Head of Forensic Social Work

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated individual to be considered for the role of Head of Forensic Social Work.

The role involves providing operational leadership and management to the East London Forensic Social Work Team, which provides a full social care service to users, in secure inpatient and community settings, and their carers/families.

You will be an experienced Social Worker with a proven track record of effective and transformational leadership who is able to enthuse others to provide the very best, individualised care.

You need not necessarily have experience of working in secure inpatient settings but will need to demonstrate the ability to work effectively, from a social care perspective, with service users who have committed serious criminal offences and who may be experiencing severe and/or enduring mental health issues, including learning disability and autism.

You will need to demonstrate extensive knowledge of relevant legislation.

You will be expected to work as a member of the Directorate Management Team in terms of various delegated responsibilities.

You would be working in a service and Trust rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission.

Main duties of the job

The John Howard Centre is a purpose-built, psychiatric medium secure unit in Hackney, East London. The unit opened in 1995 and provides a comprehensive regional forensic service to the whole of East London and the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The service also provides specialist services for personality disordered offenders, women, and forensic learning disability.

Wolfson House is a low secure unit and comprises of 5 rehabilitation wards for men.

The service meets the specialist needs of mentally disordered offenders, the majority of whom are admitted via the criminal justice system. The Forensic Directorate is part of the East London Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The Forensic Directorate service is divided into five clinical specialisms: Acute, Rehabilitation, Women's Service and Learning Disability & Autism Service. The service also operates a number of community services.

The Head of Social Work is responsible for the operational and financial management of the Forensic Social Work Service. The Forensic Social Work team provides a full social care service to users, in inpatient and community settings, and their carers/families.

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

For more information, please contact:

Lawford Clough, Service Director 07970 984832

Mary Brazier, Director of Social Work

mary.brazier@nhs.net

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

• oCQSW, DipSW or equivalent social work qualification
• oAMHP status.

Desirable

• oManagement qualification at post-graduate level

Experience

Essential

• oDemonstrable record of strong and effective leadership with proven ability to provide vision and direction to social work staff and/or social care services
• oPrevious experience of clinical and managerial supervision of social care staff. Experience of carrying out rigorous staff appraisals and development of effective Professional Development Plans in conjunction with staff
• oDemonstrable record of developing and delivering social care services within a performance management culture

Desirable

• oPrevious experience of managing new service delivery initiatives from inception to implementation within set budget and agreed timescales

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• oAbility to work from a social care perspective with patients who have committed serious criminal offences and who may be experiencing severe and/or enduring mental health problems, including those with a diagnosed learning disability, autism
• oExtensive knowledge of theory, legislation and good practice guidance in relation to mental health care, particularly those aspects which relate specifically to mentally disordered offenders. Comprehensive working knowledge of other relevant social care legislation including Mental Capacity Act and Human Rights Act
• oKnowledge of key principles underpinning Government Health and Social Care Bill and the Transformation of Adult Social Care and the 'Valuing People' agendas. Familiarity with NHS and social care modernisation agenda and key drivers for structural change
• oFamiliarity with criminal justice system and roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders
• oGood working knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and guidance in relation to the protection of vulnerable adults and of victims
• oGood working knowledge of 'safeguarding children' legislation, Pan London Child Protection Procedures and other good practice guidance
• oGood working knowledge of relevant legislation and good practice guidance in relation to the needs and statutory rights of carers
• oFamiliarity with practising in an ethnically diverse community and working with interpreters. Ability and willingness to operate within an explicit qualities framework
• oAbility to work effectively with patient advocate groups and legal representatives
• oTo be able and willing to travel on a national basis in order to represent social work service or Forensic Directorate
• oExcellent IT skills. Ability to prepare and format own reports and documents. Experience of using standard computing software in a work setting (e.g. Windows, Excel, Powerpoint)
• oAbility, with training, to use local authority and NHS computing software for data input and extraction as required

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

John Howard Centre
12 Kenworthy Road
London
E9 5TD

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