A well respected, skilled and knowledgeable individual with extensive social work practitioner and leadership/managerial experience in both the voluntary and statutory sectors both in tbe UK (21 years) and Western Australia (4 years)

Currently on a recovery/rehabilitation break due tio diagnosis of CPTSD Major Depression with symptoms of stress, anxiety, burnout and sleep concerns.

To help in my healing I am completing as well writing for CPTSD Foundation:

– An Msc in Applied Neuroscience at Kings College, London -Jan 2020
– An Equine Assisted Learning Therapy AEL Levels 1-4, Vasse, Western Australia – Jan 2020

Western Australia:

December 2018 – June 2019 – Founder and Trustee Director of Childhood Essentials Incorporated. Establishing the foundations of this Non-Governmental Incorporation so it can provide a service to the community. Closed in June 2019.

July 2018 – December 2018 – Business Owner – Childhood Essentials

June 2015 – July 2018 Team Leader – WA Government, Department of Communities, Division of Child Protection and Family Support

England:

Independent Social Worker & Managing Director of Dearlove Social Work Consultancy Ltd. April 2013 – April 2015 (Taking on short term contracts in a variety of roles to gain greater learning experiences, knowledge and skills).

Work to Date as a Contractor/Consultant:

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO): Newcastle Upon-Tyne Local Authority Children’s Services – June 2014 – April 2015

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO): Middlesbrough Local Authority Children’s Services – April 2014 – June 2014

Interim Family Court Advisor: Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service – (CAFCASS) – Newcastle Upon Tyne – February 2014 – April 2014

Interim Senior Practitioner: Fieldwork Team South 3 (child protection) – Stockton on Tees Borough Council – September 2013 – January 2014.

Interim Team Manager: Fieldwork Team North East 7 (child protection) – Leeds City Council (Chapeltown area) – September 2013

Interim Team Manager: Fieldwork Team North 4 (Temporary Team) – Stockton on Tees Borough Council – April 2013 to September 2013

Main Responsibilities:

• To provide a high-quality social work service, to oversee actions to safeguard children and to ensure consistency in practice and decision making across the team in a designated geographical area.

• Responsible for the performance of the team, including work allocation, supervision case review, recording,
• target setting and performance appraisal.

• To ensure that each team member provides high-quality assessment and service within legislative and policy
• framework in order to address client needs and implement effective packages of care.

• To effectively chaired a range of meetings including planning, strategy and legal meetings and made decisions as appropriate to the needs of the children involved.

• To conduct individual and family interviews to seek client views in order to identify problems and resolution.

Previous Permanent Job Position(s):

Team Manager – West Children’s Planning Team
Period: September 2011 to April 2013
Employer: South Tyneside Council, Children, Adults and Families

Main Responsibilities:

• Utilise personal and professional skills and experience to implement services of an emergency and preventative nature to services users within the statutory framework and directorate policy. This includes: The Children’s Act 1989, Working Together 2010, The Assessment Framework for Children in Need and their Families, Every Child Matters, Think Family, & Troubled Families Agenda / Models.
• Team Manager, responsible for 12 social workers and 3 social work assistants
• Accept and undertake supervision and guidance within directorate procedures and policies
• Be responsible for staff supervision within West Children’s Planning Team. Personal and casework supervision. Casework supervision provided for a child in need, child protection, looked after children and child adoption case status.
• Responsible for drawing up and developing Personal Development Plans in relation to staff within the supervision group
• Participate in relevant management and developmental groups
• West Children’s Team financial / budget responsibility
• Ensure effective use of time and resources through good standards of assessment, planning and gatekeeping
• Implementation of performance management systems.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Chair departmental meetings for social workers to ratify plans for children and their families prior to or towards the resolution of legal care proceedings.
• Investigate complaints made by families and/or professionals
• Representative on South Tyneside Councils Fostering Panel (July 2010 – March 2012)
• Develop and provide training to Social Workers / Social Care Workers on Motivational Interviewing
• Development and awareness of evidence-based practice in South Tyneside
• Former Representative on South Tyneside Council Troubled Families Steering Group (or High Impact Families)
• Representative on the Corporate and Children and Families Ofsted Preparation Inspection Group
• Co-leader of an initial Task and Finish Group to prepare front line social workers for the new Ofsted Inspection Framework

Key Achievements:

Improved stability in West Children’s Team i.e. staff turnover and sickness greatly improved between September 2011 and April 2013.
Supporting team and service though challenging Ofsted inspection (April/May 2012)
Supported and helped to develop staff members who were initially placed on performance improvement plans. These plans have now ended due to significant progress made.
Set up an initial working group to explore evidence-based practice in social work and its use in social work in South Tyneside. Established international links to ensure current best practice was explored i.e. Solution-based Casework Model (Dana Christensen – founder).
Developing the notion of shared leadership within the team i.e. developing champions in key practice areas who in-turn support staff who have no limited skills/knowledge in such areas.

