Band 6 Social Worker - Bristol

Kingfisher is a new mental health service for people with learning disability and/or autistic people.

This is a rare opportunity to join the new team: a specialist in-patient and outreach service covering AWP. This is a part-time, fixed term post covering for a team member who is currently on secondment for one year.

The integrated outreach multidisciplinary community team aims to avoid admissions or, where necessary, to support admissions to Kingfisher. The team will also help facilitate safe discharge back to the person's chosen community. We are looking for a Social Worker who is committed to high quality care and understands holistic and sensory needs of people with LD and/or autism.

A key role is networking with a wide range of community services, to plan for potential admission to, and discharge from, the Kingfisher. The Kingfisher works in a person-centred and collaborative manner with service users, carers and people with lived experience.

The inpatient service, based at Blackberry Hill, has been designed collaboratively with people with lived experience.

The therapeutic environment aims to promote recovery and meet sensory needs for people with LD and/or autistic people with mental disorder who require hospital care and treatment.

Main duties of the job

The Social Worker will work as part of the MDT in the Kingfisher Service. The service provides in-patient and outreach services for people with learning disability and/or autism who need treatment for mental disorder. Kingfisher is a Trust-wide service covering the geographical areas of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North-east Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. The in-patient facility is at Blackberry Hill in Bristol.

The Social Worker will work with service users' family, carers, care providers and community health and care services in a collaborative, holistic and person-centred manner. The aim is to ensure service users are only admitted to hospital if absolutely necessary. If they are admitted, care planning for discharge begins as early as possible, including prior to admission.

Kingfisher aims to ensure that particular needs of service users are met as far as possible. There is an emphasis on trauma-informed care, capable and sensory-informed environment and nature-based practice. All staff receive training in relevant area such as communication, safeguarding, Positive Behaviour Support and legislative frameworks.

About us

We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

We aim to provideHigh Quality, Compassionate Careeverywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.

Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200miles, to more than 1.8million people.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To undertake the full range of activities required to deliver an ongoing comprehensive mental health service.

To facilitate the delivery of Personalised Care and Support Planning in line with the Your Team your Conversation-Your Plan Policy and guidance.

To record safety incidents and to collaboratively create and update Safety Assessments and Safety Plans

To provide personalised interventions to support people with mental health difficulties, learning disabilities and/or autism.

To sometimes act as a Keyworker for people to whom you are delivering interventions. A keyworker is someone who is the key point of contact for people and their families and other teams and services. Although it is everyones responsibility, Keyworkers take a lead responsibility for having Support Conversations and making sure that the Personal Wellbeing Plan makes sense.

To plan, deliver and evaluate defined, non-profession specific specialist therapeutic interventions.

To plan, deliver and evaluate Social Work Interventions as a member of a Multi- Disciplinary Team.

(i) Promote the rights, strengths and wellbeing of people families and communities

(ii) Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of people

(iii) Be accountable for the quality of my practice and the decisions I make

(iv) Maintain my continued professional development

(v) Act safely, respectfully and with professional integrity

(vi) Promote ethical practice and report concerns

To work as a member of a Multi-Disciplinary Team, assisting it to function well, providing profession specific leadership, input and understanding, respecting and utilising the input of other professionals to enhance the overall quality of support provided.

To deliver a range of defined activities/interventions to support Carers.

To be responsible for maintaining own workload, as well as planning the workload of others, on a day to day basis, ensuring that time is prioritised effectively, utilising of electronic resources such as diaries/scheduling.

To be responsible for the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, including the appropriate sharing of information.

Coordinating and undertaking protective interventions which may be required in the protection of others, as outlined in the protection plan, taking individual action where indicated.

Undertake active practice leadership and supervision within the team, covering for the manager and colleagues as required.

To maintain the single health and social care record, ensuring both paper and electronic records are kept up to date in accordance with professional and organisational standards.

Report and record within agreed timeframes, all activity relating to information reporting and performance requirements.

To participate in management, caseload and professional/clinical supervision in accordance with trust policy.

To provide mentoring/training for others in relevant practice areas, according to professional requirements, taking a collaborative approach to practice development and evidence-based care.

Demonstrate responsibility for developing own practice in line with professional qualifications and for contributing to the development of others.

Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, undertaking assessments and taking appropriate action where required.

Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available training, feedback, supervision and appraisal.

Lead, maintain and participate in practices which enable effective team working.

To participate in on call rotas as required.

To participate in local arrangements in order to ensure consistent care to people across the local geography.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with AWP trust policy all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding. All NQSWs are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be extended for a further 2 years.

If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful ASYE completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 post you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy upon successful ASYE completion.

Person Specification

Education and qualification

Essential
-Diploma level/Degree in Social Work and current registration with Social Work England
-Evidence of and commitment to your continued professional development

Desirable
-Relevant post registration qualifications, such as, AMHP, BIA etc.
-Evidence of successful completion of ASYE

Experience and Knowledge

Essential
-Demonstrates a developed understanding of evidence-based interventions in working with a wide range of people with varying needs
-Experience of working to support the needs of carers and undertaking carers' assessments
-Able to articulate a detailed understanding of the relevant legal frameworks/legislation including Personalised Care and Support Planning, Mental Health Act , Mental Capacity Act, Care Act and Safeguarding.
-Demonstrates substantial postregistration experience gained working in a range of front-line adult mental health services, undertaking assessment and delivering interventions

Desirable
-Experience gained in a wide variety of settings

Skills and Abilities

Essential
-Highly developed verbal communication skills, able to engage effectively with people at all levels even when a more assertive approach is needed.
-Highly developed written communication skills, with experience of compiling and sorting notes and reports,
-Highly developed active listening skills, which allow for reframing and testing of understanding