Social Worker

Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Social Worker to join our Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in Watford.

The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as into London and beyond. We are looking for a Social Worker who is passionate about care delivering care to adults with mental health issues.

We can offer you a competitive salary, staff benefits package, excellent career development and training that comes from working for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT. We are on a "Good to Great" journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.

Main duties of the job
Registered with Social Work England.

Experience of working in a community based setting. Responsible for the delivery of care to an allocated caseload of clients living in the Community experiencing, or recovering from, mental health difficulties.

Provide direct support and advice to Service Users and Carers, within the recovery framework.

To work as part of a multi-disciplinary Team, working in partnership with a range of stakeholders inside and outside of the Trust.

Providing high quality social care services to adults of all ages experiencing mental ill-health. The core functions of the role will be to provide assessment, care planning and coordination of care from a social perspective to adults accessing the service.

Deliver recovery-focused care and support to service users and their carers that is focused on the principles of choice, control, and independence, as well as ensuring safety.

You will hold a caseload which may comprise of adults experiencing a wide range of mental health and social care needs.You will ensure that you maintain constant reflection and development of your practice and will ensure your continuing professional development in line with the standards set out by the professional regulator, Social Work England.

If you are not already an AMHP, you will be prepared to undertake the training required to undertake the AMHP role as your career progresses. If you are already an AMHP, you will contribute to the Trust's countywide AMHP rota.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Job responsibilities

• To be a champion of social care with a comprehensive understanding of legislation and statutory guidance.
• To take a lead in the promotion of adult safeguarding practice and undertake safeguarding enquires and contribute to the provision of care plans that protect both adults and children from abuse.
• To undertake comprehensive assessments and reviews, for people who may present with a high risk, or those with significant interpersonal, social, legal and/or environmental complexities, ensuring people are assessed appropriately against social care eligibility criteria as defined by The Care Act 2014.
• To offer direct support to service users and their carers, and to colleagues, through information and advice, to ensure that those who do not meet social care eligibility are appropriately signposted and supported.
• To ensure that appropriate health and social care services are commissioned with and on behalf of service users, including the duty to offer direct payments, and that processes are in place for service users to be charged by the local authority for the social care services they receive, if applicable.
• To ensure that commissioned services allow choice to service users and carers and focus on people living in the community with appropriate support and access to universal services.
• To undertake regular risk assessments and ensure that vulnerable people are kept safe.
• To undertake carer assessments, including identifying contingency plans, and provision of support.
• To be skilled in partnership working and identify, develop, and facilitate a wide range of recovery-focused community services, ensuring that colleagues within the locality are also aware of developments and best practice.
• To ensure the involvement of service users and their carers to that the Trust can learn from their experiences to make improvements to service delivery.
• To ensure accurate computer records of all work undertaken are kept up to date.
• To undertake your own post qualifying and other appropriate training to ensure high standards of practice and continuation of your registration with Social Work England.
• To provide both management and reflective supervision to newly qualified social workers and unregistered social care staff.
• To support newly qualified social workers through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), with opportunities to train as an ASYE assessor.
• To undertake duties as an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) or be willing to undertake AMHP training
• To participate in your own regular supervision and ensure regular reflection on your own practice as both a social worker and AMHP.
• To undertake other tasks and duties which form part of the delegated social care responsibilities accepted by the Trust on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council.
• To adhere to Trust policies and procedures.
• To undertake additional training as required.
• To carry out any other duties as appropriately identified by your Line Manager.

Person Specification
AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE:
Essential

• Post qualification experience
• Experience of multidisciplinary working and ability to work collaboratively
• Experience of partnership working with service users and carers, demonstrating dignity and respect

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Essential

• Excellent ability to communication with a wide range of stakeholders including service users and carers, other professional colleagues, members of other organisations and local communities, verbally and in writing

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• An appropriate professional Social Work qualification.
• Registration with Social Work England
• Training in principles and application of outcomes, focussed assessments and personalisation.

Desirable

• Approved Mental Health Professional / Best Interests Assessment Training
• Experience of work and an Approved Mental Health Professional and/or Best Interests Assessor

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).