Previous Position(s): Team Manager – Family Support Service (FSS)
Period: September 2009 – September 2011
Employer: South Tyneside Council, Children, Adults, and Families

Main Responsibilities:

• Utilized personal and professional skills and experience to implement services of an emergency and preventative nature to services users within the statutory framework and directorate policy
• Team Manager responsible for 16 social care/work staff within FSS and also 5 social workers in West Children’s Team (acting senior role – additional responsibility).
• Accept and undertake supervision and guidance within directorate procedures and policies
• Responsible for staff supervision both in FSS and also West Children’s Planning Team
• Responsible for drawing up and developing personal development plans in relation to staff within the supervision group
• Participate in relevant management and developmental groups
• FSS financial / budget responsibility
• Ensure effective use of time and resources through good standards of assessment, planning and gatekeeping
• Implementation of performance management systems.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Chair departmental meetings for social workers to ratify plans for children prior to or towards the resolution of legal care proceedings.
• Investigate complaints made by families
• A representative of South Tyneside Councils Fostering Panel (July 2010-March 2012)
• Attended as a member/representative of the Early Years Wellbeing Panel (0-5 years) 2010-2011.
• Also added responsibility between October 2010 to May 2011: Acting Senior Manager in West Children’s Planning Team (2 days per week)

Key Achievements:

• Development and introduction of key performance indicators and tracking systems within the service i.e. staff responses / time scales on allocation of case in creating details on ICS (IT System), the contacting referrer/social worker and families, case closures, exit and support strategies (social inclusion), use of Common Assessment Framework (CAF), child care contacts into the Referral and Assessment Service due to child in need or child protection concerns.
• Ensuring case referrals from social workers/other agencies were allocated immediately therefore limiting time delay for families in crisis.
• Revision of the Duty Worker 1 and 2 roles to ensure greater flexibility and support to families.
• Improved FSS monthly statistics/figures so to enable more specific and accurate information to be captured and analysed and utilised within the development of FSS.
• Improving communication and working relations between FSS and all social work teams i.e. Leaving Care Service, Children with Disabilities Team, The Children’s Standards Unit (IRO’s), The Out of Hours of Team (OHS), Fostering Service, Planning Teams (x3) and Referral and Assessment Service.
• Development and implementation of regular monthly in-house training specific to FSS i.e. evaluating work with children, young people and their families, social exclusion, systems theory, crisis theory, motivational interviewing, use of therapeutic children’s tools to enhance emotional resilience and insight, solution focused thinking, motivational interviewing, the use of ‘analysis’ in report writing (Court and CP Reports), Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and the roles of the social worker (within Referral and Assessment & Planning Teams) and the legal department.
• Provided FSS representation of the LAC Children’s and Young Peoples Gateway Placement Panel
• Smooth integration of a full-time clinical psychologist into FSS and the subsequent positive working partnership with this specialist health professional from Primary Health Care/Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Implementation of weekly team meetings for FSS staff
• Practice Educator for 60 and 90-day social work students placed in FSS who successfully passed their practice placements (2009-2011)
• Promoting creative and thorough supervision with staff i.e. reflective case work supervision
• Ensuring that all FSS staff had creative personal development plans
• Ensuring that performance management and sickness criteria processes were fully implemented, and that staff were supported.
• Constructively challenged services where delivery had been below expectations for families
• Re-focused and re-applied the original aims of the former Community Family Support Team (now FSS) i.e. rapid response service to families in or at risk of family breakdown/crisis and implementing a short-term 12-week intervention with relevant exit strategies built into longer-term support for families.
• Developed staff post job descriptions and person specifications. Also carried out FSS vacant post interviews with applicants
• Development of working relationships with Children’s Centre / Sure Start staff to provide joint working in cases of child protection.
• Managed CFSS (now FSS) through re-structure of service from 01.06.11. Change management.
• The Embedding in FSS practice of Solihull Approach, Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused thinking.
• Development of a new referral panel for FSS. Membership including Connexions, Youth Service and Children’s Centre’s.

