Social Worker, Mental Health

A Social Worker post in the Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in North Hertfordshire, with Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. The work centres on assessing, care planning and coordinating support for adults with mental ill-health, holding a caseload of people living in the community. The role is community-based and multi-disciplinary, and it carries AMHP training or duties and supervision of newly qualified staff.

Social Work England registration is required.

• Assess adults with mental ill-health, including high-risk or complex cases, against Care Act 2014 eligibility criteria
• Hold a caseload and deliver assessment, care planning and coordination of care from a social perspective
• Lead adult safeguarding practice and undertake safeguarding enquiries
• Carry out regular risk assessments and keep vulnerable people safe
• Undertake carer assessments, including contingency plans and support
• Give direct support and advice to service users and carers, signposting those not eligible for social care
• Ensure commissioned services offer choice, including direct payments, and apply local authority charging processes
• Act as authorised signatory for care packages and handle service user cash and resources as appointee agent
• Work in multi-disciplinary and partnership teams to develop recovery-focused community services
• Provide management and reflective supervision to newly qualified social workers and unregistered staff, and support them through ASYE
• Undertake AMHP duties, or AMHP training if not yet qualified, and contribute to the countywide AMHP rota
• Chair case discussions, strategy and multi-disciplinary meetings, and keep accurate electronic records

• Appropriate professional social work qualification
• Education to degree level

• Registration with Social Work England

• Proven post-qualification experience
• Experience of undertaking assessments focused on personalisation, choice and control, and care planning
• Knowledge of legislation, theory and policy for the relevant care group

• Approved Mental Health Professional or Best Interests Assessment training
• Experience of working as an Approved Mental Health Professional and/or Best Interests Assessor

• Competitive salary
• Staff benefits package
• Career development and training
• Opportunity to train as an ASYE assessor