Job summary
Here at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough, we are an inclusive and dedicated organisation working to provide excellent rehabilitation service to our entitled personnel.
We are looking to recruit a Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Social Work Professional Lead Advisor and Regional Lead who will be directly embedded into clinical teams, delivering holistic, patient centred care. The Professional Lead Advisor will actively demonstrate effective decision making and project their personality and character into this role. The successful candidate will motivate, guide and support members of the multi-disciplinary team to achieve desired end results, whilst working closely with the Head of Service and Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) Social Work Cadre.
Due to the nature of this position, it is advertised as full time only, 37 hours per week.
Does this sound like the role for you? If so, we would love to hear from you!
In return, DMRC Stanford Hall offers world class facilities in a stunning environment, with excellent on-site benefits and a strong focus on staff health and wellbeing and training tailored to your role.
Benefits
- A Civil Service Pension
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Free parking
- On-site shop
- Access to a gym and swimming pool
- A Market Skills Allowance of £5,000 per annum (pro rata)
Main duties of the job
As the Social Work Professional Lead Adviser (PLA) you will lead a professional Specialist Hospital Social Work Service, acting as a subject matter expert, for DMRC Stanford Hall. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to promoting professional best practice, advocacy and advice on education and training for staff and professional supervision, ensuring that Business Continuity issues are in place and that positive collaboration is energetically fostered within defence, the National Health Service (NHS) and charitable partners.
The Social Work PLA will lead a designated group of Senior
Social Workers within their area of responsibility, provide individual and
group professional supervision and guidance, including policy and best
practice, chair professional meetings and attend wider cadre meetings. The PLA
will also work to drive improvement in all areas of Social Work practice and
Safeguarding, provide leadership in Social Work practice, caseload management,
support compliance with regulatory bodies and act as the lead for complex cases
and practice issues, including Care Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
(DoLs) and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
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 you`ve 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Promote a continuous and flexible improvement plan and service development to meet the changing demands of DMRCs patient group.
- Act as the Single Point of Contact or Subject Matter Expert in Social Work practice including Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk, including PREVENT, Mental Capacity Acts, Liberty Protection Safeguards, support staff/complete Court of Protection paperwork where relevant for patients lacking Capacity and attend Court hearing as required. To support staff in identifying Capacity concerns, signpost and advise accordingly, consulting with Line Managers, Chain of Command, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head of Social Work, also consulting with MOD Legal on all complex legal cases as appropriate.
- Assisting clinical team managers /Clinical Director/ DMRC Quality Improvement Programme with improving Social Work practice, setting high standards of delivery in line with Policy, Service Improvement, Assurance and Governance Audits.
- With other PLAs, conduct Health Checks with clinical teams to identify and advise on service improvement issues.
- Act as a point of contact for military welfare, and third sector agencies working in collaboration with DMRC, and Head of Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) Social Work B2 .
- Attend meetings as required to provide SME input on professional matters with internal and external agencies MOD Specialist Welfare Delivery Group, MOD Safeguarding Adults and Children, DPHC National and Overseas Safeguarding Forum, PREVENT. Cadre meetings etc. This may include some travel, including occasional overnight stays.
- Ensuring confidentiality and acceptable standard of patient information and case notes, following Caldicott principles and in line with Defence Primary Healthcare policy
- Attend Cadre training, including annual legal updates and/or specialist refreshers.
- Be willing to undertake additional training, such as Best Interests Assessor (BIA), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) etc.
It is important that you read the attached job description and person specification prior to applying to fully understand all the duties required.
Selection Process
The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
CV:
- Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
- Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.
- To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
Civil Service Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Presentation:
- What are the Social Work and Safeguarding challenges in a secondary/tertiary healthcare facility? Using your experiences, how have you
addressed such challenges?
- 5-7 minutes in length.
There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for 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
Further Information
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Promote a continuous and flexible improvement plan and service development to meet the changing demands of DMRCs patient group.