Previous Position: Social Worker – West Children’s Planning Team
Period: May 2008 – September 2009
Employer: South Tyneside Council, Children, Adults and Families

Main Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of family support (CIN), looked after children (LAC) and/or child protection (CP) cases as allocated by team manager
• Work in partnership with children, parents, and others in accordance with the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families
• Develop and implement plans to meet an identified need within the directorates procedures and politics
• Ensure effective and efficient use of time and resources
• Write reports, maintain records and information systems as required in accordance with directorates procedures and policies
• Attend and participate in legal / court proceedings for related cases i.e. Public Law Outline (PLO), Interim Care Orders (ICO) and Supervision Orders (SO)
• Assist in identifying gaps in service provision and participate in developing new services to address gaps.
• Accept and undertake supervision and guidance with the directorate’s procedures and policies.

Key Achievements:

• Ensured all Child Protection and Looked After Children’s reports i.e. CP Review Reports / LAC Review reports were always on time and completed thoroughly ensuring the views of the child(s) and parents/carers were obtained
• Ensured all court documentation i.e. core assessments, statements, Annex A, Section Seven (7) reports, chronologies, were well evidenced and detailed.
• Ensured that all Care and Core Group meetings were held within the guidelines stipulated i.e. 4 and 6 weeks, and that meeting minutes were efficiently and effective written up and distributed.
• Ensured that all Fostering, and Adoption work was completed as per deadlines i.e. fostering and adoption panels.
• Attempted to ensure that children, young people and their families were appropriately safeguarded and supported via comprehensive plans (CP/LAC/CIN) using a multi-agency approach and that children wherever possible were kept together with their parents or kinship carers. When this was not possible, I ensured that children followed the path of adoption or long-term foster care so their safety and all-round developmental needs could be met.
• Gained good experience within the planning social work team and as a consequence developed new working knowledge of the systems, structures and processes which such a role operates within.
• Received several compliments from social work managers and professionals regarding my social work practice (Copies available) i.e. CAFCASS, Adoption Service, Fostering Service and The Children’s Standards Unit (CSU).

Previous Position: Social Worker – The Referral and Assessment Service,
Period: April 2007 – May 2008
Employer: South Tyneside Council, Children, Adults and Families

Main Responsibilities:

• Manage a case load of child in need cases in accordance with the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families
• Carry out initial and core assessments within statutory timescales
• Implement and carry out Section 47 investigations
• Write initial child protection reports and plans
• Instigate and carry out Care and Core Team meetings, Strategy and Departmental Meetings, and Professional Planning Meetings
• Work within a Section 47 and Duty Rota as well as carry out work on your own allocated caseload.
• Develop and implement plans to meet an identified need within the directorates procedures and politics
• Ensure effective and efficient use of time and resources
• Write reports, maintain records and information systems as required in accordance with directorates procedures and policies
• Assist in identifying gaps in service provision and participate in developing new services to address gaps.
• Accept and undertake supervision and guidance with directorates procedures and policies

Additional Responsibilities:

• Nominated Social Worker who attended the weekly Hospital Liaison Meetings to discuss child care concerns relating to the recent hospital child case-patients.
• Link worker for a second-year social work student on a 60-day placement who successfully passed their placement.
• Attended on a rota basis MAPPA meeting (Multi-Agency Adult Public Protection)

Key Achievements:

• Worked successfully within the timescales and demands of my own allocated caseload and the Duty and Section 47 operational rota’s.
• Gained a very good grounding and understanding of the systems, structures, and processes of front-line social work.
• I was one of few front-line social workers who utilized the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) within my planning and exit strategies in work with families
• I was one of few front-line social workers who utilized Family Group Conferencing within my planning and exit strategies with families
• Received a consistent number of compliments from social work managers/professionals regarding my social work practice (Copies available) i.e. CFSS Service Manager, Children’s Planning Team Managers, Court Judge/Legal Department, The Children’s Standards Unit (CSU), School Nurse, Health Visitor.

