Social Worker, Mental Health

Job summary

This role is part of a new and exciting service providing forensic community service to a specialist group who require expert interventions. The FIND service works with adults with a diagnosis of a learning disability (LD) and/or Autism (ASD) who also experience additional mental illness, co-morbid neurodevelopmental conditions, or behaviours which challenge and who have had contact with forensic services.

The team covers the London boroughs of Wandsworth, Sutton, Merton, Kingston and Richmond. The team is informed by principles of assertive outreach and largely follows the PACT model.

The team is multidisciplinary and currently comprises of a Psychiatrist, Team Manager, Psychologist, Social Worker, Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Assistant Psychologist and an Office Manager. Patients are seen at their homes and hostels and at a variety of community locations, and the job therefore involves a considerable amount of travel. The post holder will be responsible to the Team Manager and will receive professional supervision from the senior Social Worker.

The successful candidate will work within the Forensic service, providing support to individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism leaving secure mental health services across the South London Partnership (SLP) and those in the community.

The post holder will provide a high-quality service to an agreed caseload of service users and their carer's, which will include care co-ordination and social supervision. The MDT team is a team of multi professionals with specialist skills and experience with the client group.

The post holder must be adept at prioritising the activities that will provide the most efficient, effective and safe step down or discharge pathway and elevate any conditions that will prevent this from happening. The post holder will also provide consultation, support and guidance to colleagues and service users in the community to reduce engagement with the criminal justice system.

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.

• To maintain a clear understanding of the patients with learning disabilities and/or ASD who have been placed in secure and specialist services throughout the SLP partnership by acting as a point of contact to attend CPAs, assertively manage discharge pathways and reduce risk of delayed discharge.
• To participate in monitoring and reviewing of patients who are in conditions of medium and low security within the SLP as well as out of area. The post holder will be expected to ensure timely and personalised pathways in the least restrictive care/support settings, in line with the persons recovery goals whilst building on their strengths.
• The post holder must be able to demonstrate their ability to carry out comprehensive social care needs assessments, liaising closely with other health providers, placement providers and other key stakeholders.
• To support and develop step down pathways, with personalised packages of care which support and build on peoples strengths and secure timely discharges.
• To work with the…