Advanced Social Work Practitioner

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in the River House social work team providing a high calibre social work service to patients detained at our Medium and Low Secure Units. Opened in 2008, this state of the art unit is fast becoming recognised as a world leader in developing high quality therapeutic interventions and best practice in working with mentally disordered offenders.

Main duties of the job

Joining a friendly and experienced team of senior social workers, you will have responsibility for leading on safeguarding, risk management and discharge planning as an integral part of your ward multi-disciplinary team.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Using social work values and principles of the recovery model, we are looking for energetic, dynamic social workers with a high degree of commitment to this client group. Experience of working with mentally disordered offenders would be an advantage.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

CQSW/DipSW or Degree in Social Work
Current registration with Social Work England
Desirable
AMHP/BIA qualification
Practice Education Qualification

Experience
Essential

Extensive post qualifying experience of working in statutory adult mental health at band 6 or above (or equivalent).
Experience of multi-professional collaboration at a senior level, including working in partnership with other statutory agencies.
Experience of promoting service user and carer involvement

Desirable

Working with mentally disordered offenders/working in forensic social work services

Knowledge and skills
Essential

Knowledge of the application of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act and the relevant Codes of Practice
Knowledge of mental disorders and their complexities
Knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policy and procedures.
Strong understanding of risk assessment models and implementing risk management processes
Experience using IT including electronic clinical recording systems and Microsoft Office (Word/Outlook/Teams)
Ability to provide and receive complex and emotive information with staff, service users/patients, carers and other stakeholders.
Written skills to produce quality reports and assessments to deadlines.
Working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams
Working effectively with external partners to facilitate discharge.
Advocacy skills to raise understanding and awareness of service user/patient rights and to challenge discrimination

Desirable

Understanding of mental health secure services and pathways
Experience in liaising with MAPPA/MARAC and other agencies.
Supervision of staff/students
Understanding of auditing processes and quality improvement
Responsive to change and ideas
An understanding of effective systems for governance and the management of clinical and non-clinical risks

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.