Previous Position: Project Co-ordinator/Team Manager – Families Accessing Support Team (FAST)
Period: October 2004 – April 2007
Employer: Hartbeat Family Service (Barnardos North East)

Main Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the supervision and development of seven social care workers within a multi-agency partnership (voluntary and statutory sector).
• Supporting young people and their parents into employment and training opportunities
• Ensure the quick, holistic and effective response to families involved in anti-social behaviour
• Prepare reports and statistics to the FAST Steering Group
• Work in partnership with local neighborhood agencies to engage young people and their families and to reduce anti-social behavior.
• Attend all relevant multi-agency and partnership meetings.
• Provide in-house training to FAST, Children’s Fund, Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, Family Intervention Programme (FIP) and Community Safety staff.
• Carry out presentations to stakeholders and other agencies/forums.
• Development of relationships with key stakeholders i.e. Police, ASBU, local Councilors, Housing, Neighborhood Renewal Fund

Key Achievements:

• FAST was nominated and commended at the 2007 National Community and Voluntary Sector Awards in London
• FAST workers were utilized in a pilot to carry out CAF assessments with families
• Positive engagement of young people and their families across the Hartlepool Borough via direct family work, employment/training, outdoor family activities, sports and recreational projects with peer groups of young people. This was importantly achieved via multi-agency working i.e. Youth Service, Police, ASBU, Community Centers, Sports Development, and Youth Offending Service.
• Development of a group work program with at-risk youth which was funded by the Youth Offending Service as the result of my university degree dissertation and research.

Summary of Previous Social Care Experience Prior to Qualification (i.e. 2004):

– Children and Young Peoples Participation Officer (Hartlepool Children’s Fund) – Full Time – Hartbeat Family Service, Barnardos North East, Hartlepool – April 2002 to November 2004

– Residential Social Worker (full time) – Tadcaster Young Peoples Residential Resource Centre, Barnardos Yorkshire, Tadcaster. November 2001 to April 2002.

– Community Support Worker for Disabled Adults – Adult Placement Services (Harrogate and Stockton on Tees) – Part-Time – 1998 to 2004

– Play Scheme Leader for Inclusive Play Scheme (disabled children) – Grove Road / Barnardos Family Service – Part-Time – 1999 to 2002

– Residential and Community Support Worker for Disabled Adults – North Yorkshire County Council – Part-Time – 1998 to 2002

– Residential and Community Support Worker for Disabled Children – North Yorkshire County Council – Part-Time – 1999 to 2003

– Residential Care Worker for Older People with Visual Impairment – Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) – 1998 to 1999 & 2001 to 2002

– Play Scheme Leader (Children’s Play Schemes) – Harrogate Borough Council – 1997 to 1998

– Reed Social Care (Leeds) – Various social care roles i.e. Children’s Residential Units and Homeless Hostels – 1999 to 2000

– Youth and Community Worker – Centred based, detached and outreach youth work – North Yorkshire County Council – 1995 to1999

– Approved Short-Breaks Carer for Disabled Children (Children’s Society / Barnardos Yorkshire) – 1996 to 2004

– Bar and Leisure Assistant (part time) – Hammerain House Leisure Centre – 1992 – 1995

– Shop Assistant – Iceland Frozen Foods (part time) – 1991 – 1995

– Shop Assistant – Marks and Spencer (part-time) – 1990 – 1992

– Junior Accounts Clerk – Granby Hotel – 1987 to 1990

Volunteer Work Experience:

– Harrogate Homeless Hostel – 1995 to1999
– Victim Support – 1995 to1997
– British Red Cross – 1995 to1996
– Camp America (working with young male youth diagnosed on the autistic spectrum) – Jun to Sept 1996

Competence with Information Technology Systems:

– ICS
– Swift
– PowerPoint
– Excel
– Word

– Oracle Financial / Budgeting System
– Assist (WA IT system)

Qualifications:

2011 – 2014

Post Graduate Certificate in Health and Social Care. Passed first year of the Msc Transformational Leadership in Health and Social Care at the University of Teesside. Withdrew in 2014 due to adopting 2 young children.

All modules passed in Year 1:

Grades: 82% – Advanced Personal Effectiveness
70% – Interdependent Working Part B
50% – Evidence-Based Practice
50% – Interdependent Working Part A

2009 – 2010

Passed the Post Qualifying Specialist Award with Children, Young People and their Families – University of Northumbria. Grade B at Post Graduate Level 7. Commendation received

2005 – 2006

Passed the Post Qualifying Award in Social Work Part One (Teesside University). Grade A.

2004 – 2006

BA (Hons) in Advanced Social Work Practice (Teesside University – Part-Time).
Grade A (1st) – Awarded the best overall student award.

2003 – 2004

Diploma in Social Work / Diploma in Higher Education (DipSW/DipHE (University Teesside).
Pass. Credits transferred from the University of Huddersfield Social Work Degree Course.

1996 – 1999

I completed two academic years of 240 credits on the BSc (Hons) social work course at Huddersfield University. These credits were later transferred onto the above-noted course at Teesside University.

