Josephine Mee

• Work across the continuum of need, from child and family assessment, child in need, child protection and children looked after
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of individuals with learning disabilities to identify their strengths, needs, and aspirations.
• Develop and implement person-centred care plans in collaboration with children and young people, carers, parents, families, and multidisciplinary teams to promote independence and well-being.
• Provide direct support and advocacy to individuals with learning disabilities and their families, empowering them to access services, make informed decisions, and participate fully in community life.
• Advocate for the rights and interests of children, young people and their families, ensuring their voices are heard and respected in all aspects of care and support.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop risk management plans to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people with learning disabilities, inclusive of their siblings.
• Respond effectively to safeguarding concerns, working in partnership with other agencies to mitigate risks and promote positive outcomes, protecting children and young people from harm.
• Facilitate smooth transitions for individuals with learning disabilities across adult services and from institutional settings to community-based support.
• Work closely with transition teams, schools, and other stakeholders to ensure continuity of care and support during periods of change.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including health professionals, social care providers, and community organisations, to coordinate integrated support services and promote inclusive practices.
• Lead and participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case conferences, and review panels to share information, develop joint plans, and monitor progress towards goals.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of assessments, care plans, and interventions in compliance with data protection regulations and professional standards.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, court reports, assessments, and correspondence for internal and external audiences as required.

• Collaboratively carried out multi-agency, in-depth and ongoing assessments of social need and risk to children, with particular emphasis on capacity for change, leading to effective care planning to address trauma, inclusive of the voice of the child whilst ensuring safeguarding was always prioritised.
• Built purposeful and meaningful relationships, whilst balancing empathy and authority with families/carers, children and young people utilising the local authorities framework of trauma informed practise and application of motivational interviewing
• Communicated and listened to children and families/carers taking into account diversity and the need to tailor my communication style to engage and motivate people to participate in support services.
• Decreased instances of family conflict through mediation and conflict resolution techniques and referral and advocacy to relevant interventions and organisations.
• Advised families on available resources and services, enabling informed decision-making regarding need.
• Lead S.47 investigations, providing crisis intervention during high-stress situations, ensuring immediate support was delivered and children and young people protected from harm.
• Produced written case notes, reports, court statements and parenting assessments that were well argued, focused with sound analysis and rational for actions, decision making and recommendations
• Attended Court Hearings and experienced in giving evidence
• Engaged children in their environment, understanding the world in which they live and the quality of their key relationships; to recognise signs that the child may not be meeting developmental milestones, have been harmed or is at risk of harm; utilising research and evidenced-based approaches to actively inform my casework
• Assessed the impact of cumulative trauma, and concerns or risk of harm across: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, neglect, CSE, CCE as well as the impart of parental issues on children and young people
• Collaborated with the child, family and carers to set out clear goals about what needs to change and when, with evidence of drawing the relevant people and professionals into the plan, including the family’s own support network, ensuring plans are purposeful and support children to reach their potential and reduce harm.
• Promoted placement stability and achieved permanency for children and young people, inclusive of Special Guardianship Orders, long term fostering, and successful reunifications under the return home framework
• Acted upon (e.g. consultation and referral to other services) adult mental ill health, substance misuse, domestic abuse, physical ill health and environmental needs in order to mitigate risk to children and improve individual and family functioning.
• Trained to level 1 in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

• Undertook a range of children and families assessments and S.47 enquiries as the lead Social Worker, across neglect, physical, emotional, sexual abuse and child exploitation
• Undertook assessments in accordance with central government and local guidelines and where appropriate prepared, presented and implemented plans and interventions of work with children and their families based on such assessments.
• Managed a diverse child in need and child protection caseload of up to 24 children and young people
• Supported children and their families so that children will be maintained in a safe environment within the family network and for example, sourcing and implementing Regulation 24 placements.
• Initiated where necessary the Public Law outline, Court Proceedings, producing initial court statements and attended Court, representing the Local Authority.
• Supported children who became looked after. Formulated, prepared and implemented appropriate care plans in line with Child Looked After procedures.
• Prepared and presented a range of reports including reports for Court, Child Care Reviews and Child Protection Conferences and planning meetings.
• Commissioned a range of services designed to minimise risks and improve the wellbeing of children, young people, parents, carers and wider family members.
• Have knowledge of services relevant to individuals, families, carers, groups and communities and how to promote, advocate and motivate access to services.
• Helped individuals, families, carers, and children represent their views in all meetings affecting them and worked effectively with others to improve services offered to them
• Worked with children and their families to ensure where appropriate a re-unification, where short term separation had been necessary.
• Carried out extensive safety planning in partnership with families, children and young people, ensuring safeguarding issues were raised appropriately through professional and managerial channels, and children protected from harm.
• Ensured my practice was underpinned by evidence, policy, procedures and code of conduct to promote individuals' rights to determine their own solutions, promoting problem-solving skills, whilst recognising how and when self-determination may be constrained by legislation.
• Drew on a range of evidence sources to inform decision making, and was a champion for the local authorities framework of the Signs of Safety model
• Ensured my hypotheses were reviewed and explored in supervision to inform judgement and decision making.
• Consulted with families, children and young people to accurately capture their wishes and feelings.

