Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Senior Mental Health Social Worker HEO

The closing date is 03 July 2025

Job summary

Are you a highly skilled Senior Mental Health Social Worker looking for an exciting and rewarding role? Are you seeking job satisfaction, numerous benefits, and training opportunities? Would you like your career to take a different direction into a friendly and professional organisation?If the answer is yes, you would be well-suited to the Senior Mental Health St Athan.

Our successful candidate will provide effective Mental Health Social Work in support of the designated Mental Health Team.

The vacant post is full time working 37 hours per week. Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Could this be the role for you? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Benefits

Access to learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
Free Parking
Positive team working with access to National Mental Health Annual Symposiums and Cadre Conferences.
Professional Registration Fees Reimbursed

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts. this is needed because the benefits list that professional registration fees are currently reimbursed, which classifies as an allowance.

Main duties of the job

To provide effective Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) in support of a designated Department of Community Mental Health, Network, Defence Mental Health Social Work Service and the wider Defence Mental Health Services.

About us

Our success depends on our people our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

If youve ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better, we have roles in more professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.

Date posted

12 June 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£36,530 to £40,150 a year a year plus £5000 market supplement, (pro rata for part time).

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0271

Job locations

Mental Health Team (MHT)

St Athan

Barry Vale of Glamorgan

CF62 4WA

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities for the role include but are not limited to:

To provide effective Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) in support of a designated Department of Community Mental Health, Defence Mental Health Social Work Service and the wider Defence Mental Health Services.
Contribute to the development of service delivery, suggesting development initiatives in support of observation.
Manage patient caseloads according to Defence Community Mental Health (DCMH) allocation processes and practices as directed by the clinical team lead/ Manager and the MHSW Regional Lead.
Support the management of teh DCMH line manager and or teh MHSW Regional Lead
Support management in the DCMH by providing advice and support on safeguarding issues and practice as DCMH Safeguarding Lead.
Undertake such additional clinical/management tasks as may be appropriate to the grade and the role agreed in discussion with the line manager / Regional Lead/ HoS

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of duties.

Selection Process -

The selection at sift stage will be based on your CV.

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, qualifications and memberships in your CV.

At interview, you will be tested against the following Behaviours:

Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service.

A case study may be required, the case study will be provided 10 minutes before the interview.

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

When choosing your Behaviour/Technical Skills examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

Please ensure you have read all the details in the important information link prior to applying.