Gerald Okocha

Dedicated and dependable individual with strengths in communication and emotional intelligence. Focused on using comprehensive education and training to build career foundation. Seeks out opportunities to gain deeper understanding and direct experience. I am an adept self-starter with ability to work under pressure, and balance competing demands to achieve agreed-upon results

• at Norfolk County Council with the Family Assessment Safeguarding Team (FAST) as a level 1 Social Worker. I hold an allocated caseload of complex cases under supervision to protect vulnerable children, manage risk effectively, strengthen emotional resilience, and address underlying causes impacting negatively on children's development through interventions with children and their families. I coordinate and review planned interventions to ensure that the best outcomes are being achieved for children and young people. Utilise evidence-informed practise to support multi-agency decision-making and act without delay to ensure children and young people are safe and their needs are met. Whilst working with children, I have been able to develop positive, trusting relationships with them and their families to achieve positive change and with other professionals to promote collaborative working. Work in partnership with families, carers, and key agencies that are involved in decision-making and planning by sharing information in a timely and accurate manner. I Work within statutory responsibilities and departmental policies and procedures to maintain full, accurate, and up-to-date records in accordance with departmental practise, time scales, and guidance, including the maintenance of electronic records on case management systems. Use effective presentational skills to represent the department and provide verbal or written reports for court proceedings, case conferences, and other arenas. I champion and lead the Signs of Safety model as a basis for all work, creating consistent and inclusive experiences across Norfolk for children and families in receipt of services. I work in an integrated multi-disciplinary manner to ensure the service meets, as effectively and efficiently as possible, the identified best possible outcomes for children and young people and their families. I uphold the core values and practice standards of the professional regulator which includes professional integrity, prioritising supervision and with the support of the social care academy taking responsibility for professional development in line with registration with the professional body. I undertook my final study placement with ‘Barnardo's Action with Young Carers Liverpool commissioned to ensure that young carers and young adult cares up to the age of 25 years are identified and can receive a carers assessment under the statutory duty of Liverpool city council. I work to ensure that children have their voices heard in the decision-making process concerning their lives. This is especially within Child Protection (CP) conferences, Looked After Children Reviews, core groups and other professionals' meetings. This has further built my professional leadership skill as well as strengthen my team playing skill where I have learnt to work in partnership within a multi-agency setting. My final placement and role as an advocate has afforded me the opportunity to improve my knowledge of the relevant social work legislations such as the Children Act 1989 and 2004. I have worked with children on Child in Need (section 17) plans and Child Protection (section 47) plans. I have also worked with Looked after Children under sections 31 and 38 of the Children Act 1989. I have directly worked with children on CIN and CP plans and I have also attended relevant professionals meeting with the view to providing statutory interventions. This has also afforded me the opportunity to understand partnership working within social care and with guidance of the Working Together Principle. Whilst on my first and final social work placement, I have had the opportunity to complete several types of assessments. I completed assessment of service users who are new into the residential setting. This assessment is focused on identifying the adult needs and matching those needs with the appropriate support that would meet their needs. In my final placement, I complete assessment of children and young people based on information shared by the Local Authority's and the information obtained from parents and the children through direct work. Whilst completing these assessments, I have used the Framework for Assessment of Children which is the ‘triangle' that looks at the Children's developmental needs such as education, health, Emotional behavioural development and identity. The Parenting which looks at how best parents can care and meet their children's holistic needs. The Family and environmental factors which looks at other factors such as income, housing, wider family network and so on. I found the assessment framework very effective in identifying what the issues are, and being able to build a story around the children's lived experiences.