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Whole Life Pathways - Supporting Mental Health
Are you passionate about making a real difference for people living with mental health challenges?
We are looking for an experienced Social Worker to join our dedicated team, providing leadership and support across Wiltshire.
Our team works with children, adults, and older people who meet the threshold for secondary mental health care. We focus on delivering high-quality social care interventions, including assessment, care management, and risk planning, while ensuring services feel integrated and seamless for those who need them most.
As a Senior Social Worker, you will provide professional leadership, supervision, and guidance to colleagues, helping to shape evidence-informed practice and influence service development. You will work closely with health partners and other agencies, supporting staff to achieve better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
You will bring a recognised Social Work qualification, registration with Social Work England, and substantial post-qualification experience.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Practitioner in Mental Health provides professional leadership and support within social care teams, ensuring high standards of practice in line with legislation such as the Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005), and Mental Health Act (1983).
The role involves supervising and appraising Social Workers and staff, offering expert guidance on complex and often contentious issues, and promoting evidence-based, person-centred practice. Key duties include managing a small caseload of complex cases, undertaking risk assessments, and chairing multi-agency meetings.
The post holder contributes to strategic development, policy implementation, and service improvement, while monitoring team performance against local and national indicators. Responsibilities extend to safeguarding adults, managing urgent and high-risk situations, and ensuring compliance with professional standards set by Social Work England.
The role also requires collaboration with health services, voluntary sector partners, and other stakeholders to deliver integrated care, alongside budget monitoring and authorisation of care packages. Deputising for the Team Manager, leading training initiatives, and supporting staff development are integral to enhancing service quality and outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
About us
Wiltshire Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Wiltshire, England, established in 2009 to provide both county-level and district-level services. The council's vision is to foster strong communities where residents can achieve their potential through empowerment and inclusion. The council focuses on long-term challenges, community engagement, and delivering services that support independent living, reduce inequalities, and promote overall well-being.
Key Responsibilities and Services
The council provides a range of essential services to residents, including waste management, public planning, and support for vulnerable populations, such as older adults and people with disabilities.
The council consists of elected councillors who form a cabinet to set the council's direction and priorities. A system of overview and scrutiny ensures accountability for the cabinet's decisions.
The council engages in long-term planning, such as its household waste management strategy, focusing on new approaches and opportunities to manage waste over the next decade and beyond.
The council uses Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to support local infrastructure projects, including roads, schools, and recreational facilities, to manage the impact of development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Care job family overview:
Support and assist the well-being of individuals and groups to assure their protection, security and
development.
Safeguarding, protection and care.
Community, residential, day or field settings.
Ongoing risk/needs assessment of and advice for individuals/groups.
Specification of any non-council provision
Individual or small group emphasis.
May involve personal care activities.
Likely to involve immediate response to client.
Service Function and Context:
The overall responsibilities of the service/function are:
The team works across all age groups for the statutory mental health work which includes
children/adolescents, adults (including those with a learning disability), and older people.
The function of the team is to provide social care interventions to those people meeting the threshold
for secondary mental health care. This includes assessment, care management, social work
interventions, multi-disciplinary working, risk assessment and management. A particular challenge of
the role is to attempt to ensure the service users experience of the service as a whole (health and
social care) is as integrated and seamless as possible.
The team works closely with the secondary mental health providers in Wiltshire (AWP) and the other
adult social care teams when they require access to specialist advice.
Job Purpose:
To provide practice and professional leadership, support and supervision for Social Workers and
social care staff in mental health teams.
To uphold standards of practice for Social Workers as registered with the Health and Care Professions
Council and in accordance with Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
Practitioners working in line with the advanced level of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)
are expected to provide practice and professional leadership through the development of evidence informed practice, quality assurance, staff development, knowledge development and management,
and will also help to influence and contribute to strategic development in the organisation. Advanced
Social Workers make a difference by working both directly with people in highly complex situations,
and by supporting staff to provide better outcomes for people who use services, families, carers and
communities.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
Pro-actively participate in the leadership team, including planning and chairing leadership, team,
and area meetings.
