Senior Social Worker

Job summary

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard Community Mental Health Teams provide compassionate person-centred interventions to people experiencing mental ill-health in the Towns of Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.

All Social Workers in the mental health teams have access to a host of brand new facilities at the newly opened Grove View Health and care hub!

The new hub strengthens ELFT's award winning social care presence and ethos.

Main duties of the job

As a Senior Social Worker, you will act as the champion and leader of social care and safeguarding in the Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard Mental Health Teams.

You will be expected to give robust, consistent, and expert social care practice advice in partnership with specialist senior social care and health colleagues. You will promote high quality, recovery-focused and cost-effective social care services to service users and their carers, focused on the principles of choice, control and independence, as well as ensuring safety.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Click on the link below to see our exciting new base for South Bedfordshire Social Workers!

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/18/health_and_social_care/726/grove_view_integrated_health_and_care_hub_and_grove_view_apartments

At the Hub the team Senior Social Worker provides intensive support to ensure that bespoke professional supervision is readily available for all our social workers.

The excellent work of the Social Work Learning and Development Project Lead ensures that continuous learning is at the heart of Social Work in Bedfordshire.

The Trust offers an established ASYE programme for newly qualified social workers. CPD pathways beyond the ASYE include:

AMHP/Leadership/Academy/AMCP/Practice Educator/ASYE Assessor training structures.

Bespoke training opportunities are also available as part of your yearly appraisal.

In short; now is a good time to be working as a social worker for ELFT in South Bedfordshire!

Person Specification

Essential
oAn appropriate social work qualification
oRegistration with Social Work England
oMaster's degree or equivalent post-qualifying training
oApproved Mental Health Professional training and qualification (or prepared to undertake training within a year of appointment to role)
oRelevant post-qualifying training for social workers
oSubstantial post-qualification experience with demonstrable evidence of excellent practice at advanced level
oExtensive knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance, theory, and policy in relation to adult and children's social care
oExperience of undertaking assessment focused on personalisation, choice and control, and care planning
oUnderstanding of and experience of use of personal budgets and direct payments
oExperience of supervising and mentoring others
oEvidence of multidisciplinary and collaborative working
oEvidence of partnership working with service users and carers, demonstrating dignity and respect, particularly in very challenging situations
oExcellent ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders, including service users and carers, other professionals and colleagues, members of other organisations and locally communities - verbally and in writing
oEvidence of successful management of challenging meetings
oExperience of using electronic record systems and ability to produce accurate, appropriate, and timely reports
oAbility to analyse service user and carer information
oExperience of undertaking small scale audits and surveys
oUnderstanding of basic research methods
oDemonstrable ability to working sensitively with diverse needs and environments
oCommitment to anti-discriminatory practice

Desirable
oOther relevant post-qualification training (e.g .CBT, family therapy, Best Interest Assessor training