Social Work Discharge Planning Lead

We are looking for a dynamic social work practitioner who can bring an expertise in social work to a multidisciplinary inpatient setting. A strong background in mental health social work, related legislation and community support should combine with the ability to drive an inclusive strengths based approach to effective discharge planning.

If you are interested and motivated in providing the very best experiences of inpatient services, making this as short as necessary, but with the most appropriate post discharge support, then this may be your opportunity to make a profound difference to the lives of others.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria

- Registered Social Worker
- Degree level qualification and or equivalent level of skills, knowledge and experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.

Knowledge
Essential criteria

- In-depth knowledge of social care issues and how this relates to care delivery.
- Highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of interventions, legal frameworks and assessment methods which are relevant to learning disability.
- Working knowledge of current legislation and national initiatives

Experience
Essential criteria

- Experience of working across health/social care/education boundaries.
- Experience of multi-agency co-ordination where service users have complex needs.
- Experience of working with people with mental health needs

Skills
Essential criteria

- Able to communicate effectively with professionals, colleagues and other stakeholders both verbally and written
- The ability to absorb, interpret and manipulate new information quickly.
- Problem solving skills.

Please note that further communication from Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCFT to contact them.

Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be measured against this document. Applications from job share partners are welcome and other forms of flexible working will be considered for all posts.

For all posts which require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure & Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).

You are advised to consider applying for LSCFT vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within three weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Care is committed to celebrating difference as an asset and we know that recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds helps to create a more flexible, creative and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from people regardless of age, disability (especially those with experience of accessing mental health, or Learning Disability Services or caring for someone who has accessed mental health services or Learning Disability Services), ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Our goal is for the Trust to be truly representative of the communities we serve so we are particularly keen to receive applications from people in under-represented groups. If there is anything you’d like to discuss in relation to your application then please ask.