RQ997 Senior Social Worker – Under 65 Neuro Adult Disabilities

Job Title & Grade - Senior Social Worker - Under 65 Neuro Adult Disabilities

Campaign Reference - RQ997

Closing Date - Monday July 14th

Proposed Interview Date - To be confirmed - 1 weeks' notice will be given

Taking Up Appointment - As soon as possible

Informal enquires

Clare Winters - cwinter@peamount.ie

Location of Post

Peamount Healthcare, Newcastle, Co. Dublin

Details of Service

Peamount Healthcare is an independent voluntary organisation that provides a range of high-quality health and social care services. We help people return home after a serious illness, we provide safe and homely residential care for those who need it, and we support people to live as independently as possible in the community.

Peamount Healthcare is committed to the following values :

Person centred - seeing each person as unique, giving them a voice and focusing on ability.

Respect - creating a supportive environment where everyone is given courteous and respectful care and support.

Excellence - enabling interdisciplinary teams to deliver high quality integrated care, meaningful outcomes with a focus on continuous improvement.

Team working - fostering an inclusive, healthy working environment where people are valued and recognised for their individual and shared achievements.

Quality improvement - supporting teams to embed continuous improvement methodology as part of everything we do.

Education & Research - partnering with academia to support education, learning, research and evidence based care.

Reporting Relationship

Principal Social Worker

Purpose of Post

The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering the social work service to both patients and families in St Brids Neuro Adult Disabilities in Peamount. He / she will report to the Principal Social Worker

Eligibility Criteria Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will be expected to meet the following criteria :

Essential

• Be registered as a Social Worker with CORU
• 3 years post qualification experience in Social Work
• Experience in Adult Disabilities or Medical setting with Patients under 65
• Knowledge and understanding of Prolonged Disorder of consciousness (PDOC)
• Ability to work with families and children
• The ability to actively participate, promote and encourage communications with the multidisciplinary team and throughout the care setting
• Person centred approach to all work undertaken and familiar with the risk management elements of Social Work practice
• Excellent interpersonal skills, communication and organizational skills and development of new initiatives
• Excellent Knowledge of the Assisted Decision Making Act 2015
• Designated officer trained or willing to be trained
• Knowledge of relevant HIQA standards

Desirable

Skills, Competencies and Knowledge

Professional

Be responsible for the delivery of the Social Work service to Peamount services based within St Brids Adult Disabilities

Take direct responsibility for a defined caseload as directed by the Principal Social Worker

Ensure effective caseload management and prioritisation

Ensure the implementation of models of best practice / evidence based practice in the context of multi-disciplinary service delivery

Ensure the delivery of social work services in an integrated and multidisciplinary manner with a range of statutory and voluntary groups and organisations

Provide counselling and practical support to service users / residents and their families.

Ensure the delivery of social work services in accordance with legislation, policies procedures and protocols

Keep updated on current and impending legislation and the perceived impact on practice

Implement and maintain high standards in social work practice

Comply with supervision requirements as determined by the Principal Social Worker in relation to casework intervention, practice, work plans and PDP

Provide professional reports as required for service delivery

Attend relevant meetings, case conferences and care planning meetings

Ensure that clear, concise social work records are maintained in a professional manner in keeping with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act / GDPR and policy

Participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of Peamount policies and procedures

Evaluation and KPI of service delivery

Perform such duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Principal Social Worker

Fully comply with social work national registration requirements within the specified timeframes

Team Work

Participate as an active member of the Social Work Department. Attend social work team meetings as required. Participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of social work policies and procedures for the Social Work Department. Co-operate with social work and other MDT members in planning, implementing and evaluating service delivery. Contribute regularly to journal clubs. Participate as required in service-related working groups, research projects & service committees, as requested / advised by the Principal Social Worker.

Education and Research

The Senior Social Worker will be required to maintain a continuous professional development portfolio in line with any registration requirements and yearly PDP.

Participate in the training and development of staff in other Departments

Be actively involved in student education and supervision as required by the Principal Social Worker

Participate in social work practice teaching

Keep up to date with developments in social work and socials work practice and with changes in policy and legislation as it impacts on social work Promote clinical research to further social work practice

Participate in social work and MDT research projects

Provide statistical monthly work returns as required by the Principal Social Worker.

Other requirements specific to the post

Staff are assigned to specialist teams within the Peamount Service. These attachments can be subject to review by the Principal Social Worker according to the needs of the service.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

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 him / her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Campaign Specific Selection Post

A ranking and or short listing exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your CV. The criteria for ranking and or short listing 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 depending on the service needs of the organisation.

