ASC Contact Centre Outreach Officer

Job Introduction

Role Purpose 

Outreach Officers develop prevention and early intervention initiatives to reduce, delay or remove the need for support passing to long-term Adult Social Care teams.

These initiatives will contribute towards our Vision: The Adult Social Care Contact Centre is here for you when you or someone you know needs advice, information or support about how to manage day-to-day with a disability, illness or long-term condition. We listen carefully to understand what matters most to you, help you navigate life events and find answers including; connecting you to your community, staying in touch with family and friends and solutions so you can live as independently as possible.

 The Outreach Officers  play a pivotal role in helping to design and evaluate innovative ways to respond to customer demand and, through a process of testing and learning, contribute to a growing evidence base of what works best. 

To guide adults in achieving their individual outcomes when apparent needs for Social Care intervention arise, enhancing their strengths and those of their support networks, and preventing the need for longer term social care support

Main Responsibilities

1. Undertaking needs led assessments and strengths-based conversations with adults which may be virtual or face to face
2. Take Care Management responsibility for several active cases including co-produced support plans, resolving financial issues and reviews which may include the supply and installation of equipment and adaptations
3. Implementation of service provision, equipment, adaptations, or assistive technology provided to maximise independence, achieve individual outcomes, promote community connections and support asset-based service development model
4. Develop meaningful relationships with people and discover unique possibilities and solutions that build on their own strengths and enabling them to become more active, health and happy
5. Provide appropriate advice, guidance, and signposting, including benefits advice and promoting the use of web-based resources, that will encourage people to make informed choices about their everyday lives
6. Develop strong working partnerships with other professionals in Acute & Primary Health Care, Social Services, Housing and Provider Organisations to utilise all opportunities for early intervention and prevention
7. If required, robustly apply the application and delivery of the crisis payment scheme, and provide support to eliminate further dependency on crisis intervention
8. Implement the Safeguarding policy and procedures, work to protect adults at risk of harm or abuse and eliminate or minimise identified risk.
9. Focus on reducing over-prescribed or unnecessary care packages and reduce reliance on formal Social Care services where possible
10. To undertake such training as may be required to ensure that the duties of the post are carried out efficiently and effectively with the client at the centre of all decisions
11. To undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time commensurate with the level of the post.

The Ideal Candidate

Specific Qualifications and Experience 

• 4 GCSEs (or equivalent.) to include English
• NVQ II (or equivalent) in social care related subject
• Recent work experience in social care or similar field, involving direct contact with health and social care professionals and members of the public at home, in the community or in a care/hospital environment is desirable 
• Completion of Trusted Assessor training (or equivalent competency framework) or a commitment to undertake this
• Awareness of the social, legal, and political context within which social care services are delivered; knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding policies and procedures

APTITUDES & ABILITIES

• Good communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to keep efficient written records of work done
• Ability to organise and prioritise work and meet deadlines
• Computer literacy in Microsoft Outlook and Word
•  Ability to relate to wide range of people 
• Ability to work co-operatively as part of a team
• Ability to manage tasks effectively on own initiative

Personal Qualities & Attributes 

• Respectful, reliable, observant, adaptable with good levels of resilience and an interest in personal and service development 
• Flexible and adaptable approach to working arrangements
• Willing to undertake training
• Interest in developing own skills and contributing to development of those of other staff 

 Job Requirements 

Must be able to travel, using public or other forms of transport where they are viable, or by 

holding a valid UK driving licence with access to own or pool car. 

 As an Outreach Officer, you will be confident in accessing and making use of web-based, community resources and understanding the benefit of voluntary and local services to a person’s wellbeing.  You will be expected to receive referrals from Contact Officers within the team and complete virtual/telephone or face to face contacts with adults and carers, to discover their desired outcomes and needs, co-produce plans and review interventions.

This represents an ideal opportunity for those with an interest in promoting early intervention approaches and improving outcomes for residents, often in a fast-paced environment where rapid decisions are regularly taken, and teamwork is of utmost importance. 

In addition, you will need to be solution-focused, whilst confident in using your initiative to connect with local communities and neighbourhoods and implementing ideas which will improve outcomes for BCP residents.   The ideal candidate will have a good knowledge of strengths-based practice and be confident in creatively applying these within a wider Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.  

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people.  Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline.  We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services.  By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package for further details see here

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. Expected to be in place 2024.

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.