Social Worker

Harrow Healthsense Community Mental Health Hub based in Harrow is looking for passionate Social Workers who are looking to make a difference whilst working in an environment that promotes staff development and training opportunities. CNWL is passionate about developing its own staff, driving them to go on to become more established practitioners and this post is no different.

You could be an existing Band 5 Social Worker looking to take on a new challenge in the field or an experienced Band 6 practitioner looking for a new venture; we have training and development opportunities tailored to suit your needs.

Flexible working- Our Hub operates Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm however there are opportunities for this post to be tailored to suit you and your lifestyle needs with flexible working and condensed hours available in a team that is dynamic and transforming the way we offer support to people in Harrow with mental health challenges. If this sounds like something that could inspire you then we want to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

To be you and to do what you do best in the job you love!

You will be accountable for the care co-ordination of a defined caseload of adults. To assess health and social care needs (including accommodation, finances, and support in accessing education, training or employment) and negotiate care plans with service users and their carers, remaining objective when working with diagnostic uncertainty.

To help support you with the above we offer a robust induction and tailored training will be given and encouraged. As an employer, CNWL and Harrow Local Authority also offer various training opportunities, dependent on how long you are in post and your development needs as well as the CMHH offering internal training opportunities so that the team continues to learn and evolve their practice and support of their clients and each other.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to offering you an environment to flourish which includes dedicated development opportunities as well as a healthier work life balance. We will offer you;

- Flexible shift working, part-timer or condensed hours will be considered to provide a healthy work-life balance
- Commitment from the team to develop you by offering coaching and in-house development sessions such as Leadership programmes, CBT-P training and many more
- Free access to our Staff and Wellbeing service to ensure that you are always looking after yourself
- Commitment to career mapping to ensure continuous professional development including opportunities within the Trust
- On-site shadowing opportunities including HTT, Psych Liaison and many more
- Local social worker forums run by one of the senior leads
- An opportunity to work with a friendly, dynamic, passionate and diverse team who are committed to looking after each other as well as their patients
- Excellent staff benefits: our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include: childcare vouchers, health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, blue light card, discounts at Nando's and Superdrug, mobile phone contracts and much more!  
- Award-winning Staff Networks
- Hidden Gem & annual award ceremonies

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Interview date: TBC

Bentley House is a short distance from main train links and bus stops. The following transport lines have routes that pass near Bentley House:

Bus: 140, 182, H10, H9

Train: Overground, Southern and West Midlands Railway

Tube: Bakerloo Line

If you have any questions at all then please feel free to get in touch with us, we would be very happy to have any informal discussions with you.

Overview of Main Responsibilities

1. Key Tasks
1. To be accountable for the Care Co-ordination of a defined caseload of adults of working age. To assess health and social care needs (including accommodation, finances, and support in accessing education, training or employment) and negotiate care plans with service users and their carers, remaining objective when working with diagnostic uncertainty.
2. To prioritise time and workload, in a flexibly manner to meet community caseload responsibilities, participate in meetings and effectively develop personal skills knowledge and experience through supervision and training.
3. To undertake risk assessments, according to Trust policy.

4. To ensure delivery of care plans in partnership with multi-disciplinary colleagues and a range of health and social care agencies, within the CPA framework.
5. To engage with service users and carers assertively and offer care/interventions within the least restrictive setting, in normal community environments.
6. To help clients gain fair and equal access to services, through choice and social inclusion and being sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity and gender, sexuality and disability.
7. To offer a range of evidence based psycho-social interventions and pro-active risk management approaches to help the service user and their family to reduce and manage symptoms, high risk behaviour and other disabling effects of psychosis and enable, as far as possible, full and sustained recovery.
8. To ensure CNWL Child Protection Guidelines and procedures are fully understood by self and others. To ensure the safety needs of children are met at all times and take appropriate action when a child is felt to be at risk or in need.
9. To monitor treatment, support concordance and ensure prompt action is taken to alleviate unwanted effects.
10. To provide access to, and ongoing, psycho-education and health promotion regarding illness, disability and health to service users and families.
11. To provide interventions and to work with other disciplines/agencies/teams in the care of service users experiencing co-morbid problems with substance use/misuse.
12. To engage the service user and their family in relapse prevention and crisis planning, provide, and coordinate interventions that maximise the service users’ ability to resolve crises, remain at home and avoid the need for hospitalisation.
13. To deliver a flexible and responsive service through working practices that are dictated by service user/carer need and contribute to the provision of service continuity including outside normal working hours when necessary.
14. If admission to hospital becomes necessary, to provide regular, formal, joint Inpatient review to ensure the service user is transferred/discharged to the lowest stigma/least restrictive environment as soon as clinically possible.
15. To maintain standards of professional conduct at all times and observe the legal requirements of the MHA (1983), its Code of Practice, The Children Act (1989) and other relevant legislation and guidance.