Annual registration

With CORU on the Social Work register

The reform programme outlined for the Health Service may impact on this role and as structures change the job description may be reviewed. The job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive or restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

Terms & Conditions of Employment Peamount Healthcare, Newcastle, Co. Dublin.

Tenure

The current vacancy available is a p ermanent part-time post on a 0.8 WTE basis.

The post is pensionable. A panel may be created from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part time duration may be filled. The tenure of these posts will be indicated at "expression of interest' stage.

Appointment as an employee of Peamount Healthcare is governed by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Act 2004.

Remuneration

Remuneration is in accordance with the salary scale approved by the Department of Health : Senior Social Worker (3019). Current salary in line with HSE pay scales dated March 2025 - Point 1 €70,277 to Point 7 €81,063)

Working Week

The hours allocated to this post are 28 hours per week with 7 hours as a standard working day. The allocation of these hours will be at the discretion of the Department Head and in accordance with the needs of the service.

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 16

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

As per Health Service Executive (HSE)

Probation

All employees will be subject to a probationary period as per the probation policy. This policy applies to all employees irrespective of the type of contract under which they have been employed. A period of 6 months' probation will be served :

On commencement of employment.

Fixed term to permanent contract.

Permanent employees commencing in promotional posts will also undertake a probationary period relating to their new post.

Pension

Employees of Peamount Healthcare are required to be members of the Hospitals Superannuation Scheme. Deductions at the appropriate rate will be made from your salary payment.

If you are being rehired after drawing down a public service pension your attention is drawn to Section 52 of the Public Services Pension (Single and Other Provisions) Act 2012. The 2012 Act extends the principle of abatement to retired public servants in receipt of a public service pension who secure another public service appointment in any public service body.

Maternity

Maternity leave is granted in accordance with the terms of the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2001.

Sick Leave

Peamount Healthcare operates a Sickness Absence Management policy in line with the new Public Service Sick Leave Scheme as introduced in 31

March 2014.

Pre-Employment Health Assessment

Prior to commencing in this role a person will be required to complete a form declaring their health status which is reviewed by the hospital's Occupational Health Service and if required undergo a medical assessment with this department. Any person employed by Peamount Healthcare 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.

Validation of Qualifications & Experience

Any credit given to a candidate at interview, in respect of claims to qualifications, training and experience is provisional and is subject to verification. The recommendation of the interview board is liable to revision if

the claimed qualification, training or experience is not proven.

References

Peamount Healthcare will seek up to two written references from current and previous employers, educational institutions or any other organisations with which the candidate has been associated. The hospital also reserves the right to determine the merit, appropriateness and relevance of such references and referees.

Garda Vetting

Peamount Healthcare will carry out Garda vetting on all new employees. An employee will not take up employment with the hospital until the Garda Vetting process has been completed and the hospital is satisfied that such an appointment does not pose a risk to clients, service users and employees.

Character

Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Health & Safety

These duties must be performed in accordance with the hospital health and safety policy. In carrying out these duties the employee must ensure that effective safety procedures are in place to comply with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act. Staff must carry out their duties in a safe and responsible manner in line with the Hospital Policy as set out in the appropriate department's safety statement, which must be read and understood.

Quality, Risk & Safety Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all staff to :

Participate and cooperate with legislative and regulatory requirements with regard to Quality, Risk and Safety.

Participate and cooperate with external agencies on safety initiatives as required.

Participate and cooperate with internal and external evaluations of hospital structures, services and processes as required, including but not limited to :

O National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare.

O National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections.

O HSE Standards and Recommended Practices for Healthcare Records Management

O Safety audits and other audits specified by the HSE or other regulatory authorities.

To initiate, support and implement quality improvement initiatives in their area which are in keeping with the hospitals continuous quality improvement programme.

It is the responsibility of all managers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for Quality, Safety and Risk within their area / department

Specific Responsibility for Best Practice in Hygiene

Hygiene in healthcare is defined as "the practice that serves to keep people and the environment clean and prevent infection. It involves preserving one's health, preventing the spread of disease and recognizing, evaluating and controlling health hazards."

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure compliance with hospital hygiene standards, guidelines and practices.

Department heads / managers have overall responsibility for best practice in hygiene in their area.

It is mandatory to complete hand hygiene training every 2-years and sharps awareness workshops yearly.