Social Worker

Job summary

St Margaret's Hospice Care has a fantastic opportunity for a Social Worker with substantial safeguarding knowledge to join our Supportive Care team. You will join us on a permanent basis and in return, you will receive a competitive salary starting from £37,338 per annum.

You will be joining an established and super supportive team with a collaborative working culture.

As our Social Worker, you will autonomously manage a complex case load of patients with a palliative, life limiting diagnosis. You will also support their families and carers.

This role is based in Taunton and Yeovil and involves travel throughout Somerset to undertake community work, home visits, and meetings.

This is a full time role (37.5 hours) with a working pattern of 5 days a week. The post is hospice based with possibility of working at home one or two days a week.

Main duties of the job
Under the guidance of the Supportive Care Lead, your day-to-day work will include:

Working with the clinical teams to ensure the social and supportive care needs of all patients and families are assessed and where possible met.
Using your safeguarding knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance.
Providing expert safeguarding support to clinical staff, patients, families, and carers, ensuring the welfare of vulnerable adults and children.
Managing safeguarding concerns and promoting best practices.
Training and developing colleagues, including line managing the Social Work Assistant.
Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate, patient-centred care
About us
Be part of a welcoming, community minded charity. Our mission is to provide excellent specialist palliative care for patients and support to their families. Everyone here contributes and has a part to play towards our goal. If you speak to any of our staff or volunteers, they will tell you how the patient is at the heart of everything they do. So, if you're looking for a role where you can really make a difference, we could be a perfect match.

Holiday entitlement

33 days holiday including bank holidays rising to 35 days after 1 year, and increasing with length of service (pro-rata if part-time)
Recognise continuous service for clinical staff paid at band 5+ who join directly from the NHS or another hospice
Ability to buy and sell annual leave
Pension scheme

NHS employees eligible to continue with their NHS pension scheme*
Non-NHS employees will receive 5% employer and 5% employee contribution.
Award-winning Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family offering:

Vitality & wellbeing health portal for non-emergency care
Unlimited access to 24/7 online GP Consultations as well as Expert Case Management
Confidential and free 24-hour Employee Assistance
Counselling and support
Legal, financial, and medical information and advice and more
Life assurance cover
Health Cash Plans
Blue Light Discount Card
Enhanced parental leave*
Learning and development opportunities
Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
Volunteering and fundraising opportunities
*Eligibility criteria applies

Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical

Responsible for a caseload of varying complexity, commensurate with ability and qualifications, receiving and responding to referrals from various sources.
To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients and carers, including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi-pathologies using advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques.
Follow the integrated care programme approach and risk assessment to protect the safety of individuals.
Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care.
Maintain client records to a high standard.
Plan and agree service responses, resources, needs and support and develop realistic care plans to meet identified individual needs/circumstances.
Recognise the importance of Preferred Priorities of Care at end of life for patient and their families and aim to facilitate patient choice.
Promote people's equality, diversity and rights and develop, maintain and evaluate systems and structures in an anti-discriminatory way.
Maintain IT systems relating to client information and input.
Supervise the work of unqualified, vocationally qualified staff or students as agreed.
Provide specialist advice and act as a resource for the multi-disciplinary team.
Administer corporate appointee-ships and consider the need to make applications to the Court of Protection for patients who lack capacity.
Identify health and social care problems requiring assessment/intervention from other agencies and with the consent of the patient action those referrals.
Assess patients capacity and ability to consent to options and understanding of associated risks.
Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.
Safeguarding and Risk Management:

Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns involving adults or children under the care of the hospice.
Undertake risk assessments to protect vulnerable individuals from harm or neglect, ensuring appropriate action is taken in line with the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989/2004, and other relevant legislation.
Act as the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns raised by hospice staff, patients, or external agencies. Make timely referrals to local authority safeguarding teams or other agencies when required.
Safeguarding Case Management:

Provide support to patients and families where safeguarding concerns are present, ensuring confidentiality and sensitivity.
Work alongside hospice staff, including nurses, doctors, and therapists, to develop care plans that address safeguarding risks.
Maintain accurate, detailed records of safeguarding concerns and monitor interventions, and outcomes in line with hospice policies.
Multi-Agency Collaboration: Liaise with local safeguarding boards, social care teams, health professionals, and other agencies to ensure a coordinated response to safeguarding concerns.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications
Essential

Degree or Master's in Social work (or equivalent).
Registration with Social Work England.
Full driving licence and access to a car to undertake community work.

Desirable

Previous experience of working with health professionals
Self Awareness

Essential

Compassion and understanding of the needs of patients at the end of life.
Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
Resilience in handling emotionally challenging cases.
Ability to adapt to changing or conflicting priorities.

Desirable

Creative thinker
Working with others

Essential

Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with patients, families, and professionals.
Ability to manage complex and sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Desirable

Ability to supervise junior staff and facilitate their development.
A variety of experiences working with relevant client groups.
Outcome and Results

Essential

Excellent risk assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to demonstrate sound clinical decision making in the assessment of patients/families/carers and the implementation and evaluation of care plans.
To be computer literate.
Ability to demonstrate effective caseload and workload management.
Leading in your area

Essential

Experience in safeguarding vulnerable adults and/or children within a health, hospice, or social care setting.
Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and guidance, including the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989/2004, and Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Desirable

Knowledge of palliative care, end-of-life care, or related health and social care fields

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.