Designated social care officer

The designated social care officer (DSCO) is a leadership role within Shropshire Council which has a focus on improving the links between social care services and the SEND system. The role supports both operational input, such as the contributions from care to education, health and care needs assessments and planning, and more strategic functions, such as commissioning of care services (eg Short Breaks) for disabled children and young people and those with SEN aged 0 to 25 years.

The DSCO works collaboratively and strategically across health, education, and social care to enable system change.

Key responsibilities of the DSCO include:

  • Embedding SEND reforms across social care operations and practice and improving the understanding of social care processes and legislation by professionals in education, health, and the wider SEND system
  • Ensuring social care and SEND processes are aligned and allow for the early identification of children and young people with SEND
  • Supporting and developing the social care elements of the Shropshire SEND Strategy and Outcomes Framework and ensuring that they're embedded within working practices for children and young people aged 0 to 25 across all services
  • Ensuring high quality and timely social care input and engagement with the education, health and care needs assessment and planning process, as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
  • Working collaboratively with social care managers and commissioners to ensure that statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act (2014) and Care Act (2014) are met, and to drive forward organisational culture change aligned to the SEND reforms
  • Assisting practitioners across children’s social care, early help and specialist services to develop a greater awareness and understanding of the needs of children with special educational needs and or disabilities, to be clearer about the way in which we should be working to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children with SEND
  • Improving the understanding of SEND across all areas of social care
  • Supporting social care workforce development by delivering programmes of co-produced learning/training relating to SEND
  • Supporting co-production and the position of parent carers
  • Promoting the voices of children and young people
  • Monitoring and updating social care information on the local offer
  • Working with commissioners to ensure that local services address the social care needs of children and young people with SEND
  • Contributing to and influencing SEND organisational design across the local area

The designated social care officer in Shropshire is Sharon Griffiths, who can be contacted by email: Sharon.griffiths@shropshire.gov.uk