Senior Forensic Social Work Practitioner

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Billericay; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000

Job description

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About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.

Our Vision and Values

Our Vision: "To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".

Our Purpose: "We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".

Our Values:

• We Care
• We Learn
• We Empower

Job Overview

We are looking for an experienced Senior Social Worker with experience in the community and forensic fields to join the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT). This is a developing service that has been set up in response to the NHS New Care Models to improve the care of service users within the forensic mental health system. The SCFT works with mental health offenders from the Essex area who are being cared for within medium and low secure mental health units, primarily in Essex.

Main Duties of the Job

This role is part of the management team within SCFT and includes supervising the junior staff, acting up for the Clinical Lead, being part of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) and acting as a care coordinator/social supervisor to a small caseload (3-5 service users) with complex needs. This role will start with a period of 'in-reach' work with our service users for six to nine months prior to discharge with the aim of building good therapeutic relationships; engaging service users in their care planning, relapse prevention work and addressing potential challenges after discharge. As part of the role, care coordinators will be given the opportunity to attend specialist training in the forensic mental health field.

As the Senior Social Worker in the team you will lead on the understanding and knowledge of the role of social work within mental health, as identified by the five role categories for Social Work for Better Mental Health. You will need to support the MDT with the smooth transition of service users from secure inpatient units to the community, ensuring they are placed in appropriate accommodation to meet their needs.

Working for Our Organisation

EPUT is looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including:

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options, and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work with the rest of the MDT and act as social supervisor/care coordinator for a small caseload of service users through the care system pathway from secure placement to community setting in self-contained accommodation, 24-hour supported care, and intensive enablement placements.

The post holder has the responsibility of providing and enhancing services for individuals in secure settings pre, during, and post-discharge to support timely transitions to community settings.

The role will be embedded within a Multi-disciplinary team with a specific focus on expediting the safe, smooth discharge of service users specifically within Brockfield House and other secure services to a range of appropriate community placements. The post holder will be expected to provide care coordination for a small caseload and contribute to the development of robust risk assessments and care plans. The post holder would be required to attend regular inpatient reviews to monitor the progress of service users and to ensure that any potential delay to discharge is addressed at the earliest opportunity. The team will support clients across Essex.

The post holder is also expected to contribute and support the day-to-day operational management of the SCFT, offering support to junior staff, acting as a role model in the team, being part of the management team, being able to problem solve and work under your own initiative, deal with complex situations, working closely with families and carers of the service users, offer guidance on the Care Act (2014) & Mental Capacity Act (2005), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards 2009, and related Codes, the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria:

• Possession of recognised Social Work Qualification - Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• Registration with HCPC Approved Mental Health Professional.

Desirable criteria:

• Studying or willingness to study towards full Post Qualification Award in Social Work

Knowledge

Essential criteria:

• Multi-disciplinary Social Care experience within a multi-disciplinary team - relevant to people with mental health difficulties.
• Evidence of partnership working with other agencies including Social Care Services, Health Services, Voluntary Agencies and/or Education
• Experience of undertaking assessments and other duties in accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983 and Amendments 2007 and the Mental Capacity Act.
• Knowledge and understanding of Social Care practice as defined by HCPC and appropriate legislation and guidance.
• IT skills to enable effective input and retrieval of data and information.
• Understanding of the Mental Health Act 1983 and Amendment 2007 and Equality Act 2010 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Human Rights Act 1998

Desirable criteria:

• A variety of experiences working with people with mental health difficulties.
• Practice teaching experience
• Understanding of social care resources and provision available beyond statutory agencies
• Awareness of government guidance and legislative changes across a broad range of NHS and Social Care issues

Skills / Experience

Essential criteria:

• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency in the English language
• Demonstrates a commitment to the highest professional and ethical values.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information.
• Demonstrate well-developed motivational, negotiation, training and empathetic skills as required.
• Makes ongoing assessments of frequently complex client needs and associated risks and demonstrates knowledge and understanding of a wide range of resource options within budgetary framework/constraints.
• Negotiates and implements effective plans for support, enablement, prevention, protection and monitoring, within department/government targets. Offers practical suggestions and advice on long-term implications of alternative courses of action in relation to quality of service provision.
• Supports development of self and colleagues through regular reflection on the effectiveness of approach and the acquisition, dissemination and application of new knowledge and skills.
• Able to offer coaching and support to students and/or unqualified staff and supervise as required
• Communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work in a multi-agency environment with an understanding of the differing responsibilities of statutory and non-statutory organizations.
• Leadership and influencing skills with the ability to lead and motivate others.
• Flexible, positive and empathetic approach.
• Develops and sustains professional working relationships with clients, carers, colleagues and external agencies based on mutual trust, respect for individual rights and cultural needs, and the promotion of equality and diversity.
• Able to communicate effectively and sensitively with people using appropriate methods of interaction and respecting confidentiality at all times.
• Produces clear, accurate and concise oral and written assessments, records and reports to facilitate decision-making within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Selects appropriate medium and format for communication internally and to meet the needs of service users.
• Co-ordinates and chairs meetings as appropriate.

Desirable criteria:

• Well-developed IT skills and the ability to interrogate and evaluate management information in both written and computerized format.

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria:

• Shares the Trust's Beliefs and models this in their attitude and behaviour:
• Ensures that the organisational values of open, compassionate and empowering are demonstrated by self and others every day and that any matters of concern are addressed in a timely way, either directly; or raised with the relevant Line Manager; or through the relevant processes within the Trust as appropriate.
• Ability to work on own initiative and under pressure.
• Responds calmly to unexpected and challenging problems, seeking solutions, modifying plans and arranging the provision of additional services and/or resources where appropriate.
• Deals effectively with conflict - involving others when necessary
• Deals effectively with complex interfamilial and interagency problems and develops solutions
• Takes responsibility for own work and demonstrates willingness to learn from others and from experience
• Resilience in dealing with emotive service user issues
• Manage own emotions whilst preparing service user reports on a daily basis.
• Able to identify own stressors and take appropriate action to prevent negative impact of this on wellbeing and seek appropriate and timely support.
• Able to effectively manage their own emotions in response to the emotional distress of others.
• Demonstrates empathy, sensitivity, self-awareness and acceptance of others.
• Able to prioritise workload, work with competing deadlines and organise time effectively.
• Ability to network with a variety of teams, user and carer groups, and professional agencies.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of identifying, developing and managing services through a period of operational change. Planning and implementing programmes which impact across departments, services or agencies.
• Proven ability to problem solve and to achieve change whilst at the same time, balancing competing demands.
• Good analytical skills, open and creative thinking and effective problem solving in relation to service clinical and staffing issues.
• Willing to assist colleagues to ensure effective service delivery throughout the Trust.
• Creative thinker, self-reliant and resilient - able to respond positively to difficult situations.
• Willingness to embrace organisational change.
• Experience of delivering training.

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria:

• Fitness Analysis as appropriate
• Ability to travel across sites and across Trust boundaries to attend meetings, etc.

Desirable criteria:

• Current UK driving licence

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [e-mail] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing [e-mail].

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 640.5KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 376.6KB)
• AHP letter (PDF, 156.5KB)
• Why Join The NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 91.3KB)
• EPUT Pledge - Step into Health (PDF, 211.0KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Trust Vision and Values (PDF, 168.9KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• EPUT Staff Benefits (PDF, 89.3KB)