Finance and Sponsorship Social Work - C1

The Unit drives delivery of work on a number of high profile and politically sensitive adult and public protection policy areas, working in a fast-paced environment with a high degree of Ministerial, internal, and external stakeholder engagement. The Unit’s aim, working collaboratively with a range of policy teams, is to ensure that those vulnerable to harm get the right support at the right time; and that our work individually and collectively supports response, protection, and recovery from harm. 

Work of the ASP Professional Social Work Adviser will contribute to aims of the wider public protection unit, to identify linkages, risks and opportunities across a wide range of policy developments, taking a whole system, lifespan approach. This includes mental health law and operations; adults with incapacity; substance use; child protection; MAPPA; violence against women and girls; and suicide prevention, as well as missing people, homelessness and other emergent priorities. 

Current ASP-specific priorities include revision of national guidance for general practice; development and implementation of a learning and improvement programme, building on local and national evidence; data use to underpin learning and improvement at local and national level; and undertaking and embedding learning arising from learning reviews.

Responsibilities:

• Provide social work input and advice across the Unit, liaising with sources of advice and expertise, including working with partners to ensure voices of frontline line social workers and people who use services inform current, holistic advice.
• In doing so, bring a consistent practice focus on adult support and protection and public protection throughout Scottish Government and partners.
• Contribute to workforce intelligence and national ASP priorities, driving collaboration with other policy areas to raise awareness of ASP and embed key messages to promote identification and protection of adults at risk
• Play a key role in supporting the dissemination and embedding of the ASP Learning and Development Framework and development of national resources, in partnership with the National Adult Support and Protection Co-ordinator and key partners, including the ASP Learning and Development Network, the National Implementation Group and its subgroups, and Iriss.
• Support implementation and monitoring of adaptations to local practice and procedures in line with new and emergent national adult protection guidance and related continuous improvement workstreams.
• Provide social work input to implementing ASP practice improvement using robust qualitative and quantitative data; collaborate with Iriss on analysis, reporting and use of data at local and national levels; provide significant input to the National ASP Data Reference Group; implement self-evaluation tools/techniques for local and national improvement; support development and embedding of best practices relating to ASP processes, the role of the Council Officer, chronologies, and learning reviews.
• Contribute to the drafting of national guidance, reports and responses to issues raised by Ministers, stakeholders and the public.
• Support the work of the National Social Work Agency and work closely with the Senior Professional Social Work Adviser for Adults, who will provide professional supervision 
• Collaborate with Adult Protection Committee Convenors, Social Work Scotland’s ASP Sub-group, NHS Public Protection Leads Group, Police Scotland Strategic Forum and other networks to inform and influence policy and practice developments.

Qualifications 

You must be a qualified social worker registered with the SSSC or equivalent body. Mental Health Officer qualification is desirable but not essential.

Working pattern

This role is a temporary position with an expected commitment of 23 months.

How to Apply

Applications for this position will only be accepted from substantive C1 employees.

Please submit a statement outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team (maximum 500 words).

Selection Process

All candidates will be invited to an informal discussion with the Hiring Manager.  

Informal discussion dates tbc.

Please be advised this vacancy is open only to Priority Movers. 

Further Information

If you have specific questions about the role, please contact Victoria.Milne@gov.scot 

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.