Hearings Officer Sheffield, England
Job description
The Role
Social Work England are the specialist regulator for social work in England, focused on enabling positive change in social work. Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. We are taking a new approach to regulating social workers in their vital roles. We believe in the power of collaboration and share a common goal with those we regulate – to protect the public, enable positive change and ultimately improve people’s lives.
You will be part of a team that schedules hearings and helps them to run smoothly. As part of the group of hearings officers you will assist the panel of adjudicators and the legal adviser to hold the hearing in accordance with our rules, regulations and guidance. The team engages with stakeholders, including witnesses and social workers, who need to know all about our hearing processes once their case is referred to a hearing. You will ensure that parties to a hearing are clear about the process and are offered support to engage and attend. The team sits within the fitness to practise function within the regulation directorate.
Our fitness to practise function is how we consider and address concerns about a social worker’s practice. Once a concern has been through investigation, the case examiners decide whether a hearing is required. The concern about the social worker will be considered by a panel of independent adjudicators who decide whether the social worker’s fitness to practise is impaired.
You will work with adjudicators, legal staff, and hearings case managers to progress hearings to conclusion while supporting fair and transparent processes. You will ensure hearings run smoothly and consistently and support adjudicators so they can make independent, evidence based, fair and transparent decisions. Our hearings are primarily heard virtually however some matters may be dealt with in person or a hybrid of the two.
What you will do
- Be in attendance at our fitness to practise hearings and meetings.
- Manage the smooth running of fitness to practise hearings and meetings to support our objective of protecting the public.
- Provide support, advice and guidance to all parties at a hearing including the legal adviser, witnesses and social worker on our procedures, regulations and rules.
- Provide high quality and professional customer service to stakeholders at all stages of the hearing process.
- Anticipate and resolve issues that may arise during a hearing and keep cases on track in a sensitive public environment often under pressure.
- Work as a team to facilitate the planning, listing and running of in-person, hybrid or virtual fitness to practise hearings and meetings.
- Provide support for vulnerable witnesses or social workers at hearings, solving issues and removing barriers to their participation.
- Provide training and support to team members by assisting hearings support officers with bundle preparation and redaction and assisting hearings case managers to schedule hearings.
- Complete post-hearing administrative tasks promptly including sending notifications of the outcome of cases and help ensure our public register is accurate.
- Regularly exchange information with a range of internal and external stakeholders including senior professionals and lawyers.
- Support the development and improvement of procedures, processes and templates.
Your skills, knowledge and experience
- Strong interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills that facilitate effective working relationships between diverse stakeholders; able to be assertive, diplomatic and professional at all times whilst under pressure.
- Able to interpret and apply legislation, regulations and guidance and explain procedures to our adjudicators and hearing participants.
- Ability to work under pressure to solve problems and effectively prioritise and manage competing demands.
- An understanding of professional regulation, legal process and case law (desirable).
- Able to adapt to new processes or ways of working and be comfortable with change.
- Experience of working at a senior administrative level with the ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team.
- Excellent organisation and time management skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately and follow data protection procedures.
- Strong IT skills with a good understanding of Microsoft programmes, including video conferencing and case management systems.
- A demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Details
- Job type: fixed term until 31 March 2024
- Working pattern: Full time. We offer flexible working subject to business need.
- Salary: £29,871 per year, rising to £32,005 per year after successful completion of a 6-month probationary period.
- Location: Sheffield/Hybrid
- Benefits: Flexible working, contributory pension, life insurance and benefits portal
Application
During the application process, you'll be asked to provide answers to three questions from the job description. These answers will be what your application is scored on, please answer in as much detail as possible using examples where necessary.
Job Type: Fixed term contract
Contract length: 9 months
Salary: £29,871.00-£32,005.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexitime
- Free flu jabs
- Life insurance
- On-site gym
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Schedule:
- Flexitime
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Sheffield, S3 8JY
Reference ID: 10133
