Job summary
Social workers play a specialist role within forensic mental health and are key in the co-ordination of the internal transition and discharge of patients back into the community. You have a dedicated scope in promoting social work values and have the responsibility for leading on safeguarding, risk management and discharge planning. The Trust is committed to promoting research and development and works jointly with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) which provides support and advice to staff and students who would like to undertake research in SLaM.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will have responsibility to ensure that all teams' quality, performance and financial outcomes are achieved.
The post holder will contribute to ensuring the highest standards of probity, integrity and governance in relation to the Directorates' performance. Success is dependent on highly developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams.
About us
An exciting opportunity has arisen for experienced Head of Social Work to lead in the provision of in-patient and community social work in our forensic MSU/LSU. The post-holder will join a team of specialist forensic social workers and work collaboratively with experienced multi-disciplinary professionals.
River House opened in 2008 and is fast becoming recognised as a world leader in developing high quality therapeutic interventions and best practice in working with mentally disordered offenders, aged between 18 - 65. It is a medium secure service with specialty in the treatment and care of both male and female patients, personality disorder, preparing for discharge and different levels of rehabilitation. There is a Low Secure Unit on the site. All the individual specialties support each other and meet weekly to plan and promote the transition of care with the expectation of reducing length of stays for service users.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be responsible for the planning, delivery and evaluation of an equitable social work service to mental health service users across the Trusts National, Forensic and Neurodevelopmental services through creating a culture that distills good practice and strives to create a center for social work excellence.
- To support the Trust & BDP Directorate by ensuring the social care workforce understand the business objectives of the Trust and BDP Directorate and provide good evidence of assisting the Trust & Directorate in their task of meeting government targets.
- To promote Recovery, encompassing the promotion of independence, well- being and choice through the implementation of the governments Personalisation
- To lead the development and implementation of Adult and Childrens Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the BDP services.
- To be responsible for the provision of supervision for front line social work staff across the managed services, managing their recruitment, performance, appraisal, discipline, sickness and absence.
- To contribute to the strategic planning of Adult Social Care and as part of the BDP Senior Leadership Team, ensuring a strong voice representing the Social Care
- To ensure the Best Practice Guidance for Social Work Services in the managed services.
- To ensure that complex statutory interventions and responsibilities relating to social work practice are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner.
- To lead on the provision of services for families and carers across the managed services.
- To provide advice and consultancy for more complex specialist
- To chair case conferences and other meetings to resolve differences of opinion about complex clinical/legal interventions.
- To undertake and manage Investigations into Safeguarding and Serious Incidents according to the needs of the service.
- To support and encourage research, particularly where a social care perspective would enrich the findings of a study.
- To identify points along the care pathway where social work and social care can make the biggest impact on improving the patients journey through the
- To lead on policy development, particularly in areas where there is a clear social care link.
- To oversee the liaison with community mental health and forensic
- To ensure safe and appropriate discharge plans for inpatients including liaison with MAPPA.
- To attend supervision with the Deputy Director and Trusts Social Care directorate and further own professional development.
- To carry a small caseload of mentally disordered offenders, if
- Investigate and monitor SI's, complaints and disciplinary issues and ensure adverse outcomes are reported and action taken. Produce high quality, timely reports and action plans to ensure recommendations are implemented and lessons are learnt. To facilitate the sharing and learning from incidents and developments across the BDP Directorate.
- To liaise with service users, families, carers and other stakeholders to ensure that their experience influences the work of staff in the Directorate and to work with complaints, incidents and Mental Health Act services in the Trust to ensure local implementation of policies, and adherence to Trust procedures. This may include contributing to the training of staff, monitoring of reporting and investigation, and the production of reports for the BDP Directorate senior Leadership team.
- Any other duties that are required as relevant to this
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be responsible for the planning, delivery and evaluation of an equitable social work service to mental health service users across the Trusts National, Forensic and Neurodevelopmental services through creating a culture that distills good practice and strives to create a center for social work excellence.
- To support the Trust & BDP Directorate by ensuring the social care workforce understand the business objectives of the Trust and BDP Directorate and provide good evidence of assisting the Trust & Directorate in their task of meeting government targets.
- To promote Recovery, encompassing the promotion of independence, well- being and choice through the implementation of the governments Personalisation
- To lead the development and implementation of Adult and Childrens Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the BDP services.
- To be responsible for the provision of supervision for front line social work staff across the managed services, managing their recruitment, performance, appraisal, discipline, sickness and absence.
- To contribute to the strategic planning of Adult Social Care and as part of the BDP Senior Leadership Team, ensuring a strong voice representing the Social Care
- To ensure the Best Practice Guidance for Social Work Services in the managed services.