- Act as the Single Point of Contact or Subject Matter Expert in Social Work practice including Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk, including PREVENT, Mental Capacity Acts, Liberty Protection Safeguards, support staff/complete Court of Protection paperwork where relevant for patients lacking Capacity and attend Court hearing as required. To support staff in identifying Capacity concerns, signpost and advise accordingly, consulting with Line Managers, Chain of Command, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head of Social Work, also consulting with MOD Legal on all complex legal cases as appropriate.
- Assisting clinical team managers /Clinical Director/ DMRC Quality Improvement Programme with improving Social Work practice, setting high standards of delivery in line with Policy, Service Improvement, Assurance and Governance Audits.
- With other PLAs, conduct Health Checks with clinical teams to identify and advise on service improvement issues.
- Act as a point of contact for military welfare, and third sector agencies working in collaboration with DMRC, and Head of Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) Social Work B2 .
- Attend meetings as required to provide SME input on professional matters with internal and external agencies MOD Specialist Welfare Delivery Group, MOD Safeguarding Adults and Children, DPHC National and Overseas Safeguarding Forum, PREVENT. Cadre meetings etc. This may include some travel, including occasional overnight stays.
- Ensuring confidentiality and acceptable standard of patient information and case notes, following Caldicott principles and in line with Defence Primary Healthcare policy
- Attend Cadre training, including annual legal updates and/or specialist refreshers.
- Be willing to undertake additional training, such as Best Interests Assessor (BIA), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) etc.
It is important that you read the attached job description and person specification prior to applying to fully understand all the duties required.
Selection Process
The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
CV:
- Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
- Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.
- To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
Civil Service Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Presentation:
- What are the Social Work and Safeguarding challenges in a secondary/tertiary healthcare facility? Using your experiences, how have you
addressed such challenges?
- 5-7 minutes in length.
There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for 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
Further Information
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.
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.
Person Specification
Registrations
Essential
- Registered with Social Work England (SWE), Scottish Social Services
- Council (SSSC), the Care Council for Wales (CCW) or Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).
- Please provide your membership registration number.
- You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
- Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.
Provide a CV
Essential
- Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question-you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
- Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
- Please use double spacing where possible
Experience
Essential
- Have an understanding and working knowledge of all relevant social care legislation Mental Health Act (MHA) (83), Mental Capacity Act (MCA) (05) Inc Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS), Care Act 14,European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (98) Adult and Children Safeguarding Policies.
- Have a significant post qualification experience, which must be within a hospital setting and DOLS/ Best Interest Assessor (BIA), or willing to train as BIA.
- The candidate must have caseload management experience in a multi professional setting.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Due to the nature of this role and the location, you will need to hold a full UK driving licence.
- Please confirm you hold this.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Social Work or equivalent diploma in Social Work (DipSW) / Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW)
Behaviour Statement
Essential
- Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
- Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate
Person Specification
Registrations
Essential
- Registered with Social Work England (SWE), Scottish Social Services
- Council (SSSC), the Care Council for Wales (CCW) or Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).
- Please provide your membership registration number.
- You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
- Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.
Provide a CV
Essential
- Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question-you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
- Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
- Please use double spacing where possible
Experience
Essential
- Have an understanding and working knowledge of all relevant social care legislation Mental Health Act (MHA) (83), Mental Capacity Act (MCA) (05) Inc Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS), Care Act 14,European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (98) Adult and Children Safeguarding Policies.
- Have a significant post qualification experience, which must be within a hospital setting and DOLS/ Best Interest Assessor (BIA), or willing to train as BIA.
- The candidate must have caseload management experience in a multi professional setting.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Due to the nature of this role and the location, you will need to hold a full UK driving licence.
- Please confirm you hold this.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Social Work or equivalent diploma in Social Work (DipSW) / Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW)
Behaviour Statement
Essential
- Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
- Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate
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).
