Job summary

Have you got experience working with adults with Mental Health difficulties or a Learning Disability? If so, we could be the right team for you!

You would be joining our innovative, evolving county wide team, working alongside the Community Mental Health and Substance Misuse Social Care Teams and the AMHP service as part of the wider Younger Adults Service. You will join a team of dedicated Social Workers, Senior Case Workers and Case Workers to deliver quality services. This is a high performing, highly committed and extremely supportive team. The team incorporates AMHPs and BIAs as well as a broad breadth of knowledge and experience amongst the staff group to meet the needs of a diverse and complex arena of need primarily focusing on:

  • Transition from Children’s Services/CAMHs to Adult Mental Health Social Care Services.
  • Review of high-cost packages of care/provisions with a focus on creative, strengths-based interventions which improve the outcomes for service users.
  • Enabling effective hospital discharge, ensuring complex needs and risks are assessed and care planned proportionately.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for exceptional Social Workers who are enthusiastic about being part our new service. You will have a passion for delivering positive outcomes in addition to an ability to recognise problems, identify solutions and negotiate situations. You will also need to have proficient IT and written skills. Social Workers in the team are required to undertake various duties to include assessments under the Care Act 2014, mental capacity assessments, reviews of funded care and safeguarding work. An excellent working knowledge of legislation and current policies is required. Working in accordance with social care legislation and local government requirements, informed by the values and principles of social care, you will be supported in the delivery of person centred, safe and effective social care services, ensuring compliance with legal responsibilities in line with legal frameworks such as Children Act, Mental Health Act, Care Act and Mental Capacity Act.

As a qualified and experienced Social Worker, registered with SWE, you will need strong interpersonal and organisational skills. You will need to travel independently across the county to meet with individuals and carers to assess needs, formulate outcomes and undertake reviews using a person-centred and strength-based approach, designed to provide meaningful choice and promote wellbeing. You must be able to work autonomously, prioritise your work and respond flexibly to competing demands.

About us

We offer a supportive, well led team environment where you will give and receive support and encouragement in equal measure. There is scope for flexibility of working environment in line with our hybrid working model and using workbases across the county. You will receive regular supervision by experienced practitioners who have excellent operational understanding and who understand our unique local challenges. Professional development is supported and encouraged through training opportunities as part of a commitment to Continuous Professional Development.

In return for your valuable contribution we offer a competitive Benefits Package:

  • Regular supervision and excellent support
  • A flexible working environment
  • Good work-life balance
  • Career development, with a range of opportunities including career progression and excellent professional development.
  • Wellbeing support through our wellbeing hub
  • A minimum of 25 days annual leave
  • Interest free loans and discounts
  • Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme

Date posted

14 December 2022

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£36,167 to £40,464 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

F0017-22-9250

Job locations

Elizabeth II Court

The Castle

Winchester

Hampshire

SO23 8UB

Hampshire County Council

Monarch Way

Winchester

Hampshire

SO22 5PW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Assessment

  • Use professional skills, knowledge, and experience and a range of interpersonal and specialist communication skills to gather information and complete and record a social care assessment proportional to need.
  • Complete a risk assessment that will be proportional to the presenting needs, with particular reference to safeguarding, mental capacity and the needs of complex cases, using the principles of positive risk taking.
  • Where appropriate, refer the person to other specialists; statutory services; and/or relevant agencies, and take a professional lead in meeting social care needs.
  • Establish the assessed persons eligibility using Adult Services criteria.
  • Ensure an assessment is offered to a carer/s in relation to their caring role and completed if requested.

