Deputy Head of Social Work & Social Care

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Social Work and Social Care to ensure that the partnership arrangements (whether S75 Partnership Agreements or MOUs) with the Local Authorities are delivered. This will require the post holder to work with borough operational management teams to ensure they have systems in place to meet required levels of social care performance under S75 agreements. Where MH services are delivered under a MOU, the post holder will support good understanding of the agreements made about collaborative service provision and will support the interface between health and social care. Although Borough Directors will be responsible for the delivery of all service targets including social care targets where there are s75 agreements, this post will coordinate and support the approach through which these targets will be delivered consistently. The post holder will also support Divisions to meet Local Authority efficiency targets through an integrated approach to transformation and redesign.
• Take a lead role in developing and updating the partnership agreements with Local Authorities regarding mental health service provision across the Trust. This may involve supporting the development of new partnership arrangements in the context of the development of ICBs.
• Develop strong and effective working relationships with the Local Authorities and other external stakeholders on behalf of the boroughs. Take a lead role in facilitating relationship development between departments within CNWL and the Local Authorities, this will include Care Act 2014 interface, legal literacy as well as chairing the s117 stakeholder meetings and leading on improving practice and supporting Clinically Ready for Discharge arrangements.
• Assist the Borough Directors, Clinical Directors and Head of Social Work and Social Care in developing new services and initiatives in social care and in influencing relationships with external stakeholders.
• Coordinate the delivery of any service improvement programmes in relation to social care and work closely with service redesign programmes with each borough, supporting the development of new care pathways and social work posts.
• Support the delivery of Trust and Local Authority priorities as detailed in the s75 Partnership Agreements and other partnership arrangements, including ICBs in conjunction with the Senior Management Teams.
• Lead and coordinate work with clinicians, managers and other staff across the boroughs to develop and test new ideas and approaches that could bring about increased partnership quality and efficiency.

CNWL Mental Health Services across Local Authority partners

• Support the Borough Directors in all aspects of financial and business negotiations with the Local Authority under current MOUs and transitions.
• Work autonomously in decision making forums with the confidence to work independently with Senior Managers within the Local Authorities.
• Promote a clear understanding of Local Authority requirements and support the interface between organisations. And work closely with external stakeholders to ensure shared understanding of social care provision within mental health services. Communicate and support managers to embed these requirements in operational management which promotes effective service delivery and improved care for service users and carers, this might include having a physical presence to maintain good relationships and involve attending Mental Health transformation boards and iniatives.
• Develop and maintain constructive relationships with commissioning and partner agencies within the Local Authorities promoting the work of CNWL, ensuring effective communication and responding to requests for information.
• Work closely with the Social Care Leads and Senior Management Teams to ensure the statutory duties under the Care Act, 2014 are carried out within the integrated teams and is seamless.
• Collate, analyse and present social care information for review and discussion by the Trusts senior management and clinician group as required to enable review of performance against existing plans and timely development of strategies and plans for the future.
• Make optimal use of the social care reporting systems to provide the management teams with high quality reports that bring together different sources of information to provide a comprehensive and integrated analysis of service performance.
• Ensure that the information on social care packages, specifically Placements and Community Packages through Self Directed Support are regularly reviewed and correct and provide the Operational Managers with information that supports the management of the teams activity.
• Ensure comprehensive and consistent use of social care IT systems in the integrated teams and work closely with relevant parties to reduce duplication where possible and streamline reporting.
• Act as lead for information governance in relationship to the sharing of information with Local Authorities working closely with the local AMHP and Mental Health Service Managers and Head of Service in each borough including Freedom of Information requests.

