Experience

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  Inverclyde council

  Feb 2002 - Nov 2003

  Group facilitator social worker

  • Maintains a high level of confidentiality, privacy, and sensitivity of all information• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, allowing relations to build organically and quickly with a diverse range of stakeholders• Highly developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle complex enquiries in a systematic, professional, and calm manner• Assessment and interventions involving children and family’s safety and well-being

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  Aberdeenshire council

  Sept 2002 - Feb 2003

  Children and families social worker

  children and Families social worker • Promote family and child welfare as the highest priority • Empower parents and carers to be involved in all stages of the process, as deemed safe and appropriate, to promote accountability and positive family outcomes• Support positive outcomes for children to remain in their communities with their families through effective safety plans and case management plans • Conduct thorough investigations and risk assessments to determine parental or carer capacity to provide a safe environment and protection for their child/ren Show less

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  Glasgow city council

  Nov 2002 - Mar 2009

  Social worker - homeless young people - unaccompanied minors - refugees

  My primary responsibilities in the Homeless Young Persons Team were in the assessment of homeless vulnerable Young People aged 16 to 21. This could also encompass Child Protection work if service users had their own children in terms of the Children Scotland Act 1995. My role involved statutory work involving child protection, fostering assessment and adoption/permanency plans focusing on positive outcomes for children and engaging service users in a person-centred approach, providing individual care plans for vulnerable young people. My role took the form of working in both a voluntary and statutory capacity providing support within areas of need such as homelessness, addiction and poverty. In addition, an aspect of my role included supporting young people who were seeking asylum ''unaccompanied minors'', initially providing support with their basic needs and working within immigration law. A large part of my interventions focused on enabling young people to integrate into their new diverse community. This was achieved by working within a multi-disciplinary team with a mix of statutory and voluntary agencies. This was a unique project to be involved in as this was the only team in Scotland. This enabled myself to reflect on areas of anti-discriminatory practice and in terms of empowering young people to reflect on the stigma that is felt being a homeless young person. Show less

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  Argyle and bute council

  Sept 2008 - Sept 2009

  Social worker

  On returning from India in August 2008 I was still waiting to obtain my Australian visa therefore I commenced working with the children and families team in Helensburgh. My role involved working with children and families, predominantly providing crisis intervention for vulnerable families. This included supporting families on the Child Protection Register and completing complex risk assessments with a focus on person-centred practice and analysis of risk and resilience. Another aspect of my role was providing reports for the Scottish Children’s Hearing system (Children’s Court) which could result in children being placed on supervision requirements to safeguard the child. Furthermore I also compiled reports for child protection care planning and permanency planning within the legal framework of the Children Scotland Act 1995 and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Primarily on a day-to-day basis I was supporting families with a multitude of needs such as financial hardship, addiction issues, mental health and learning needs. This list is not exhaustive. The complexities of the role of a children and families social worker is management of risk and safeguarding the welfare of children residing within their communities. This task is not completed in isolation and relies heavily on working within a multi-disciplinary team to achieve the best outcomes for children and their families. Show less

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  Derpartment of communties

  Oct 2009 - Oct 2022

  Senior child protection - social worker

  The Department of Communities works proactively with families and young people who are at risk, in crisis, or in need of support. Working within the area of Child Protection, I was employed as Acting Team Leader – Senior Child Protection Worker and worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team to help families build safety around children and prevent the need for children to enter the out-of-home-care-system. • Promote family and child welfare as the highest priority • Empower parents and carers to be involved in all stages of the process, as deemed safe and appropriate, to promote accountability and positive family outcomes• Support positive outcomes for children to remain in their communities with their families through effective safety plans and case management plans • Conduct thorough investigations and risk assessments to determine parental or carer capacity to provide a safe environment and protection for their child/ren• Collaborate with external agency supports and families to develop safety networks, including Aboriginal Practice Leaders to support our indigenous and culturally diverse community • Chair complex meetings for families and professionals, and challenging signs of safety meetings• Use negotiation, persuasion, and reasoning skills to encourage families to acknowledge the Departments concerns and participate toward suitable outcomes• Supervise new social work graduates and social workers in-training, supporting their learning through demonstrating my competencies within this field • Support families with a multitude of complex and sensitive needs, including financial hardship, addiction issues, mental health, learning needs, childhood trauma, loss and grief, and domestic violence • Attend court proceedings concerning children in care and criminal matters, such as supporting parents to obtain violence restraining orders Show less

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  South west wellbeing centre

  Oct 2022 - now

  Clinical social worker

  I am currently a Social Work clinician at the South West Wellbeing Centre, I am skilled in providing counselling, comprehensive assessments and Mental Health treatment for individuals, couples and families who are experiencing life stressors including anxiety and depression. My practice includes psychological interventions along with specific trauma related therapies and play therapy. I have undertaken extensive training in relation to Family Domestic violence triage. I am competent in risk assessment and safety planning I am experienced in working with individuals, children, young people and their Families. I also have a neurodiversity-affirming approach with my ADHD, autistic, and otherwise neurodivergent clients, Show less

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  Integro family health

  Mar 2023 - now

  Clinincal social worker - family & realtionship therapist - integro health

  I am a Clinical Social Worker. I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Family and Relationships Therapy and am qualified at using EMDR therapy for adults and children.I am fuelled by a passion for developing unique ways of understanding how we think, what we feel and why we behave as we do. My personal style is warm, engaging and passionate and builds upon my significant professional experience in social work and family therapy.I am skilled in providing counselling, comprehensive assessments and mental health treatment for individuals. My practice includes psychological interventions and specific trauma-related therapies, such as EMDR, CBT, & Play Therapy. I have over 23 years' experience in working with individuals, children, young people, and families. I have a neurodiversity-affirming approach with ADHD, autism, and otherwise neurodivergent clients.My aim is to empower clients to discover and engage with their journey to wellness. I work with clients to set achievable goals whilst challenging them to seek new and more effective ways to view their world, thus working towards improving their quality of life. Show less