B7 Senior Social Worker

Job summary

Are you passionate about reshaping mental health care? Do you believe in the power of community, collaboration with community partners and local voluntary care sector, inclusion, and peer support to transform lives? We're launching an innovative community care centre inspired by world-class models like the Trieste Mental Health Community Network, Navigo in Grimsby, and Clubhouse models in New York and Brixton.

We have an incredibly exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new community mental health pilot. This centre will hold a major national profile with NHS Englandwho are hoping that the pilot will radically transform how we deliver mental health care in the UK.

We are looking for dedicated staff to help us pioneer this revolutionary approach to care.

What We Offer

oA Unique Care Model: Join a programme focused on community, social inclusion, and holistic recovery.
oSupportive Environment: Collaborate with peers, contribute to a recovery-oriented care system, and make a real difference.
oDevelopment Opportunities:Be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of mental health care, with training and career growth built in.

Main duties of the job

The B7 senior social worker will work closely with team leaders, the MDT & the Ladywell safeguarding social work team. You will work with the Lewisham safeguarding lead to provide adult social work provision for the service.

Be an active member of the team using knowledge & skills to support colleagues in the delivery of care, assessment & treatment to patients with a range of mental health diagnoses.

Embrace & promote a strengths-based approach to assessment interventions. Liaise with, advise & support a range of external partnership agencies both voluntary & statutory.

Undertake Care Act interventions including assessment, prevention, personalisation & safeguarding. Develop expertise in interventions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. You will have the opportunity to undertake the statutory duties of the AMHP on a rota basis as a member of the Lewisham AMHP service (once warranted by that Authority). To deliver these services in accordance with current legislation, Local Authority/Trust policies & procedures.

Ensure service users are safeguarded from harm, to improve outcomes for service users/ family/carers lives & act as a guide & advocate.

Be an active member of the MDT using knowledge skills to support & advise colleagues in relation to safeguarding & social care.

Work closely & effectively with a variety of other professional disciplines & external statutory independent agencies to meet the complex needs of service users/families/carers within the community setting.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

oTo work in partnership with service users, families and carers to meet social care needs that arise in relation to a range of mental disorders and often highly complex social situations.
oTo work together with the Social Work lead and the directorate Safeguarding lead to provide an effective social work service for service users, their families and carers by ensuring access to appropriate resources from local authorities and a range of external agencies on a national level.
oTo make referrals where appropriate and to provide and access advocacy, information and guidance for service users, carers and agencies
oTo work as a member of the multi-disciplinary community team exercising social work professional responsibility for providing highly specialist assessments and follow-up for service users referred with complex problems, which includes assessment of risk in terms of self-harm, self-neglect, vulnerability, harm to others, domestic abuse and safeguarding children and adults.
oTo supervise and / or Co-work complex cases where social care needs are identified as high priority including completion. This may include completion of complex reports, attending MHA tribunals and completion of agreed core tasks for SLaM, undertaking procedural and administrative duties related to the social work function.
oTo coordinate care for service users by undertaking assessments and plans for aftercare informed by specialist knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004, in accordance with policy guidance and procedures.
oTo engage service users and their families providing direct work as appropriate to assist recovery.
oTo contribute to community referral screening and social care pathways gathering information about service users, carers, family members and professionals in order to undertake assessment of social care needs and risk.
oTo work as part of the community multi-disciplinary team, attending zoning meetings (when required), CPA and planning meetings as appropriate and to contribute to the delivery of highly specialist evidence-based mental health assessment, care planning, treatment and review for service users.
oTo contribute to complex risk assessment and ongoing risk management and safety planning in the community. To contribute to safe discharge planning and arrangements in accordance with child safeguarding, mental health legislation, policy and procedures.
oTo provide social work consultation, training and advice to the community services as needed, with a focus on particular aspects of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, adult mental health, adult safeguarding and compliance with NICE guidelines.
oTo provide practice education for social work placements, where candidate is compliant with Practice Educator Professional Standards. (PEPS 1&2)
oTo implement adult safeguarding procedures in accordance with inter-agency and trust Procedures for Safeguarding Adults.
oTo work closely and effectively with a variety of other professional disciplines and external statutory and independent agencies to meet the complex needs of users and their carers within the hospital and or community setting.
oTo be aware of the needs of service users and their families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds. To apply social work ethical principles and values and to use critical reflection and analysis to respect diversity and to guide professional practice in sensitive and innovative ways.
oTo promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, maintaining an awareness of the equality and diversity policy and working to create and maintain a safe, supportive and welcoming environment where all people are treated with dignity and their identity and culture are valued and respected
oTo attend professional social work supervision with the Social Work lead and/or Safeguarding lead to promote continuous professional development.
oTo provide professional supervision and / or managerial supervision for team members as required.
oTo undertake the statutory duties of the AMHP on a rota basis as a member of the Lewisham AMHP service (if qualified AMHP preferred)
oTo produce and write complex reports, attend MHA tribunals and complete agreed core tasks for SLaM, undertaking procedural and administrative duties related to the social work function
oTo ensure information is recorded consistently, accurately and meets statutory timescales. To ensure service user confidentiality is maintained and information is shared with the service user, carer and other agencies in accordance Trust data protection requirements.
oTo represent N2C when required in court, at case conferences, Tribunals, CPA, planning and review meetings as required.
oTo assist in appropriate service developments, audits and research as deemed appropriate and in consultation with the community team leaders.
oTo carry out the duties and responsibilities of the post, in accordance with local authority and Trust Health and Safety Policy and relevant Health and Safety legislation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential
oRelevant professional qualification Social Work, educated to degree, masters level or have other relevant experience
oRegistered with Social Work England
oSignificant post qualification experience of utilising a range of social work skills at post qualifying level in adult focused social work
oSignificant knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 specific to the context of adult safeguarding procedures. Knowledge and understanding of responsibilities in safeguarding of vulnerable adults including domestic abuse
oKnowledge of adult mental health disorders and up to date knowledge of evidence-based practice

Desirable
oTo hold an AMPH warrant
oQualifications or training in specialist skills e.g. psychological interventions

Experience

Essential
oExperience and understanding of applying evidence - based approaches and best practice principles in working with service users and their families
oExperience of providing professional support/supervision and motivation of staff
oUnderstanding of Health and Social Care Governance
oExperience of working with diverse families and communities and of working with interpreters
oExperience of multi-professional collaboration at a senior level including working in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations.

Knowledge/Skills

Essential
oAbility to collate and analyse complex information, make autonomous decisions and contribute to complex problem solving
oKnowledge of safeguarding polices and procedures
oTo record personally generated records and to have a general knowledge of IT skills such as Word, Excel, ePJS and Powerpoint.
oConcentration on patient related activities where the work pattern is unpredictable.
oClear understanding of the Mental Health Act, Care Act, Housing Act, Mental Capacity Act, Quality & Safety Governance, Clinical audit and relevant national policies