• This was a student placement where I gained experience working with children and young people between the ages of 10-17 and their families at points of crisis and family breakdown under the Child in Need Framework
• Carried out extensive direct work with children, young people and their families to improve family functioning and ameliorate harm, applying a strengths based and systemic family therapeutic approach
• Lead, liaised and worked productively with a professional network and multi-disciplinary team for a meaningful and effective Child in Need plan that facilitated positive change for families and young people, where their views, wishes and feelings were central to planning whilst always prioritising safeguarding.

• Created and reviewed Child in Need Plan’s and supporting families and young people under Section 17 of the CA 1989, completing home visits in timescales
• Carried out Child Observations and contact with parents within a residential home setting that contributed towards a court hearing
• Liaising and working with a wide professional network/multi-disciplinary teams to inform Child in Need plans and supporting families, children and young people
• Secured and managed short break packages of weekly home care and respite, family support workers and additional funding for families, children and young people
• Trained in Positive Behaviour Support

• Worked in a busy adults MASH team, during the outbreak of the Corona Virus
• Gathered, valued and applied clients wishes and feelings with regard to safeguarding outcomes and plans under the Making Safeguarding Agenda
• Conducted home visits with varying issues and needs, needs including learning difficulties, physical disabilities, clients with additional communication needs, elderly and mobility limitations, language barriers
• Worked on a caseload involving safeguarding enquiries regarding:

organisational abuse and neglect, self-neglect, financial exploitation, alcohol abuse, financial exploitation, hoarding, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, modern day slavery and honour based violence

• Followed and completed organisational policies and procedures with regard to record keeping and competing safeguarding 42 enquiries and escalating them under the Care Act 2014.
• Supported in reviewing Mental Capacity of service users under the Mental Capacity act 2005
• Applied knowledge and skills in theories and methods used within MASH including Crisis Intervention, Strengths Based Approach, Systems theory and Person Centred Approach

• Befriending, advising, assisting and supporting young people leaving the care of the local authority and moving onto independence as per

the Children and Leaving Care Act 2000

• Reviewing or supporting the review of the pathway plan, and when necessary amending previously agreed recommendations set out in

the young persons Pathway Plan

• Working directly with care leavers, aged 16 plus, to facilitate their transition to adulthood and independence from local authority care,

ensuring the young peoples objectives that are set out in their Pathway Plan are met

• Undertaking assessments such as Community Care Assessments and Human Rights Assessments to ensure asylum seeking young

peoples entitlement to leaving care support is ongoing if Immigration status changes

• Fulfilling Corporate Parenting duties and ensuring young people are encouraged and supported in their aspirations
• Supporting young parents and carrying out pre birth assessments
• Developing close and effective working relationships with key statutory and voluntary agencies and partners to facilitate a planned and coordinated multi-agency response to the identified needs of care leavers, including risk and safeguarding
• Preparing and maintaining appropriate written records
• Liaising with various agencies in pathway planning to ensure young people are aware of their entitlements in regards to their rights
• Taking part in a duty system
• Developing and sustaining good working relationships with young people that fostered meaningful and sustained change

I worked with vulnerable young parents, their children and extended families holistically to help identify and review their parenting,

personal, social, learning and employment needs. I built positive, safe, and supportive relationships to encourage, motivate and inspire

young parents to progressively reach positive outcomes.

• Strong understanding of Child development
• Provide structured, solution focused support, collaboratively with young parents
• Work in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures
• Work in conjunction with families, social services, and a multi disciplinary team to deliver agreed support plans, across child in need, child protection and leaving care services
• Manage and assess risk to monitor and promote the safeguarding and welfare of young parents and their children
• Maintain and compose records and reports, providing up to date information about young people that are accessed by other professionals and the young person.
• Responsible for organising and delivering participatory activities and the enrichment programme for the service
• Provide ongoing encouragement and support to young people, particularly at points of transition and change
• Facilitate group work sessions, as well as individual interventions
• Flexible and adaptable in meeting the changing needs of children and young people I support
• Manage challenging behaviour effectively and sensitively with a trauma informed approach
• Actively involved in service review and development

• Promoted and developed the participation of looked after children, young people and care leavers within a range of forums that increased participation by 75%
• Worked in partnership with professionals within the borough and other agencies to develop best practice and initiatives for the

participation of children and young people

• Responsible for the development and delivery of training for young people, foster carers and professionals
• Ensured that the views of children and young people were represented at relevant meetings and other forums
• Provided annual work plans, budget proposals and reports
• Monitored the quality of the participation service and took responsibility for delivery of the service's business objectives and outcomes
• Maintained and developed effective working relationships with stakeholders, children and young people, ensuring that positive outcomes were achieved for them
• Responsible for the production of information for both children and young people and other professionals about participation activities

and outcomes.

• Provided advice and guidance to Children Looked After, Care Leavers, foster carers and professionals
• Project managed participation activities, events and consultations inclusive of the Children's Commissioner and at Parliamentary Groups