Social Work

• Support practice improvement and continuous professional development in the relevant Social work models ensuring a person-centred, strengths-based approache, ensuring that personalisation, choice and control is embedded as an approach into all frontline services.
• Represent the social work and social care voice in Trust wide and broader forums. Ensure that the social care / social work perspective is considered in all Trust wide developments where social care is crucial to the success of the project.
• Ensure that the Trust clinical system is appropriate for social care delivery.
• To co-produce and support the writing, implementation and review of the Social Work & Continuous Professional Development Strategy for the Trust, supporting placements and liaison with operational teams as well as linking with CNWL Education Dept and Higher Education Establishments. This will involve supporting AMHP trainees, Social work student Apprentices and NQSW complete the AYSE and involve attending the necessary HEI boards and moderation work. This will also involve piloting a Think ahead pathway.
• Contribute to the development of Trust policies and procedures as they relate to social care and social work (e.g. s117, Who Pays Guidance, CRFD, Dialogue+).
• Provide advice to Service Directors/ others on the appropriate use of social work resources including the development of new Social Worker posts.
• Support work with Service Directors and Managers to meet social work deliverables as part of transformation, including social work specific interventions.
• Support specific trust-wide developments, for example, Health Based Places of Safety or digital solutions (s12 solutions apps) to Mental Health Act/ Court of Protection processes, aligned to the wider Trusts strategic direction.
• Support evidence for social work elements of regulatory audits, Social Work England registration, SW benchmarking, quality assurance frameworks and reviews, ensuring that the results of monitoring and review are communicated clearly within the Trust and partner agencies and to use this information to drive forward a culture of continuous improvement.
• Support practice development, evaluation, audit and support research activities relevant to social work. This will include supervising senior social workers across CNWL, ensuring they have access to the appropriate social work and leadership support.
• Co-chair the monthly social work forums, deputise for the Head of Social Work and Care and attend social work national and regional meetings and meetings as directed, ensuring learning from these is reflected in Trust policies, procedures and other guidance.
• Support work with the Clinical Education Team to ensure that training is offered to meet the specific competencies for the social work profession, for example, AMHP/Practice Educator/Apprentice Social workers/Think Ahead or training on legal literacy/updates and to support the provision of social work placements for students, ensuring that they acquire the necessary skills, competencies and expertise to deliver good practice, and contribute to the assessment and evaluation of those competencies, you will be responsible for supporting these students and placement arrangements across the LA AMHP/BIA teams. You may also be involved in facilitating elements of the CNWL 21st Century Leadership programme.
• Support the Head of Social Work/Care in her role with Brunel, strengthening links with university to disperse and apply research into practice embed and ensure that CNWL are able to build on a strong portfolio of Social Work Placements.
• Being the point of contact for all social work training, liaise as directed with Local Authorities and AMHP training programme providers on the support and development of AMHPs training and role, gaining consistency across CNWLs footprint. This will include the development of the Best Interest Assessor/Approved Mental Capacity Professional (AMCP).
• Support mechanisms to ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of profession self-governance in accordance with social work codes of practice, Social Work England and Trust policies and procedures.
• Provide mentoring and coaching to Social Workers, to improve retention and support our specialist posts across the trust, as agreed with the Head of Social Work and Social Care.

Previous experience

Essential

• Project management within a complex, multi-agency service system, including proactive management of change.
• Managing different organisational cultures and working across professional groups across Health and LA's.
• Health and social care legal literacy and work history of working within these frameworks, Mental Health/capacity Act, Care Act, Human Rights Act
• A good understanding of how HEI and social work programs are delivered.
• Working effectively within a political environment.
• Understanding of national requirements and developments within mental health and social care and their implications for local services.
• Sound track record of successfully leading substantial change management programmes using a project management approach.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders across organisational boundaries.
• Excellent track record of delivering required targets.

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within the NHS and the Local Authority
• Previous experience of working within mental health or substance misuse services
• Previous experience of lecturing on social work programmes
• Experience of working in specialist services

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Significant experience in a relevant role and senior / middle management experience.
• Registered Social Worker
• Diploma in social work/master's degree level

Desirable

• PRINCE2 qualified or equivalent project management/Management/lead ership qualification
• AMHP Qualified
• BIA Qualified
• Practice Teacher/Educator

ATTITUDES, APTITUDES PERSONAL CHARACTERIS TICS

Essential

• Self-management. Able to work effectively in a complex environment, able to self-motivate and plan.
• Integrity. Motivated by values of getting on with the job, inclusiveness, openness in communication but mindful of confidentiality where appropriate.

Desirable

• Calm in a crisis

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• Strong leadership and negotiation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to communicate complex information clearly and tailor approach to meet the requirements of a range of stakeholder audiences.
• Able to communicate within forums where communication may be difficult or contentious and ensure that the interests of the Trust are promoted and protected at all times
• Excellent numeric and budgetary skills
• Excellent analytical and judgement skills
• Excellent planning, organisation, time and workload management skills
• Able to understand and work within complex and possibly stressful circumstances.
• Able to work flexibly, responding rapidly to changing priorities.
• Able to work autonomously and make clear decisions in senior forums
• Able to take a 'whole system' approach to service change.
• Good IT skills and proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).