I have a cumulative work experience of 12 years in different social care settings including a recent opportunity in the Review Team at The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This means that I have had good opportunities of working and providing social work support to vulnerable adults across different specialist areas both in institutions like hospitals and in the community. For instance, in the Review Team, I work with adults and older people with various presenting needs which included physical and mental health issues. My main duty in this role to review service users and carers assessments and facilitate assessment of needs, support planning and case management. This is with a view to promote independence in the community and acknowledging the need to take a flexible approach to our work in accordance with the Care 2014. I also gained experience in conducting Mental Capacity Assessments, carer assessment, Multi-agency working, Securing funding and subsequent reviews. Previously I, have worked in different social care settings as a support worker for people with Physical Health, Mental Health, Substance Misuse, Physical disability, children and adults with learning difficulties and challenging behavior, , Young People as victims of witnesses to domestic violence and Older People among others.

My role in social care entails regularly working with and assessing the needs of service users who present complex issues. My assessments are underpinned by the principle of Personalisation. I always make sure that assessments are person-centred and holistic. This ensures that any services or assistance offered to the individual are tailored to suit their specific need and not using the ‘one size fits all approach. As a practitioner, my assessments, advice and support ensures that service user’s have sufficient information about services available both locally and nationally so that they can make informed decisions which can include giving them the right to refuse services they feel are not suited to them.

After an assessment, using the carer’s indicative budget, a support plan which takes into account their health and social needs which may contain information about medication, support needed with housing, social activities, benefits claimed, services that could support them such as meals on wheels, home care, personal care, equipment and adaptations. Having worked in the review team, I have good experience of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the impact of a support plan.

I am competent and able to make judgments regarding my cases. For instance, whilst with the Reablement Team, I worked with service user’s with Reablement potentials, I would make referrals and liaise with the other professionals to set up a short term goals within their care packge that would meet the service user’s needs. This is in order to support achieving independence for the service user which is also part of the national indicator. This also supports independence and avoids creating dependency. Where there is no Reablement potential, I would liaise with the brokerage team in setting up a person-centred package of care within my remit to meet the service users support needs. A comprehensive assessment also requires management of risk. Management of risk ensures that the safety and well-being of service users and their carers are paramount. I am able to assess risks and provide a management plan.

I also regularly work with and assess carers to ensure that they are given recognition and acknowledgement for the importance of their role as partners in care. I make sure that they are involved in any assessments, support plans, reviews and meetings and that they are signposted to services that offer support and advice for carers as underpinned by the Care Act 2014.

I am a newly qualified social worker in search of an Assisted and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and I am also willing to undertake any Professional Development as learning is a continuous process. I am also eager to access all relevant training opportunities that will enhance my learning.

My role within the Review Team and Community Independent Service involved working in a Multi agency setting with other professionals like Doctors, District Nurses, Discharge team, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Palliative Care team, Speech and Language Specialists, among others with whom I cooperated with in supporting service users to enable and encourage service users to gain independence over their care. I also worked with housing, police, benefit agencies and other stakeholders in ensuring the service user gets the needed service.

I have developed good interpersonal skills which have enabled me to form and maintain effective working relationships with partner agencies, organisations, other professionals and also service user.

I have excellent experience of team work and am committed to ensuring that I promote and adhere to this effective practice in my work at all times. I respect my colleagues and learn from them every day at work.

The law requires that Local Authorities should promote the values of diversity as most communities are now quite diversified. I make sure although equality involves fair treatment, diversity involves respecting and valuing difference regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age and disabilities.

Respecting the way that people live also makes them more open to me and facilitates information gathering. I will not work in an oppressive manner, work with assumptions or stereotyping. I always acknowledge that my personal values should not influence or change the outcomes of the work that I do. I am therefore committed to antidiscrimination practice which means that I challenge discrimination whenever I come across it in any shape or form, as part of my duty of care towards service users and ensure that they are not excluded from service on the grounds of their protected characteristics.