Care & Support Planning

  • Ensure that appropriate action in conjunction with other agencies and within legal and statutory framework, to protect vulnerable people.
  • Ensure a care plan or support plan summary is written that identifies how needs will be met, outcomes will be achieved, and any identified risks will be managed.
  • Where a safeguarding risk management plan is required, make a key contribution to that plan and ensure that a care or support plan summary is written in the context of the risks identified.
  • Resolve conflict with competing needs and mediate between different goals and objectives.
  • Ensure that the plan will take account of diversity and will maintain and improve their quality of life. Care plans should promote dignity and empowerment and comply with legal and statutory requirements.
  • Ensure that where a person lacks mental capacity to make a decision concerning their social care, a Best Interest Decision is made on their behalf, unless there is another person with evidenced authority to make the decision.
  • Ensure that appropriate service provision is identified which is within the Departments resource framework and adheres to Best Value Principles.
  • Ensure the care or support plan summary is risk assessed using the principles of positive risk taking and following departmental practice guidance.
  • Ensure the care or support plan summary is agreed with the person concerned wherever possible, and/or their legal representative, it is appropriately recorded in their social care record, and all activities needed to meet the departments performance indicators are completed.

Case Management

  • Offer support and guidance and work in a professional manner with service users, carers and families to establish mutual trust and understanding and ensure services received meet identified outcomes.
  • Maintain case records that comply with current legislation and departmental policies and procedures. Records should be accessible to individuals, colleagues, and managers as appropriate.
  • Produce reports as required which comply with statutory and departmental procedures and capture and analyse information clearly and guide decision making and case management.
  • Within the bounds of confidentiality and appropriate consent, communicate effectively with individuals and agencies using a variety of methods to keep them appropriately informed and involved.
  • Respond appropriately to feedback from service users and providers.

Additional Responsibilities:

Review

  • Review and reassess as required care packages/support plan summaries against identified risks, assessed needs, and agreed outcomes.
  • Take appropriate action if a persons assessed eligible needs are not being met, including a re-assessment of needs if required.
  • Work with multi-disciplinary teams, and other agencies to ensure a review is proportional to need.
  • Ensure the review is agreed with the person concerned and/or their representative; it is appropriately recorded in their social care record; and all activities needed to meet the departments performance indicators are completed.

Finance

  • Ensure that people who have eligible social care needs are referred for a financial assessment and are advised on how funding is allocated to meet assessed eligible needs. This will include an explanation on how service user contributions are processed.
  • Ensure all provisions are recorded and are authorised appropriately.
  • Ensure people are correctly signposted to information on benefits, contributions and allowances.
  • Check that personal budgets are an appropriate amount to meet assessed eligible needs, and if adjustments are needed, refer to line manager.

Service Development

  • Work co-operatively with other agencies and stakeholders and contribute to forums/projects to develop partnerships and services which are responsive to identified needs.

Professional Development

  • Complete continuing professional development as required by own professional body, and other training and development activities identified in your personal development plan or by the department.
  • Contribute to and participate in the development of others through sharing best practice and learning from events and experiences of practice with both positive and negative outcomes.
  • Offer advice and support to unqualified staff, newly qualified staff and students on placement, and in agreed circumstances provide specific support and supervision e.g. practice educator or work based supervisor.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Assessment

  • Use professional skills, knowledge, and experience and a range of interpersonal and specialist communication skills to gather information and complete and record a social care assessment proportional to need.
  • Complete a risk assessment that will be proportional to the presenting needs, with particular reference to safeguarding, mental capacity and the needs of complex cases, using the principles of positive risk taking.
  • Where appropriate, refer the person to other specialists; statutory services; and/or relevant agencies, and take a professional lead in meeting social care needs.
  • Establish the assessed persons eligibility using Adult Services criteria.
  • Ensure an assessment is offered to a carer/s in relation to their caring role and completed if requested.

Care & Support Planning

  • Ensure that appropriate action in conjunction with other agencies and within legal and statutory framework, to protect vulnerable people.
  • Ensure a care plan or support plan summary is written that identifies how needs will be met, outcomes will be achieved, and any identified risks will be managed.
  • Where a safeguarding risk management plan is required, make a key contribution to that plan and ensure that a care or support plan summary is written in the context of the risks identified.
  • Resolve conflict with competing needs and mediate between different goals and objectives.
  • Ensure that the plan will take account of diversity and will maintain and improve their quality of life. Care plans should promote dignity and empowerment and comply with legal and statutory requirements.
  • Ensure that where a person lacks mental capacity to make a decision concerning their social care, a Best Interest Decision is made on their behalf, unless there is another person with evidenced authority to make the decision.
  • Ensure that appropriate service provision is identified which is within the Departments resource framework and adheres to Best Value Principles.
  • Ensure the care or support plan summary is risk assessed using the principles of positive risk taking and following departmental practice guidance.
  • Ensure the care or support plan summary is agreed with the person concerned wherever possible, and/or their legal representative, it is appropriately recorded in their social care record, and all activities needed to meet the departments performance indicators are completed.

