Sarah Vaughan

• Registered Manager of a children's residential home, ensuring compliance with Ofsted regulations, Children's Homes Regulations (2015), and Quality Standards.
• Led and managed a care team of fourteen people, providing effective leadership, supervision, mentoring, and performance management.
• Safeguarded children and young people by implementing robust safeguarding procedures and promoting positive risk management practices.
• Developed and maintained high-quality care plans tailored to the individual needs, outcomes, and aspirations of each child.
• Managed all aspects of home operations, including staffing, recruitment, rotas, budgets, and resource allocation.
• Built strong partnerships with local authorities, social workers, education providers, health professionals, and families to promote positive outcomes.
• Monitored and improved service quality through audits, regulation compliance checks, and continuous improvement plans.
• Supported children with emotional and behavioural needs, fostering resilience, independence, and positive life skills.
• Ensured effective incident management, safeguarding investigations, and statutory reporting processes were completed accurately and within required timescales.
• Promoted a therapeutic, child-centred culture that prioritised stability, wellbeing, education, and positive relationships.
• Maintained accurate records, policies, and procedures, ensuring confidentiality and adherence to legislation and best practice guidance.
• Delivered staff training and development programmes to enhance practice, retention, and service quality.
• Demonstrated strong leadership in managing change, driving service development, and achieving positive outcomes for children and young people.

- Care Act 2014 assessments for patients detained in inpatient and secure settings

- Ensuring thorough consideration of patients s117 needs prior to discharge through working with other agencies, the person and their support network

- In depth risk assessments relating to risk to self and others

- Completing social circumstances reports and Tribunal statements as required

- Mental Capacity Act 2005 assessments and Court of Protection applications

- S42 safeguarding inquiries

- Social Supervision for patients discharged with conditions under the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007)

- Interim manager; delivering high-quality supervision to social workers and unqualified workers

- Managing referrals and workflow

- Attending meetings aimed at improving patient's experience of inpatient admissions and discharge planning

- Supporting 17 and 18-year-old young people with complex mental health conditions transition into adult mental health services.

- Undertaking Care Act 2014 compliant social care assessments including those eligible for section 117 aftercare.

- Undertaking Mental Capacity Act 2005 assessments and court of protection applications for young people who lack capacity in relation to their care and support.

- Undertaking psycho-social interventions as part of developing young people's ability to take more responsibility for their health and wellbeing post 18.

- Liaising with children's services, CAMHS, housing and education providers to ensure a safe and positive transition.

- Social care assessments for Parole Hearings for prisoners who may have mental health needs and/or are eligible for s117 aftercare

- Social circumstances reports for First Tier Tribunals for patients detained under s37/41 or 47/49.

- Expert witness reports

- Mental Capacity Act (2005) assessments & completion of COP3 forms

- Care Act (2014) compliant social work assessments for private clients

- Certificate provider for LPA applications

- Bite-sized training for solicitors on the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and section 117 aftercare eligibility

- Acting as care coordinator for adults of working age with complex and enduring mental health difficulties including those with psychotic, mood and personality disorders. Some of which are under s17a or s41 MHA (1983 amended 2007).

- Assessing and monitoring risk to self and others and involving other agencies as required for example inpatient, home treatment and social care.

- Assessing and monitoring mental state and adapting patients treatment pathway according to need.

- Working closely with other agencies including drug and alcohol, children and adult social care, primary care and support agencies to ensure patient care meets need in a holistic way.

- Acting as duty worker.

- Supervising a professional who is re-registering as a social worker and supporting unqualified and band 5 team members.

Supporting adults who are detained under the Mental Health Act (1983 amended 2007) under s2, s3 & 37/41 who are in either psychiatric intensive care (PICU), acute or rehab wards in Devon.

I completed the following:

- Joint-working as part of an MDT in the treatment, recovery and discharge planning of adults experiencing mental ill health including; psychotic disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders & ASD

- Engaging people who are acutely unwell in therapeutic activities as part of their treatment and recovery planning

- Supporting transfer to low and medium secure units and step-down to acute and rehab wards

- Completion of Care Act (2014) assessments to support person-centered and timely discharges into the community

- Mental Capacity Act (2005) assessments and associated Court of Protection work

- Risk assessments relating to harm to self & others and also from others

- Care Act (2014) assessments ascertaining whether a person meets the criteria for care and support due to physical or mental disorder. For example; Asperger's, ABI, personality disorder, autism, dementia, severe depression, hoarding and schizophrenia.

- Sourcing and arranging care and support using commissioned services and direct payments.

- Mental Capacity Act (2005) assessments and best interest decision making

- Court of protection reports

- Social circumstances reports for Mental Health Act (1983 amended 2007) tribunals

- Safeguarding inquiries.

- Facilitating discharges from psychiatric inpatient wards across Somerset and out of county.

- Working closely with health colleagues; joint-working, referring and advocating for additional services where required.

- Out of hours social worker managing crises and arranging emergency housing, care provision and Mental Health Act (1983 amended 2007) assessments.

- Supporting adults with an alcohol dependence by preparing them for community or inpatient detoxes using Motivational Interviewing techniques.

- Supporting adults who are dependent on both illicit and prescribed opiates and other illicit substances using opiate substitution therapy (OST) and psycho-social support.

- Supporting people with mental health conditions to access services, maintain their treatment and encourage social inclusion.

- Representing adult and community services and the addictions services at the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC).

- Acting as Children's Safeguarding Lead, undertaking parenting assessments, and participating in child protection conferences.

- Assessing capacity of adults with learning disabilities in relation to specific decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

- Undertaking supported assessments and care plans.

- Undertaking continuing healthcare checklists, and where applicable chairing decision support tool meetings.

- Undertaking safeguarding investigations.

- Chairing team meetings.