1995 – 1997

Passed the Youth and Community Part-Time Diploma for Youth Work – North Yorkshire County
Council

1994 – 1996

GNVQ Advanced Health and Social Care Diploma – Harrogate College of Arts of Technology
Grade A / Distinction

1988 – 1990

Youth Training Scheme Certificate in Business Administration – Pass

1989 – 1990

BTEC 1st Diploma in Business and Finance – Harrogate College of Arts of Technology
Grade A / Distinction

1988 – 1989

Account Booking Diplomas (x5) all passed – Taits College / Harrogate

1982 – 1987

1 O’Level – English Language
6 CSE’s – Maths, English Literature, Geography, Art, Biology, Economics – Harrogate Granby High School

Relevant Training Courses:

An extensive list of ongoing in-house and external training since 1995 has been undertaken and this is provided below:

Organizing Body Course Title Course Date
Darlington Council Adoption Training x4 days (for adoptee’s) May-12
South Tyneside Council
2011 Fostering Care Regulations Jun-12
South Tyneside Council
Serious Case Review Training Oct-11
South Tyneside Council (Capable Managers Programme CMP) Managing Staff Performance Oct-10
South Tyneside Council
Reflective Supervision x4 days (Tony Morrison Model) Oct-10
South Tyneside Council (CMP) Discipline and Grievance Aug-10
South Tyneside Council (CMP) Long-term sickness procedures Jul-10
South Tyneside Council
Practice Assessor Workshop Jul-10
Children’s Workforce Development
Safer Recruitment in Education Jun-10
South Tyneside Council (CMP) Short-Term Sickness Procedures May-10
South Tyneside Council
Identifying Emotional Abuse Feb-09
South Tyneside Council
Animal abuse/child abuse Dec-08
South Tyneside Council
Grooming Behaviour in Families Nov-08
South Tyneside Council
Solution Focused Approaches Oct-08
South Tyneside Council
Public Law Outline Training Oct-08
South Tyneside Council
The impact of culture on abuse Jan-08
South Tyneside Council
Attachment Theory Oct-07
South Tyneside Council
Domestic Abuse Awareness Jul-07
South Tyneside Council
Identifying Physical Abuse Apr-07
Institute of Systemic and Family Therapies
Family Therapy/Systemic Theory x2 days Dec-04
Barnardos North East
Introduction to the National Assessment Framework Nov-04
Hartlepool Area Child Protection Committee
Basic Drugs Awareness Jul-04
Middlesbrough Social Services
Parenting the Public Child Feb-04
Hartlepool Children’s Fund
Impacts of work – self-care Sep-03
Play Train
Playwork with Children Jul-03
Adult Placement Services
Communicating Effectively Jul-03
Adult Placement Services
Recognize abuse and neglect Jul-03
Hartlepool Children’s Fund
Lone working issues Jun-03
Adult Placement Services
Understanding Challenging Behaviour Jun-03
Play Train
Children’s Participation Workshop Mar-03
Barnados North East Solution Focussed Practice x 3 days Mar-03
Hartlepool Children’s Fund Group work with children who have suffered domestic abuse – 12 days Oct-02
Barnardos North East
Highscope Approach Training Oct-02
Barnardos Yorkshire
Advanced Therapeutic Play Jan-02
Barnardos Yorkshire
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention x4 days Nov – 01
Barnardos Yorkshire
Therapeutic Play with children Sep-01
Barnardos Yorkshire
Keeping Children Safe Jul-01
North Yorkshire Council – Initial Training Programme
Part-time Youth and Community Work 1995-97

Additional Training:

– Reflective Social Work Supervision – July 2013 – Stockton Council
– Single Assessment – July 2013 – Stockton Council
– Family Justice Review / PLO – June 2013 – Stockton Council
– Signs of Safety 2-day Training with Newcastle Local Authority June 2015
– 5-Day Orientation Program 1 – Child Protection and Signs of Safety – Induction with Department of Child Protection and Family Support – Perth, WA – 2015
– Accountable and Ethical Decision Making – DCPFS/WA June 2015
– Signs of Safety for Team Leaders – WA – 2015
– Aboriginal Cultural Appreciation Course – WA – 2015
– ICS / IT 3-day Training in Assist – WA – 2015
– Permanency Planning – 3 Days – WA – 2015

Awards and Membership and Professional Bodies:

British Association of Social Workers (BASW) from 2005 to 2011