Case Management

  • Offer support and guidance and work in a professional manner with service users, carers and families to establish mutual trust and understanding and ensure services received meet identified outcomes.
  • Maintain case records that comply with current legislation and departmental policies and procedures. Records should be accessible to individuals, colleagues, and managers as appropriate.
  • Produce reports as required which comply with statutory and departmental procedures and capture and analyse information clearly and guide decision making and case management.
  • Within the bounds of confidentiality and appropriate consent, communicate effectively with individuals and agencies using a variety of methods to keep them appropriately informed and involved.
  • Respond appropriately to feedback from service users and providers.

Additional Responsibilities:

Review

  • Review and reassess as required care packages/support plan summaries against identified risks, assessed needs, and agreed outcomes.
  • Take appropriate action if a persons assessed eligible needs are not being met, including a re-assessment of needs if required.
  • Work with multi-disciplinary teams, and other agencies to ensure a review is proportional to need.
  • Ensure the review is agreed with the person concerned and/or their representative; it is appropriately recorded in their social care record; and all activities needed to meet the departments performance indicators are completed.

Finance

  • Ensure that people who have eligible social care needs are referred for a financial assessment and are advised on how funding is allocated to meet assessed eligible needs. This will include an explanation on how service user contributions are processed.
  • Ensure all provisions are recorded and are authorised appropriately.
  • Ensure people are correctly signposted to information on benefits, contributions and allowances.
  • Check that personal budgets are an appropriate amount to meet assessed eligible needs, and if adjustments are needed, refer to line manager.

Service Development

  • Work co-operatively with other agencies and stakeholders and contribute to forums/projects to develop partnerships and services which are responsive to identified needs.

Professional Development

  • Complete continuing professional development as required by own professional body, and other training and development activities identified in your personal development plan or by the department.
  • Contribute to and participate in the development of others through sharing best practice and learning from events and experiences of practice with both positive and negative outcomes.
  • Offer advice and support to unqualified staff, newly qualified staff and students on placement, and in agreed circumstances provide specific support and supervision e.g. practice educator or work based supervisor.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Social work qualification.
  • Social work registration with SWE.

Experience

Essential

  • Good communication skills and the ability to negotiate with service users, relatives and providers.
  • Able to assess risks, needs, analyse information and recognise problems.
  • Understand equality and diversity issues in social work practice and the principles of safety, dignity and empowerment.
  • Understand philosophies, professional social work issues and legal frameworks underpinning specific client groups and social services statutory duty and role in the wider community.
  • Understand data protection/confidentiality and need for accurate and timely recording.
  • Computer literate.
  • Understand Best Value principles and need for resource constraints.
  • Organised and able to manage time and conflicting demands.
  • Commitment to learn and develop in professional and job role, undertake post qualifying training and continuous professional and personal development.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Social work qualification.
  • Social work registration with SWE.

Experience

Essential

  • Good communication skills and the ability to negotiate with service users, relatives and providers.
  • Able to assess risks, needs, analyse information and recognise problems.
  • Understand equality and diversity issues in social work practice and the principles of safety, dignity and empowerment.
  • Understand philosophies, professional social work issues and legal frameworks underpinning specific client groups and social services statutory duty and role in the wider community.
  • Understand data protection/confidentiality and need for accurate and timely recording.
  • Computer literate.
  • Understand Best Value principles and need for resource constraints.
  • Organised and able to manage time and conflicting demands.
  • Commitment to learn and develop in professional and job role, undertake post qualifying training and continuous professional and personal development.

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).