Oliver Smith
Summary
I am a dedicated and experienced qualified social worker with progressive experience in children and family social work practice and also medical social work. I have experience of applying legislation and guidelines into practice to ensure adequate and appropriate support and protection for children, young people and their families. I am able to handle complex and dynamic interpersonal situations with the highest degree of professionalism and empathy. I am keen to continue to engage in new challenges working at the forefront of best practice to deliver support to vulnerable children and families. This will include managing a complex and diverse caseload utilizing the knowledge and skills I gained, in line with children and family legal guidelines. I would prefer roles within the children safeguarding, MASH and Duty and Assessement
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Practitioner (social worker)
Peterborough City Council
05.2023 - Current
Senior Social Worker
Northamptonshire Children's Trust
07.2020 - 04.2023
Practice Educator
Northamptonshire County Council
12.2021 - 08.2022
Children Social Worker Safeguarding Team
03.2018 - 07.2020
- Provide professional leadership for complex case arrangements, in situations which involve, risk, complexity and safety of the service user and others
- Identifying through assessment needs and strengths and source appropriate solutions and interventions
- Use analytical skills, interviews and observations to inform assessment, decision making and interventions to achieve desired outcomes within the context of managing risk to children
- Complete support planning with families by understanding the context of child development, parenting capacity and family and environmental factors to ensure that outcomes identified at assessment are met through the provision of support
- Take a professional lead on safeguarding issues where abuse or neglect is suspected
- Assess and balance risk and protective factors within a child protection framework
- Provide more specialist social work practice skills and knowledge to make independent decisions and support situations in which risk, ambiguity or complexity is greatest
- Ensuring legislation is adhered to and challenge decisions where appropriate
- Acting as the lead professional and ensure all matters in respect of child protection are dealt with promptly, effectively and in line with the child protection procedures and escalated as necessary
- Provide written and verbal child protection plans where appropriate along with reports appropriate for courts and other legal purposes, which are concise, informative and based on complex evidence to support problem solving and resolution
- Assess and manage risk, knowing how to intervene proportionately and ensuring people are protected from harm, whilst protecting their human rights
- Listening to the voice of the child and speak on their behalf in the court arena, child protection conference.
Children's Social Worker and Head of Department
Nazareth House Cape Town
Vredhoek
07.2016 - 02.2018
- Work within statutory responsibilities and departmental policies to maintain and update case notes and other records and write reports as required
- Medical Social Work roles with children with physical disabilities, Cerebal Palsy, Cancer patients and other chronic medical conditions
- Advanced Health Care Plan -Permanancy Planning -End of life Care -Palliative Care -Multi dimensional interventions regarding symptoms management -Decision making and implications of various treatment alternatives -Work in an interdisplinary setting Working with children with complex and acute needs and connecting with multi-agency/ disciplinary teams to deliver holistic services
- Care Planning, Placement and Case Review To ensure that a child or young person receives appropriate care, education and health services supporting the young person to live independently and to receive education
- Co-work cases, delivering Action Learning Sets and supervise students on placement
- Working in partnership with foster carers, adopters sharing information as required managing complexity, risk and responsibility
- Receive referrals and ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken, in accordance with the organizational polices and procedures
- Supervising the senior child care worker at the different premises of Nazareth House for looked after children
- Providing counseling and support services to children and parents
- Managing Carers and Supervision of Senior Child and Youth Care Workers
Children's Social Worker
Masigcine Children's Home
08.2014 - 07.2016
- Holding a complex caseload of children and young people who are looked after by the council
- Working closely with children's social workers within the department and other external agencies to ensure excellent care plans for Looked After Children are in place, to maximise positive outcomes
- To support alternative permanent care for children who have to be separated from their families in a timely manner
- Working in partnership with foster carers, adopters sharing information as required managing complexity, risk and responsibility
- Receive referrals and ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken, in accordance with the organizational polices and procedures
- To recruit, assess, supervise, support, train and review foster carers to maximize the stability of placements
- Supporting Foster Carers to provide a high standard of family care
- Work within statutory responsibilities and departmental policies to maintain and update case notes and other records and write reports as required.