Chair meetings of internal/external partners and other agencies, particularly in the role of
investigating manager, Best Interest decision maker, or facilitation of this, CHC joint decision
making panels, etc.
Take a lead role in promoting safeguarding within teams in line with Wiltshire and Swindon policy
and procedures for safeguarding adults. Perform Investigating Manager or Investigating Officer
role as required.
Manage a small caseload of complex work, using person centred practice principles to assess,
support plan and review with the aim of promoting well being of individual customers. Undertake
comprehensive risk assessments. Ensure that your own practice is in line with current legislation,
including The Care Act (2014), The Mental Capacity Act (2005) and The Mental Health Act (1983)
and local policies and procedures, as relevant to the role.
Ability to manage and resolve complex situations using negotiations and diplomacy, involving
customers, their families, or staff groups.
Take responsibility for your own continuing professional development.
Ensure teams respond effectively to all contacts made with adult social care. Plan, prioritise and
allocate work within the teams the post holder covers. Deal with urgent and high risk situations
whilst dealing with interruptions and deadlines and reprioritizing workloads effectively to meet
changing demands from the service.
Ensure the service is able to respond to emergencies.
Analysing individual and team performance against local and national performance indicators.
Promote, develop and model high quality social work practice. Ensure workers are working within
statutory responsibilities and promote evidence based practice. Ensure Social Workers comply
with professional standards required by the Health and Care Professions Council. Provideprofessional support to Social Workers, Customer Co-ordinators and other team members,
including development of skills, knowledge and experience and addressing performance issues.
Provide professional advice and guidance to team managers, Heads of Service, Associate
Directors, and commissioning colleagues on a broad range of complex issues relevant to social
work. These issues can be contentious and challenging and require expert guidance to shape
service delivery.
Supervise and appraise Social Workers and Customer Coordinators . Ensure that the practice of
staff you supervise is in line with the current legal framework, including The Care Act (2014), The
Mental Capacity Act (2005) and The Mental Health Act (1983) and related local policies and
procedures, as relevant to their role. Ensure that they keep themselves appraised of changes and
developments in legislation, policy and practice.
Monitor spend against social care budget, including authorisation of care and support
recommended by team members whilst considering best value to the council.
Work in collaborative partnerships with colleagues from the council, health and other stakeholders
within the voluntary and community sector which promote well-being, social inclusion and resilient
communities to influence and improve service delivery.
Contribute to the development of policy and guidance. Lead implementation of new legislation,
policy and guidance in social care.
Comply with the Wiltshire Council behaviours framework and be an exemplar for behaviours
described at the aspirational level.
Post holder will deputise for the Team Manager on occasions.
Promote, develop and support standards of social work practice in line with requirements of Social
Work England and the council
Identify, plan, implement and evaluate person centred approaches to meeting customers'
outcomes which promote and improve their well-being
Contribute to planning and development and participate in county-wide strategic projects which
innovate and develop new service provision, being mindful of quality & cost.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Care job family overview:
Support and assist the well-being of individuals and groups to assure their protection, security and
development.
Safeguarding, protection and care.
Community, residential, day or field settings.
Ongoing risk/needs assessment of and advice for individuals/groups.
Specification of any non-council provision
Individual or small group emphasis.
May involve personal care activities.
Likely to involve immediate response to client.
Service Function and Context:
The overall responsibilities of the service/function are:
The team works across all age groups for the statutory mental health work which includes
children/adolescents, adults (including those with a learning disability), and older people.
The function of the team is to provide social care interventions to those people meeting the threshold
for secondary mental health care. This includes assessment, care management, social work
interventions, multi-disciplinary working, risk assessment and management. A particular challenge of
the role is to attempt to ensure the service users experience of the service as a whole (health and
social care) is as integrated and seamless as possible.
The team works closely with the secondary mental health providers in Wiltshire (AWP) and the other
adult social care teams when they require access to specialist advice.
Job Purpose:
To provide practice and professional leadership, support and supervision for Social Workers and
social care staff in mental health teams.
