Forensic Social Worker

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a qualified Social Work Practitioner at Arnold Lodge. The ideal candidate will provide a high quality social work service, engage with patients and their families, and work within a multi-disciplinary team to meet the diverse needs of the caseload. Essential qualifications include a Diploma in Social Work and SWE registration, alongside excellent communication and report writing skills. This role offers a chance to make a difference in the lives of patients with mental health challenges.

Benefits

In-house occupational health services

Health and Wellbeing support

Employee-led staff networks

Qualifications

• Must hold a Diploma in Social Work and be SWE registered.
• Qualified Social Worker with experience in mental health settings.
• 18 years or older for forensic services.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality social work service to diverse patient population.
• Be the nominated social worker for a defined patient caseload.
• Lead on safeguarding issues for the multi-professional team.
• Liaise with internal and external agencies regarding patients.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Report writing skills

Experience in social work

Knowledge of mental health issues

Education

Diploma in Social Work or equivalent

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Social Work Practitioner at Arnold Lodge. The Social Work Team consists of three Social Work Practitioners, a Social Work Assistant and a Social Work Team Manager. SOCIAL WORK ENGLAND REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR POST. Arnold Lodge is a Regional Secure Unit in Humberstone, Leicester, which provides care and treatment for 102 mentally disordered offenders, both men and women. All of the patients are detained under the Mental Health Act in conditions of medium security. Arnold Lodge is part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, one of the country’s leading integrated healthcare providers.

We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated, dynamic and resilient Social Worker with excellent communication and report writing skills. The successful candidate will work with a multi-disciplinary team to provide a high quality social care service to a designated group of patients. You will be expected to work in partnership with patients and their carers, as well as with external agencies.

A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the provision of a high quality social work service to a diverse patient population, including initial assessment, risk assessment and care planning, in conjunction with other members of the multi-professional team under clinical and managerial supervision.
• Be the nominated social worker for a defined patient caseload.
• Be the lead for the multi-professional team on safeguarding issues affecting a defined patient caseload.
• Provide a social work service to identified patients at Arnold Lodge and liaise with internal and external agencies, as well as families, friends and carers.
• Lead on child and adult safeguarding in the designated multi-professional team.
• Compile social circumstance reports to present at Mental Health Tribunals and Managers’ Panels.
• Participate actively in relevant clinical meetings including Clinical Team Meetings, Care Programme Approach meetings, and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements panel meetings.
• Oversee the accreditation of child and adult visitors for a designated caseload in accordance with local procedure.
• Undertake clinical risk assessments as relevant to social work.

Qualifications

• You must hold a Diploma in Social Work or an equivalent qualification and be SWE registered, or in the process of registering.
• We are seeking to recruit a Full Time qualified Social Worker with experience of working with people with mental health diagnosis in a health, criminal justice or social care setting.
• Forensic Vacancies – you must be 18 years or older to work in a Forensic Services Hospital/Prison within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

Additional Information

We are TeamNottsHC comprising over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who MakeADifference daily. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire’s biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks support our diverse workforce and promote a culture of inclusivity. The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a priority, with in-house occupational health and staff counselling services supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team. The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with an Energy and Environmental team working to ensure environmental compliance and our net-zero commitment.

DBS and Application Notes

To provide a social work service to a designated patient group. The cost of the DBS check is to be paid by applicants and deducted from salary following appointment (standard £26.40 or enhanced £54.40). Applicants are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service, with an annual fee of £16 per year.

This advert closes on Sunday 8 Feb 2026.