Social Worker
baitul ansaar child and youth care center
11.2012 - 11.2013
- Undertaking child protection investigations, assessments and making recommendations that facilitate decision-making by appropriate line managers
- Completing assessments of the needs of children and their families taking into account their views, and to ensure that clear Child in Need and Child Protection plans is in place
- Preparing court statements and give evidence in court, when required, including progressing care proceedings in a timely manner
- Holding a complex caseload of looked after children (LAC), reviewing and updating care plans and undertaking statutory LAC visits
- Working in partnership with professionals from both within the Children's Services Division and other multi-disciplinary services to ensure that plans are progressing effectively in the best interest of children and families
- Providing clear verbal and written reports to child protection case conferences, child protection case conference reviews, core group meetings, network meetings and other professionals meetings as required
- Maintaining accurate and full records of contact and interventions with service users in line with the department's policies and procedure
- Actively participating in duty systems as required.
Social Work Intern
woodstock trauma center
Woodstock, Cape Town
06.2011 - 11.2011
- Assessing and intervening with clients on micro, mezzo & macro levels
- Facilitation of mezzo groups
- Counselling, individuals, families and communities
- Provide crisis intervention
- Function as part of an interdisciplinary team
- Supportive counselling and support services to children and families
- Referring children and families to other services if necessary
- Psychological counselling and assessment
- Support group facilitator with victims of torture and violence
- Project planning and implementation on the reintegration of non-South Africans in the South
Social Work Intern
mitchell;s plain center for abused women and man
Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town
04.2010 - 10.2010
- Counselling sessions with the victims of domestic violence
- Support group facilitator
- Project planner and manager
- Counselling
- Support groups and health promotion
- Mentoring students with challenged back grounds
Social Work Intern - Health Promoter
Gardenia Primary School
Belhar, Cape Town
03.2009 - 06.2009
- Counselling
- Support groups and health promotion
Social Work Intern
Big Brother Big Sister South Africa
03.2008 - 05.2008
- Mentoring students with challenged back grounds
- Psycho-social support
Education
Practice Educator -
University of Northampton
05.2022
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD - Social Work
University of the Western Cape
01.2020
Masters of Social Work - Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland
01.2013
Bachelor:s degree in social work - Social Work
University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland
01.2011
High School - Social Sciences
Mutambara High School
01.2004
Skills
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Communication
- Clinical Supervision
- Shona (Full Professional)
- Xhosa (Limited Working)
- English (Full Professional)
- South African Social Service Profession
- Health Care Professions Council-UK
- Signs of Safety training
- Toxic trio training
Certification
- South African Social Service Profession
- Health Care Professions Council-UK
- Signs of Safety training
- Toxic trio training
Languages
- Shona, Full Professional
- Xhosa, Limited Working
- English, Full Professional
Awards
Scholarship
Publications
- Substance abuse amongst the youth in Grabouw, Western Cape: Voices from the community
- An analysis of livelihood of landfill waste pickers in South Africa
- Http://etd.uwc.ac.za/handle/11394/7310
- The management of South Africa's landfills and waste pickers on them: Impacting lives and livelihoods
- An Analysis of Livelihoods Landfill Waste Pickers
Timeline
Senior Practitioner (social worker)
Peterborough City Council
05.2023 - Current
Practice Educator
Northamptonshire County Council
12.2021 - 08.2022
Senior Social Worker
Northamptonshire Children's Trust
07.2020 - 04.2023
Children Social Worker Safeguarding Team
03.2018 - 07.2020
Children's Social Worker and Head of Department
Nazareth House Cape Town
07.2016 - 02.2018
Children's Social Worker
Masigcine Children's Home
08.2014 - 07.2016
Social Worker
baitul ansaar child and youth care center
11.2012 - 11.2013
Social Work Intern
woodstock trauma center
06.2011 - 11.2011
Social Work Intern
mitchell;s plain center for abused women and man
04.2010 - 10.2010
Social Work Intern - Health Promoter
Gardenia Primary School
03.2009 - 06.2009
Social Work Intern
Big Brother Big Sister South Africa
03.2008 - 05.2008
Practice Educator -
University of Northampton
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD - Social Work
University of the Western Cape
Masters of Social Work - Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland
Bachelor:s degree in social work - Social Work
University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland
High School - Social Sciences
Mutambara High School
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