To uphold standards of practice for Social Workers as registered with the Health and Care Professions
Council and in accordance with Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
Practitioners working in line with the advanced level of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)
are expected to provide practice and professional leadership through the development of evidence informed practice, quality assurance, staff development, knowledge development and management,
and will also help to influence and contribute to strategic development in the organisation. Advanced
Social Workers make a difference by working both directly with people in highly complex situations,
and by supporting staff to provide better outcomes for people who use services, families, carers and
communities.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
Pro-actively participate in the leadership team, including planning and chairing leadership, team,
and area meetings.
Chair meetings of internal/external partners and other agencies, particularly in the role of
investigating manager, Best Interest decision maker, or facilitation of this, CHC joint decision
making panels, etc.
Take a lead role in promoting safeguarding within teams in line with Wiltshire and Swindon policy
and procedures for safeguarding adults. Perform Investigating Manager or Investigating Officer
role as required.
Manage a small caseload of complex work, using person centred practice principles to assess,
support plan and review with the aim of promoting well being of individual customers. Undertake
comprehensive risk assessments. Ensure that your own practice is in line with current legislation,
including The Care Act (2014), The Mental Capacity Act (2005) and The Mental Health Act (1983)
and local policies and procedures, as relevant to the role.
Ability to manage and resolve complex situations using negotiations and diplomacy, involving
customers, their families, or staff groups.
Take responsibility for your own continuing professional development.
Ensure teams respond effectively to all contacts made with adult social care. Plan, prioritise and
allocate work within the teams the post holder covers. Deal with urgent and high risk situations
whilst dealing with interruptions and deadlines and reprioritizing workloads effectively to meet
changing demands from the service.
Ensure the service is able to respond to emergencies.
Analysing individual and team performance against local and national performance indicators.
Promote, develop and model high quality social work practice. Ensure workers are working within
statutory responsibilities and promote evidence based practice. Ensure Social Workers comply
with professional standards required by the Health and Care Professions Council. Provideprofessional support to Social Workers, Customer Co-ordinators and other team members,
including development of skills, knowledge and experience and addressing performance issues.
Provide professional advice and guidance to team managers, Heads of Service, Associate
Directors, and commissioning colleagues on a broad range of complex issues relevant to social
work. These issues can be contentious and challenging and require expert guidance to shape
service delivery.
Supervise and appraise Social Workers and Customer Coordinators . Ensure that the practice of
staff you supervise is in line with the current legal framework, including The Care Act (2014), The
Mental Capacity Act (2005) and The Mental Health Act (1983) and related local policies and
procedures, as relevant to their role. Ensure that they keep themselves appraised of changes and
developments in legislation, policy and practice.
Monitor spend against social care budget, including authorisation of care and support
recommended by team members whilst considering best value to the council.
Work in collaborative partnerships with colleagues from the council, health and other stakeholders
within the voluntary and community sector which promote well-being, social inclusion and resilient
communities to influence and improve service delivery.
Contribute to the development of policy and guidance. Lead implementation of new legislation,
policy and guidance in social care.
Comply with the Wiltshire Council behaviours framework and be an exemplar for behaviours
described at the aspirational level.
Post holder will deputise for the Team Manager on occasions.
Promote, develop and support standards of social work practice in line with requirements of Social
Work England and the council
Identify, plan, implement and evaluate person centred approaches to meeting customers'
outcomes which promote and improve their well-being
Contribute to planning and development and participate in county-wide strategic projects which
innovate and develop new service provision, being mindful of quality & cost.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BA or BSc SW/ MA or MSc SW/ Dip SW/CQSW/CSS or equivalent (as agreed by Social Work England)
- Registered with the Social Work England as a Social Worker.
- Evidence of further professional development including practice education.
- Expert knowledge of social care legislation and policy as it relates to Social Workers and the wider social care team, including mental capacity and safeguarding adults.
- Extensive experience of professional development since qualification .
- Three years post qualification experience in social care.
- Experience of working in partnership with other agencies.
- Experience in training and development of staff.
- Experience in development and/or implementation of social care policies.