Personalisation was officially introduced in government policy in December 2007 with the publication of the putting people first concordat. I understand that Personalisation, including a strategic shift towards early intervention and prevention, is at the heart of the transformation of adult social care. It emphasises individual’s dignity, right to self determination, choice and control over the support services they receive. Being committed to this principle, as a practitioner, I work with the awareness that the same cap does not fit every individual but rather to ensure that the needs of the service user forms the basis of a tailored responsive, flexible, personal package of care, taking into account the service user’s needs and circumstances. Personalisation also promoted Participation. This means engaging service users, alone or in groups, their families and carers in the assessment of need as well as development of services (Co-Production). An essential component of Personalisation is Personal budgets. This is designed to give choice, control and flexibility to service users. As a practitioner, I ensure that service users have sufficient information about services available locally so that they can make informed decisions.

When I worked in the Advocacy Team at Harrow Association for Disabled People in my second work placement in the year the service went through changes to transform and deliver on the promise of the Personalisation Agenda. My main role was working older people and adults with different disabilities in understanding and the uptake of personal budgets. I supported them to clarify their needs and expectations, and assisted with the preparation and costing of support plans, which were tailored to be person-centred and aimed to achieve personal outcomes that will promote individuals ‘independence.

With regards to changes in Adult Social Care, I am committed to keeping pace with the continued changes, embracing the principles of personalisation and personal budgets, and evolving my practice to meet these new changes.

I am very proactive and would always display a positive attitude and approach to work. For instance whilst working with the Review team in order to improve the mental wellbeing of an informal carer to one of the service users I was able to purchase a service for her to be able attend boxing lessons weekly. I had researched and found out that boxing is the ultimate sport for countering stress. The combination of strength training and aerobic work provides the best of both worlds in terms of feeling a muscular pump and stimulating the cardiovascular system – both of which enhance psychological well-being. Boxing enhances the ability to relax, which helps keep the boxer calm and poised under pressure. In this sense, boxing would help her to manage her life more efficiently. Though this was not my role, sometimes this action was required to meet the needs of a carer who was playing a pivotal role in caring for her mother and enabling her to remain part of the community in her own home.

My role as a practitioner is underpinned by the Social Model of disability and not the Medical model. This focuses on the perspective of the SU and not the diagnosis Medical Model. Social model of disability aims to achieve rights, equality and choice for disabled people. This takes a holistic view, incorporating the physical and emotional impact, as well as external factors. It also emphasises on the strengths striving to empower and maintain independence where possible.

I am aware of Health and safety requirements. Previously as a team manager for a floating support service, I have inducted staff on Lone Worker Policy and have set up a Risk Management Home Visit procedure, and set up a Duty Desk for my service. Most recently, my work involved visiting service users in their homes to carry out assessments and related duties, I know to strictly adhere to lone worker policy. For instance, making sure my outlook calendar has all relevant information of my proposed visit, making entries in the diary and movement board. Also things like ensuring that letters are sent to service users in advance of the meeting to confirm meeting arrangements and most importantly having your badge identification with you at all times.

I have significant knowledge of the legislative and policy framework governing my practice with (SU). My current intervention in assessment, meeting needs and accessing resources is now underpinned by the Care Act 2014 which recently introduced new duties for local authorities in promoting an individual’s wellbeing. Part 1 of the Act has consolidated and modernised the framework of care and support law with the implication that The Act has now replaced many previous laws. For instance, the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 sec.47 which stipulates that local authorities have a legal obligation to carry out assessments for Individuals who ‘may be in need’ of community care services, Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995; National Assistance Act 1948; Health Services and Public Health Act 1968; Local Authority Social Services Act 1970; Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Also the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000; Health and Social Care Act 2001; Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003; Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004; National Health Service Act 2006 amongst others.

