Clare Vas
Relationship based practitioner
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About
I have had a 20 year career in social work with children, building the foundations of developing skills in relationship building across a variety of communities, ages and abilities. This allowed me to develop into teaching in higher education for a period of time and move into the voluntary and charitable sector supporting the growth of Scout groups in areas of high deprivation (building on my pastime of leading a Scout Troop).
This role is a fixed term contract and is coming to an end soon so I am looking for my next challenge utilising the skills I have gained over my career in new and exciting ways.
Experience
Local Growth Officer (West Mercia) – The Scouts (April 2024 – Present)
- Support local scouts to grow and offer new opportunities for young people in areas of high deprivation and global majority areas.
- Creating publicity campaigns to attract new volunteers and young people to take part in Scouts.
- Plan and manage open events, taster sessions and school engagement work to raise awareness of scouts.
- Community engagement through local centre, faith-based organisations and housing Associations as some examples.
- Support new volunteers through their joining and learning journey.
As stated below. In addition as senior practitioner:
- Supervision and mentoring of trainee and less experienced team members.
- Deputising for Team Manager in their absence.
- Chairing team meetings and reflective group supervision
- Undertaking legal care proceedings.
- Managing complex work involving young people detained under Mental Health Act, those requiring secure care, and young people with an extensive trauma history.
- Providing teaching input to the Undergraduate Social Work Degree Programme.
- Personal tutor to social work students across all year groups, supporting throughout practice placements, and managing Fitness to Practise issues when necessary.
- Providing input to Local Authority partners.
- Lead in developing service user input from care experienced young people, and their families.
(March 2011 – December 2013)
- Managing a caseload of children and young people with a range of permanence plans, including adoption, long term fostering, residential care, and kinship placements.
- Ensuring relevant childcare legislation was adhered to.
- Liaising with numerous agencies and reporting the progress of each case both verbally and electronically.
- Carrying out statutory visits within timescales, and when children required additional contact.
- Accurate recording and creation of care plans, pathway planning and other required paperwork.
- Building relationships with children and their families, and undertaking life story work when appropriate.
- Managing a case load of children with a plan of adoption and finding a family to meet their long term needs, as per Adoption and Children Act 2002.
- Based within a secondary school, serving a cluster of primaries, working in partnership with schools to develop whole school approaches to improving attendance, and with families to address the difficulties that they were having.
(October 2006-February 2007)
- Providing support to local families through Early Help voluntary services.
Education
University of Birmingham
Post Graduate Certificate in Coaching and mentoring in the workplace 2018
University of Worcester 2015
Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education.
University of Birmingham September 2011
Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work with Children, Young People their Carers and Families
(Post Qualifying Specialist Award, including Enabling Others 1) Merit
University of Edinburgh, Scotland September 2003 – May 2005
Masters in Social Work
University of St Andrews, Scotland September 1999 – May 2003
BSc (Hons) Psychology. Upper Second Class Honours