2. Communication
1. To use excellent communication skills and to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users and their families and carers who may at times be in situations of emotional distress.
2. To be aware of how your verbal and non-verbal communication can be interpreted by others and ensure a polite approach is maintained at all times.
3. To develop and maintain effective working relationships and networks with colleagues within mental health services, primary care, voluntary agencies and other partner agencies to ensure well -co-ordinated care.

4. To actively participate in Inpatient and Community team meetings and clinical reviews, as required, to help promote team cohesiveness, multidisciplinary working and collaboration with colleagues in all parts of the Trust. To use these forums to problem-solve and identify
risk and concerns with the team and ensure agreed decisions are implemented and documented.
5. To ensure that views of all service users are effectively sought, channelled and acted upon, including the efficient processing of complaints or untoward incidents in accordance with the Trust policy.
6. To maintain accurate and up-to-date records utilising electronic media as necessary, and ensuring any hand written documentation is legible and in accordance with professional guidelines and best practice. To maintain statistical information records required by the Trust for reporting on Performance Management.
7. To complete agreed audit and evaluation measures and provide and collate information relevant to performance management as requested.

3. Training
1. To participate actively in clinical supervision, as well as in management supervision and
annual appraisal with line manager, and to pursue further professional development and
training appropriate to the age range covered by the team, according to a Personal

Development Plan
2. To maintain up to date knowledge through networking, training and reading, and to comply with professional requirements for the maintenance of professional registration. 
3. To participate in and contribute to induction and training within the team, act as mentor or supervisor to students and junior staff, and to support the development of a working environment conducive to learning.
4. Policy and Service Development

-  To work within and contribute to the development of service policies and procedures, within
the overall operational policy for CMHT working.
-  To participate in and contribute to the development of the development of the expanded Team, using discussion and wider liaison with other teams and community agencies.

5. Management of Resources
1. To provide line management to junior staff or support workers, providing regular supervision and annual appraisal.
2. To provide advice, support and guidance to junior colleagues.
3. To participate in, and occasionally take responsibility for recruitment of junior staff.
4. To deputise for the Senior Practitioner as needed and co-ordinate daily work of team as rostered.

6. Research.

To participate in research within the service as agreed by the Team Manager, Professional Leads and Community Recovery Services Manager.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria

- Current Professional Qualification in Social work. Recognised social work qualification Dip SW, CQSW, CSS
- Registered with HCPC
- Evidence of post registration training and CPD.

Desirable criteria

- ENB 812/998/SLICE/Mentorship
- Training in Psychosocial Interventions or Thorn
- Family Therapy/Work training
- Other relevant training, eg substance misuse

Experience
Essential criteria

- Experience working with mental health/vulnerable patients as a practitioner or student
- Significant post-registration experience

Desirable criteria

- Work with clients with acute/severe and enduring mental health problems who are homeless/rootless
- Work with people experiencing mental health crisis.
- Supervision of students and junior staff.
- Audit and research; Teaching; Working with people who use substances

Skills
Essential criteria

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and presentations / IT skills.
- Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive care package for the identified client group, using a wide range of resources.
- Able to develop a comprehensive programme of intervention and support for the identified client group and their families
- Skills in risk assessment and management.
- Can demonstrate understanding of psychosis and its impact on service users and carers.
- Knowledge of current legislation and guidance applicable to this client group
- Can demonstrate understanding of the needs of diverse groups, e.g. residents of inner city; black and minority ethnic groups, and skills in engaging with them.
- Skills in psychosocial interventions

Desirable criteria

- Basic counselling or group work skills
- Skills in psychosocial interventions
- Skills in leadership: ability to motivate others, use initiative and manage change.

Other
Essential criteria

- The post-holder must have the ability to understand and implement the Equal Opportunities Policy at a level appropriate to the job