I believe that Adult Safeguarding and Positive risk taking needs to be robust and adhered to ensure that service user's are afforded the security and liberty that they demand. Now currently working as a front line staff, I have worked with clients who have been seen under the Local authorities safeguarding procedure. This has included those who have been subjected to financial, physical and emotional abuse, as well as general neglect. In addition, I have undertaken full training in the procedure.

I have good knowledge and understanding of budget management and the financial pressures of providing quality services for less money. Hence though support plans are person centred, I ensure that it offers value for money by being creative. I make referrals and liaise with the Assistive technology and Telecare team, where it has been identified that some of these technologies would facilitate a safe discharge.

In my various roles I have used my initiative to meet challenging deadline. I am pro-active in resolving problems through anticipating where they may arise and contributing to contingency planning as appropriate. Consultation with my own line manager ensures that the priorities that dictate our work are reflected in operational terms. For instance as a manager in One Housing group, I used contingency plans in achieving and maximising use of all available resources including use of staff to respond to issues that might arise. My problem solving skills was also evident in my ability to supervise a team of support workers in their management of many complex cases.

I have demonstrated throughout my working history in social care the ability to manage any complex work load effectively by planning my work in advance and changing priorities as necessary. In order to meet statutory deadlines and achieve set targets that govern working in social services, I have become very effective in managing my work. I am able to work well on my own without much prompting, cope with competing priorities, work well under pressure and manage my time efficiently to meet set personal deadlines, performances and organisational targets. For instance having planned several review meetings in the community for a particular day, receiving a section 5 immediately takes precedence, requiring that I reschedule other works. This would involve calling the service user and all the professionals involved to cancel and reschedule the meeting either the same day or for a later date. Having attended to the section 5, I would go back to the office either to type out letters to be sent off rescheduling the meeting or go ahead to attend the meeting later in the day. Also when I receive a safeguarding alert it becomes a priority and dealing with this ensures that I follow the councils and Pan-London safeguarding procedure.

I have a good track record of being punctual to work, I manage my time excellently. I am very proactive and would always display a positive attitude and approach to work. For instance whilst working with the FRHT in order to quickly facilitate a safe discharge from hospital for our service users and to ensure that the Local Authority is not penalized financially, I have on occasions escorted service users back to their residential placement to assess their suitability to return back to their home. Though this was not my role, sometimes this action was required to meet the deadline required by a section 5. Also on occasions, I worked and supported nurses to complete the DST forms, so as to progress a case.

I have excellent communication skills by being able to communicate clearly and effectively. I am able to communicate at different levels with service users by using pictures, signs and other verbal and non verbal communication modes. For instance, for my assessment to be fair and effective, I check prior to meeting a SU's communication needs. The service user may have limited English proficiency, speak another language, have communication impairment or capacity to make decisions (under MCA act 2005).

I have excellent report writing skills. I am able to write clear and concise reports. For example, most of my duties involve writing reports, assessments, case notes, case summaries and letters to service users and management. I am able to keep full, accurate and up-to-date case records including the recording of decisions and plans. I regularly write reports for assessments that I have carried out, when formulating care plans and also when making notes or minutes for any meetings that I have attended. I understand the need for my recordings to be up-to-date, concise and relevant so that I am able to evidence my work and decisions and to share information with other agencies if the need arises.

Having worked in various social care services, I am able to work with any computer systems required for me to complete and or carry out my duties in the service. I can competently use Frameworki and Trim, having recently used these systems in my placement with the First Response Hospital Service.

During my studies at UEL and Tavistock, l successfully completed ECDL which gave me a greater understanding of different Information Technology applications. I regularly use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook to log case notes, input assessment details, update and maintain client records, send emails to colleagues, and update my calendar.

I always make effective use of the supervision provided and never hesitate to get supervision in very complex cases or whenever needed. I also use supervision when I need debriefing, this helps me to maintain my mental wellbeing. I am able to efficiently use effective modes of transport in carrying out my duties.