Care Co-ordinator Social Worker

CPFT; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is seeking a Band 6 Mental Health Social Worker and Care Co-ordinator to join the Assertive Outreach Team in Cambridge. The role involves supporting adults with complex mental health needs, undertaking statutory assessments and coordinating care with a strengths-based, recovery-focused approach.

You will work autonomously with multi-disciplinary colleagues, applying relevant legislation and safeguarding frameworks, and may deputise for

Qualifications

• Registered Social Worker with professional registration.
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD).
• Postgraduate qualification related to the specialty.

Responsibilities

• Acting as Care Co-ordinator for adults with complex mental health needs within secondary care.
• Undertaking statutory social work assessments, including Care Act assessments, capacity assessments and safeguarding enquiries.
• Developing, implementing and reviewing person-centred care and support plans in line with CPA and recovery principles.
• Applying the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and related legislation in accordance with codes of practice and Trust policy.
• Managing and mitigating risk, responding appropriately to crisis and safeguarding concerns.
• Maintaining accurate, high-quality social care and clinical records.
• Working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team to ensure coordinated and effective care delivery.
• Providing professional supervision, mentorship and leadership to colleagues and students as required.
• Contributing to service development, quality improvement and reflective practice.
• Upholding professional standards and Social Work registration requirements at all times.

Skills

In-service training

Rotational shifts

Crisis management

Physical health knowledge

Safeguarding

Education

Registered Social Worker

CPD (Continuing Professional Development)

Postgraduate qualification in specialism

Job description

Main area Social Work Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri) Job ref 310-ASMH-7940248-A

Site Union House Town Cambridge Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

Join our Assertive Outreach Team as a Band 6 Mental Health Social Worker and Care Co‑ordinator, working with adults with complex and severe mental health needs who may experience barriers to engaging with traditional services. This is a new team and we are looking for a Care Co‑ordinator to support both our Cambridge and Peterborough teams. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified Social Worker to apply and develop specialist skills within secondary mental health services, using a personalised, strengths‑based and recovery‑focused approach.

You will practice as an autonomous professional Social Worker, taking statutory responsibility for care coordination under the Care Programme Approach, and applying key legislation including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and safeguarding frameworks. Working within a multi‑disciplinary community team, you will build meaningful relationships with service users, families and carers, advocating for individuals and promoting dignity, empowerment and social inclusion.

This role is well suited to an enthusiastic and motivated Social Worker who is passionate about addressing inequality, managing complexity and risk, and delivering person‑centred care. You will also contribute to service development, reflective practice and occasionally deputise for the Team Manager, supporting leadership and supervision within the team.

Main duties of the job

As a Social Worker and Care Co‑ordinator within the Assertive Outreach Team, you will hold responsibility for a caseload of adults with complex mental health and social care needs. You will undertake comprehensive assessments, coordinate care planning, and ensure timely review of care and risk management plans in line with CPA and statutory requirements.

You will apply social work values and professional judgement to safeguard individuals, promote wellbeing, and support recovery, working creatively with people who may be reluctant to engage. This includes working in partnership with carers, families and a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies.

The role requires confident application of legislation, including the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and Human Rights legislation, ensuring practice is lawful, proportionate and evidence‑based. You will provide professional leadership within the MDT, act as a role model for social work practice, supervise and support colleagues where required, and contribute to quality improvement, service evaluation and learning across the team. Participation in the out‑of‑hours rota is required.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high‑calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• Acting as Care Co‑ordinator for adults with complex mental health needs within secondary care.
• Undertaking statutory social work assessments, including Care Act assessments, capacity assessments and safeguarding enquiries.
• Developing, implementing and reviewing person‑centred care and support plans in line with CPA and recovery principles.
• Applying the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and related legislation in accordance with codes of practice and Trust policy.
• Managing and mitigating risk, responding appropriately to crisis and safeguarding concerns.
• Maintaining accurate, high‑quality social care and clinical records.
• Working collaboratively within a multi‑disciplinary team to ensure coordinated and effective care delivery.
• Providing professional supervision, mentorship and leadership to colleagues and students as required.
• Contributing to service development, quality improvement and reflective practice.
• Upholding professional standards and Social Work registration requirements at all times.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Registered Social Worker
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Post Graduate qualification related to specialism

Experience

• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Basic Training in Mental Capacity Act
• Experience dealing with service users with complex mental health needs
• Previous experience of undertaking continuing care assessments
• Experience relating to community specialism

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to offer in-service training to junior colleagues
• Enthusiastic and has ability to participate in full rotational shifts
• Ability to calmly manage complex and stressful situations, prioritising own work and work of others
• Knowledge of physical healthcare needs
• Awareness of safeguarding issues and responsibilities under relevant legislation

Other

• Ability to travel independently around the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area meeting required timescales. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential.

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Ground‑breaking research

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity .

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.

Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre‑employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.