Senior Social Worker
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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 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
Our strategic objectives
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
Our services
- Mental Health Services
- Community Health Services
- Learning Disabilities Services
- Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within our secure services, as a Band 7 Senior Social Worker. The successful applicant will be working across our two low secure male units, Robin Pinto Unit and Wood Lea Clinic in Luton and Bedford respectfully.
This post is a permanent full time post, and is 37.5 hours per week. Monday-Friday.
Main duties of the job
This post provides Social Care input to the service users in our two low-secure wards. You will work as part of the wider MDT on the ward.
You will have the support of the Forensic Social Care Team, which is based in Essex, and the Social Work Lead for Specialist Services.
You will work closely with the service users and their families/carers.
The successful candidate will undertake statutory work such as reports for MH review Tribunals and managers' hearings. Work closely with other agencies and services within both the organisation and external, such as the Ministry of Justice, local authorities, probation, and other teams within the trust.
You will undertake any safeguarding issues that arise on the wards and be the main point of advice.
You will prepare and present paperwork to the relevant funding panels to secure accommodation or other services that require funding to enable the discharge of service users when necessary
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Open, Compassionate and Empowering. 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 for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed-term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note that this role outline serves to provide an illustrative example of the duties and responsibilities you may be expected to undertake
during the course of your normal duties. It is not an exhaustive list and you will therefore be required to undertake other responsibilities and duties
that are considered to be commensurate with the band.
Core Clinical Support
• Assess, manage, care plan, support, and review care needs in line with policy, procedures, and legislation, including the provision of
aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act.
• Use strength-based approaches to support service users, focusing on them achieving positive outcomes to enhance their well-being,
look at prevention, and increase their independence in line with the Care Act (2014).
• Provide a clear picture of how a person's independence can be promoted and maximised. Promote conversations to draw on the
support around each person, their networks, local community and personal resources and support with delivering statutory
responsibilities under the Care Act (2014).
• Undertake risk assessments and develop risk management plans. Able to support positive risk taking.
• To ensure that service users open to the team are provided with robust social care assessments by all care co-ordinators and that Care
Act assessments are carried out where an eligible assessed need is identified and personal budget plans are put in place.
• Act as a lead for the team in areas of social care for example supporting Care Act assessments and related social care funding
processes, knowledge around the MHA, MCA, Safeguarding and developing knowledge and skills locally.
• You will support adults to be safeguarded in line with the Care Act (2014), manage risk, and meet eligible need.
• Practice as an AMHP as required, responding effectively to referrals and enquiries. When operating as an AMHP you must be able to
work in accordance with the relevant legislation, (including the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of
Liberty Safeguards 2009 and related Codes, the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010 and local policy. You must also fully
comply with the Mental Health AMHP Regulations 2008.
• To lead and be responsible for the coordination of the Mental Health Act Assessment liaising closely with other professionals and
involving others and informing effective understanding of practice/regulations within the multidisciplinary team.
• To ensure where appropriate that service users are referred for suitable follow-up care.
• You will be able to provide and receive complex, sensitive information in a hostile or highly emotive atmosphere; highly complex,
sensitive, contentious information/ in a hostile, antagonistic, or highly emotive atmosphere
• You will be effective at communicating highly sensitive issues eg child protection, vulnerable adults, and guardianship issues. You will
be able to communicate information in an emotive atmosphere; deals with child protection, vulnerable adults, mental health issues,
disclosure of sensitive information, bereavement, explaining legislation in emotive situations
• You will be able to demonstrate specialist knowledge underpinned by theory and relevant practical experience in order to assess and
provide care and support for service users with complex needs, their families and carers, including the assessment and management of
risk.
• You will be able to work autonomously within agreed policies and regulations.
• To understand and utilise Health and Social Care commissioned services, demonstrating an understanding of eligibility criteria for social care services, and working in collaboration with nursing and other health care colleagues to ensure the appropriate and timely presentation of cases to the panel, and the robust reviewing of placements to ensure effective and efficient use of resources, and recovery based delivery of services.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with service users, their families, and carers. Maintain a client-centered approach balanced with the need to manage the risk of harm or deterioration.
• Contribute to the multi-agency team working, and participate in team meetings. Act as link worker as required advising other professionals relating to specific areas of expertise. To advise and support the team on a range of social work issues as required.
• To support the development of social work and act as a Practice Assessor for social work students.
• To support the development of the AMHP service and act as an AMHP Practice Assessor for AMHP students.
• Enable individual's families and carers to address issues which affect their health and social well-being.
• To liaise with staff in a variety of settings, ensuring that teams are able to respond effectively and efficiently to the needs of people with mental health difficulties in their care.
• To proactively work with patients, carers and ward staff to ensure access to the most appropriate care and to facilitate discharge as appropriate.
• Statutory responsibility for the assessment of carer's (including young carer's) needs and the formulation of carers care plan in conjunction with the carer's support workers.
• Prepare and present clear assessments and other reports as necessary to set out the basis of decisions made in respect of service users. Maintain all records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures. Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions
related to care. Provide specialist reports to Mental Health Review Tribunals and Home Office for service users subject to the Mental Health Act
Person specification
qualification
Essential criteria
- qualification
experience
Essential criteria
- experience
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 epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net 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 epunft.cv19hr@nhs.net.
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, 736.5KB)
- Personal Specification (PDF, 504.3KB)
- 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)