s)KingstonContract TypePermanentWorking HoursFull TimeGradeD/E/FHours Per Week36Salary Range£27,030 - £36,045Salary BasisPer annumLeave Entitlement25/27 daysApplication Deadline10/07/2024, 23:55Anticipated Interview Date(s)01/06/2024About the BoroughThis special place in South West London between the capital and the country has been a Royal borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned.Today it is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a long history and strong cultural and community heritage. Kingston's riverside location, fantastic retail offer, historic market place and church, parks and gardens all make Kingston town centre the vibrant space it is, and each of our district town centres (Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington) have something unique to offer.Situated in Zone 6, Kingston is among the best-connected town centres in London - with direct train links from Kingston and Surbiton stations to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and Tramlink.Kingston's people are innovative and entrepreneurial, and have a strong sense of community pride. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival and Kingston University, which boasts more new graduate business start-ups than any other.We have seen tremendous generosity and compassion within our communities, particularly in response to COVID-19, which is a demonstration of Kingston's key strength. The council offers a strong level of support to vulnerable groups and those who need additional support, which has also increased significantly as a result of the pandemic. Like most places, the average age of our population is rising as more people are living longer, so we are working closely with residents to help them maintain their independence and further improve the cost effectiveness of our service to meet the ongoing rise in demand.Kingston is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds, which helps to create the rich sense of community shared across the borough. In particular, Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is home to more people from Korea than any other part of the UK.About the RoleTo be responsible for undertaking and supporting a range of case work of customers with non complex needs under manager supervision.To be responsible for accepting referrals, undertaking screening and where required, providing information and advice and carrying out initial assessments.To apply Care Act 2014 legislation criteria based reasoning and differentiate between customers' essential and desirable needs as part of assessment.To work within the statutory framework under community care.To always adhere to and provide feedback on the council's policies and procedures for assessment, care management and occupational therapy.Obtain financial information from the customer to enable a financial assessment to take place.To undertake reviews of customers with long term, low level needs as required and within statutory timelines and carry out reassessments as requiredCarry out non complex community care assessments (including carer's assessments) and make recommendations on support required by the customer under close supervision.To be responsible for undertaking and supporting a range of case work of customers with non complex needs.To provide a full assessment of customer needs, calling in more support with complex cases, in order to decide with the customer on a course of action.To develop customer focused outcome based support plans.To undertake basic risk assessments for both the customer and the carer associated with any support plan have been carried out.To recognise and escalate any care assessment issues according to the agreed policies and procedures.To participate in a duty provision within short term support under practitioner supervision, including undertaking visits and assessments.About UsWe are a friendly locality team in Adult Social Care consisting of Social workers, support coordinators and the sight and hearing rehab workers.About YouIn order to fulfil this role, you will need to be able to demonstrate excellent communication, assessment and case management skills. You'll also need to possess effective organisation skills in order to balance and manage your cases and workload. In addition you'll need to have knowledge and experience of all relevant legislation, social care initiatives and priorities in the social care sector.Requirements include:-Excellent communication skills, both in written and oral presentation-Good assessment and case management skills-Knowledge of Personal Budgets/Self Directed Support and the philosophy underpinning these-Sound knowledge of relevant legislation and social care initiatives and priorities (Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding concern awarenessOur Offer To YouAs an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we're committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We're constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.In addition we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff supported by our IT infrastructure, Google Chromebooks and Google Apps, which have acted as a key enabler for collaborative and streamlined working. We operate hybrid working, a flexible working model which allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week. It enables staff to achieve a work life balance whilst still meeting the needs of the organisation.Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:
Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
Three volunteering days per year in Kingston
Flexible and agile working arrangements
Comprehensive learning and development programme
Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
Interest free season ticket loans
Local Government Pension Scheme
Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
Zip car scheme
Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
Subsidised gym membership
Application ProcessPlease apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.We are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) so all personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc is completely anonymised during the shortlisting process. Our hiring managers review applications based on the knowledge, skills and experience demonstrated in your application, and how well these match the job profile. Our HR Shared Service with Sutton Council was recently recognised nationally for having the 'Best Inclusion and Diversity Programme' at the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2023, something that we're incredibly proud of.Hiring managers are encouraged to ensure that their interview panel is diverse, and representative of a range of protected characteristics, to help remove unconscious bias and ensure candidates are treated fairly during the selection process. Some characteristics may not be obvious, but our panels are diverse wherever possible. We have a number of measures in place to inform and support our approach, including mandatory EDI and unconscious bias training for all staff, safer recruitment training for diverse panel members, engaging with our staff networks and encouraging allyship. We are fully committed to removing barriers and enhancing the diversity of our workforce.Additional InformationWe are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough. Our aim is to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve, and staff feel a sense of belonging. We celebrate and respect differences and appreciate the value of having a diverse workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to thinking differently about disability and taking action to improve how we recruit, retain and develop disabled people. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role.We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.We are an accredited London Living Wage Employer and this means that everyone working at the Royal Borough of Kingston, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers receive the London Living Wage. The real Living Wage is higher than the government's minimum, or National Living Wage, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living.The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the for right to work guidance.Important Information - Criminal RecordsThis post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory result to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
