Relief Needs Assessment Officer

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About the role

North Northamptonshire Council have an exciting opportunity for a Needs Assessment Officer to join our Specialist Support for Younger Adults with Disabilities team.

This post will consist of working out of our Wellingborough or Corby office. You will work alongside Managers, who are supporting the daily needs of customers within their own homes in the community as well as the CEW's who are out in the field.. The need to be flexible, understanding and compassionate is essential and to have an understanding of adults with a various range of disabilities.

Shift Pattern: Relief vacancies available, which could include early and late shifts, along with every other weekend working. 

Our main goal is to find people who can make a difference!

Our benefits

We offer:

• A pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• Opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge, and potential in a large unitary council.
• Generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• Enhanced rates on Saturdays Sundays and Bank Holidays 
• Enhanced overtime pay 
• Business mileage paid at 45p per mile.

What will you be doing?

Overall Job Purpose:

In accordance with Care Act 2014 and North Northamptonshire Council’s service plans, eligibility criteria and objectives, to carry out a strength-based assessment, to identify and deliver care needs in conjunction with individuals, carers, and multi-agencies, to ensure people receive the information and the level of support required for them to regain or maintain their level of independence and to be safe within the community.

To be case accountable, to to work independently and provide appropriate and timely support to both Team Leaders and Supervisors.

Main Responsibilities:

Managing an appropriate caseload of people by undertaking clear and accurate statutory assessments and reviews of individual person, in line with statutory guidance and best practice. Assessments need to be proactive, preventative, and personal and include support from other professional services where required, to ensure people receive the information and the level of support required for them to regain or maintain their level of independence and to be safe within the community.

Provide goal setting / support plans for individual people as appropriate. Ensuring individuals are supported and encouraged to access any community support that is available and in doing so ensure equality and diversity informs the service delivery and understanding of the impact upon people in the planning process.

Assess and manage any risks to individuals and others effectively, whilst ensuring positive risk taking is supported and appropriately managed.

Provide accurate, impartial information, support and guidance to people and their families, including appropriate information relating to financial matters, ensuring any implementation and choice of a support plan is within budgetary constraints.

To manage own caseload and organise and plan work activities taking into account the need to prioritise tasks and responsibilities, to ensure assessments and reviews, support plans are undertaken and updated within an agreed timeframe, to reduce/avoid any adverse impact on the care of the person and delivery of the service.

To maintain case records where the information is concise, accurate and timely so that customers circumstances are accessible at all times to ensure continuity of provision, maintaining both customer and management information through the use of appropriate IT systems and in line with professional requirements and departmental recording methods.

Use a person-centred approach, listening and developing creative and personalised solutions, to assist people to manage their lives independently in the community for as long as possible and in doing so w Work in partnership with other agencies to improve collaboration, coordination, and support to achieve and meet each person’s needs.

To demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs.

About you

Degree or equivalent/QCF level 3 with experience of working in Social Care or willing to work towards this (Health & Social Care)

The ability to demonstrate knowledge gained through detailed practice and application of procedures in Adult Social Care Health and Social Care

GCSE grade C and above or equivalent in English

Working knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

In depth knowledge of the Care Act 2014 to ensure care act compliant eligibility.

Working knowledge and understanding of relevant national and local policy issues in Adult Social Care.

Knowledge & understanding of cultural differences where communities have different ethnic backgrounds to ensure equality of opportunity.

Excellent report writing skills, demonstrating the ability to achieve clear and concise reports that are fit for purpose.

Excellent listening skills and the ability to understand and communicate clearly at all levels.

Ability to build a rapport and build relationships with people, families, providers, other professionals, and wider communities.

Ability to prioritise tasks, manage own workload, to be case accountable and initially manage difficult and complex cases.

Ability to actively support and promote equal opportunities.

Ability to operate in a fast-paced office and changing environment, and to be able to make initial decisions on any shift where they are the responsible person.

Empathetic and caring when working.

To be aware of your environment and the need to be appropriate and professional at all times.

Previous experience of working with people with care and support needs.

Experience, knowledge, and demonstration of using various IT packages and systems.

Accurate and detailed entry and analysis required.

Understanding of Data Protection guidance.

Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs

Demonstrate an understanding of the safe working practices that apply to this role.

Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and well-being of vulnerable adults.

About us

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)