- Experience of managing people through change.
- Experience of supervision, appraisal and professional development of staff.
- Able to demonstrate independent critical judgement.
- Ability to problem solve in complex and unpredictable situations.
- Able to write clear, complex and accurate reports.
- Able to communicate effectively with people at all levels with positive and person- centred approach.
- Able to plan and prioritise workloads.
- Able to plan, chair and contribute to meetings.
- Able to review the effectiveness of services.
- Literate, numerate and good computer skills.
- Ability to use and understand electronic social care records and performance reports.
- Fully fluent in English.
- Ability to travel across the county the county to deliver timely services/ driving licence.
- Current knowledge of relevant practice research and development.
- Experience of effectively managing conflict.
- Ability to work in partnership with service users, other professionals and agencies. Creative and innovative approach to problem solving Commitment to anti-discriminatory and oppressive practice
- Organised, efficient and motivated.
- Ability to work under pressure and manage your caseload appropriately.
- Ability to use and contribute to supervision/team meetings to promote your own and team development, skills and learning.
- Ability to undertake quality supervision with students and colleagues within team as required.
- Ability to reflect on own strengths and practice/knowledge gaps.
- Able to contribute effectively to the development of a team.
- Proven organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
- Excellent report writing skills.
- Good understanding and proven ability to use database information systems.
- Takes responsibility for own professional development and commitments to evidenced based practice.
- Proven skills in safe practice techniques and ability to work to risk assessments.
- Ability to undertake consultation role for case holding social workers
Desirable
- Evidence of post qualification awards.
- Best Interests Assessor qualification.
- Practice Educator qualification.
- Experience in audit and/or engagement in research.
- Experience in managing financial spend.
- Other specialist knowledge or experience transferable to this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BA or BSc SW/ MA or MSc SW/ Dip SW/CQSW/CSS or equivalent (as agreed by Social Work England)
- Registered with the Social Work England as a Social Worker.
- Evidence of further professional development including practice education.
- Expert knowledge of social care legislation and policy as it relates to Social Workers and the wider social care team, including mental capacity and safeguarding adults.
- Extensive experience of professional development since qualification .
- Three years post qualification experience in social care.
- Experience of working in partnership with other agencies.
- Experience in training and development of staff.
- Experience in development and/or implementation of social care policies.
- Experience of managing people through change.
- Experience of supervision, appraisal and professional development of staff.
- Able to demonstrate independent critical judgement.
- Ability to problem solve in complex and unpredictable situations.
- Able to write clear, complex and accurate reports.
- Able to communicate effectively with people at all levels with positive and person- centred approach.
- Able to plan and prioritise workloads.
- Able to plan, chair and contribute to meetings.
- Able to review the effectiveness of services.
- Literate, numerate and good computer skills.
- Ability to use and understand electronic social care records and performance reports.
- Fully fluent in English.
- Ability to travel across the county the county to deliver timely services/ driving licence.
- Current knowledge of relevant practice research and development.
- Experience of effectively managing conflict.
- Ability to work in partnership with service users, other professionals and agencies. Creative and innovative approach to problem solving Commitment to anti-discriminatory and oppressive practice
- Organised, efficient and motivated.
- Ability to work under pressure and manage your caseload appropriately.
- Ability to use and contribute to supervision/team meetings to promote your own and team development, skills and learning.
- Ability to undertake quality supervision with students and colleagues within team as required.
- Ability to reflect on own strengths and practice/knowledge gaps.
- Able to contribute effectively to the development of a team.
- Proven organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
- Excellent report writing skills.
- Good understanding and proven ability to use database information systems.
- Takes responsibility for own professional development and commitments to evidenced based practice.
- Proven skills in safe practice techniques and ability to work to risk assessments.
- Ability to undertake consultation role for case holding social workers
Desirable
- Evidence of post qualification awards.
- Best Interests Assessor qualification.
- Practice Educator qualification.
- Experience in audit and/or engagement in research.
- Experience in managing financial spend.
- Other specialist knowledge or experience transferable to this role.
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
