3.3.6 CIN Manager and Social Worker Responsibilities for Managing Duty |
Contents
- Duty Rota
- Allocated Social Workers
- Team Manager/PSW
- Duty Social Worker
- Duty Diary
- Recording
- Police Notifications
- Visits
- Handover
- Telephone Calls
1. Duty Rota
The Team Manager/PSW has responsibility for providing the duty rota at least 2 months in advance to enable Social Worker’s to manage their diaries appropriately. If the Social Worker is unable to find cover within team they will discuss with the Team Manager/PSW.
The Team Manager/PSW is responsible for notifying the team if a particular day has no specified duty Social Worker. All social workers and the Team Administrator are expected to ensure that phones are answered on these occasions.
2. Allocated Social Workers
When a worker is going on leave, they – with the Team manager/PSW should identify someone in the team who will be the main contact. If it is a planned absence they should arrange any necessary interventions around their availability. Where this is not possible or in unforeseen circumstances the Social Worker should complete “Advice while Social Worker is Away” on FWi in order to inform the Team Manager/PSW/Duty Social Worker of any likely issues e.g. contact, S17 money.
Social Workers should arrange a specified worker to cover their duty day/s while are away.
3. Team Manager/PSW
The Team Manager/PSW should have oversight of the duty tasks for the day. This includes seeing all Police Notifications received before detailing tasks for the duty social worker to complete and signing off the tasks at the end of the day to ensure an appropriate handover.
4. Duty Social Worker
Social Workers must be in the office by 9am and should be available in the team room until 5pm. However, the Duty Social Worker may be required be available after pm in dealing with emergencies or assisting colleagues.
If the Team Administrator is not available the Duty Social Worker must check the voice mail for messages and sort post
If, for any reason, the duty social worker leaves the team room and there are no other members of staff available, the Team voice mail facility must be activated
Appointments on their own cases and supervision should be avoided – if this is not possible then cover by a colleague should be arranged and recorded in the Duty Diary.
If situation of crisis/ emergency arises in their own case then this should be discussed with Team manager/PSW.
Where Teams decide to have a back up duty worker they should plan to be in the office for the day to support the Duty Social Worker if required.
5. Duty Diary
The diary should be checked at the start or each day by the Duty Social Worker and tasks prioritised for completion. If tasks are complex or lengthy the Team Manager/ PSW will have a verbal handover and agree priorities. It is also expected that the Duty Social Worker will ask for assistance if needed.
6. Recording
Any tasks being undertaken on duty need to be clearly recorded on case notes and must include analysis/opinion of what was seen/heard/observed/discussed and actions/decisions required.
7. Police Notifications
These should be dealt with by the duty social worker where the allocated worker is absent. Police Notifications should be scanned into Documents on Frameworki, emailed to the social worker and the hard copy placed in the allocated Worker’s post tray. It should also be emailed to the TM/PSW if it related to a protection issue to see if a Strategy Discussion and S47 enquiries are required.
The Team Manager/PSW has responsibility for the oversight of the notifications and any tasks arising from them. However, if the duty social worker becomes aware of a potential Child Protection issue this must be brought to the attention of the Team manager/PSW immediately and must not be handed over to the next day unless by agreement with the Team Manger/PSW.
8. Visits
If a visit is arranged on a team held case, the worker arranging the visits should ensure that the worker undertaking the visit is aware of the planned visit and the purpose of the visit.
Any form of home visit/ seeing a child must be recorded in the Visit episode on FWi.
Child Protection and LAC visits must not be cancelled without prior agreement with the manager and must be rescheduled immediately. If the visit will then be out of timescale to Service Manager must be informed by email immediately with the reason and whether any other professional has seen the child.
The Duty Social Worker may be required to undertake joint visits with colleagues where the Allocated SW has concerns for their personal safety or there are known risks. This must be agreed by TM or PSW.
9. Handover
Any outstanding tasks will be handed over to the next day’s DSW with the agreement of the Team Manager/PSW. An email, headed “Duty Social Worker” and the next day’s date should be sent and cc’d to the Team Manager/PSW
10. Telephone Calls
Duty Social Worker will, in the first instance, answer phone calls for Social Workers not at their desk. However the team also has responsibility to answer phones for absent colleagues as well as Social Workers taking responsibility for their own calls.
It is acceptable for the Duty Social Worker to explain to families and professionals that any messages or issues will be followed up by the allocated S/W on their return if the matter is not assessed as urgent.
End