- To ensure that complex statutory interventions and responsibilities relating to social work practice are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner.
- To lead on the provision of services for families and carers across the managed services.
- To provide advice and consultancy for more complex specialist
- To chair case conferences and other meetings to resolve differences of opinion about complex clinical/legal interventions.
- To undertake and manage Investigations into Safeguarding and Serious Incidents according to the needs of the service.
- To support and encourage research, particularly where a social care perspective would enrich the findings of a study.
- To identify points along the care pathway where social work and social care can make the biggest impact on improving the patients journey through the
- To lead on policy development, particularly in areas where there is a clear social care link.
- To oversee the liaison with community mental health and forensic
- To ensure safe and appropriate discharge plans for inpatients including liaison with MAPPA.
- To attend supervision with the Deputy Director and Trusts Social Care directorate and further own professional development.
- To carry a small caseload of mentally disordered offenders, if
- Investigate and monitor SI's, complaints and disciplinary issues and ensure adverse outcomes are reported and action taken. Produce high quality, timely reports and action plans to ensure recommendations are implemented and lessons are learnt. To facilitate the sharing and learning from incidents and developments across the BDP Directorate.
- To liaise with service users, families, carers and other stakeholders to ensure that their experience influences the work of staff in the Directorate and to work with complaints, incidents and Mental Health Act services in the Trust to ensure local implementation of policies, and adherence to Trust procedures. This may include contributing to the training of staff, monitoring of reporting and investigation, and the production of reports for the BDP Directorate senior Leadership team.
- Any other duties that are required as relevant to this
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Social Work qualification
- Registration with Social Work England
Desirable
- AMHP Qualification or equivalent
- Post Qualifying Award in Social Work, MA or MSc or equivalent
- Management Qualification
Experience
Essential
- Post qualification experience of complex interventions in the field of mental health, including forensic experience in inpatient and community settings
- A substantial level of experience of clinically supervising and managing staff
- Experience implementing safeguarding procedures
- Experience of service / practice innovation
- Professional development of social workers, students and trainees
- Experience of policy development in mental health, social care and forensics
Desirable
- Experience of supervising and conducting research in health and social care settings
- Participation in regional and national forums
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Substantial knowledge of the background development of Social care, mental health and forensic services and recent inquiries
- Excellent working knowledge of the Criminal Justice System, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Care Act and how these are applied in practice.
- An understanding of the regulatory and quality frameworks in Social care, mental health and secure services
- An understanding of mental illness, learning disability, Autistic Spectrum Disorders and complex presentations involving multiple diagnoses including substance misuse
- Skills in assessing and managing risk
- Ability to recognise and contribute to good quality aftercare programmes for patients
- Able to proficiently use Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- To have good Presentation Skills and experience of presenting complex information to a wide range of audiences
- Ability to produce management reports to a high standard
- Ability to work collaboratively within a senior management team
- Evidence of both engaging in and supporting primary research
Desirable
- Ability to provide leadership, quality supervision and guidance
- Responsive to change and ideas; adapt to new systems; identify opportunities for service development and refinement.
- To have a positive 'can do' attitude to the challenges of working in a dynamic, ambitious Directorate
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Social Work qualification
- Registration with Social Work England
Desirable
- AMHP Qualification or equivalent
- Post Qualifying Award in Social Work, MA or MSc or equivalent
- Management Qualification
Experience
Essential
- Post qualification experience of complex interventions in the field of mental health, including forensic experience in inpatient and community settings
- A substantial level of experience of clinically supervising and managing staff
- Experience implementing safeguarding procedures
- Experience of service / practice innovation
- Professional development of social workers, students and trainees
- Experience of policy development in mental health, social care and forensics
Desirable
- Experience of supervising and conducting research in health and social care settings
- Participation in regional and national forums
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Substantial knowledge of the background development of Social care, mental health and forensic services and recent inquiries
- Excellent working knowledge of the Criminal Justice System, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Care Act and how these are applied in practice.
- An understanding of the regulatory and quality frameworks in Social care, mental health and secure services
- An understanding of mental illness, learning disability, Autistic Spectrum Disorders and complex presentations involving multiple diagnoses including substance misuse
- Skills in assessing and managing risk
- Ability to recognise and contribute to good quality aftercare programmes for patients
- Able to proficiently use Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- To have good Presentation Skills and experience of presenting complex information to a wide range of audiences
- Ability to produce management reports to a high standard
- Ability to work collaboratively within a senior management team
- Evidence of both engaging in and supporting primary research
Desirable
- Ability to provide leadership, quality supervision and guidance
- Responsive to change and ideas; adapt to new systems; identify opportunities for service development and refinement.
- To have a positive 'can do' attitude to the challenges of working in a dynamic, ambitious Directorate
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
