HEO Senior Mental Health Social Worker

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services); Carterton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A government organization in Carterton seeks a Senior Mental Health Social Worker for a full-time role, offering a competitive salary of £37,720 plus a Market Skills Allowance of £5,000. The position involves providing effective Mental Health Social Work within a supportive team and managing patient caseloads. Qualifications include a degree in social work and relevant experience. This role also offers flexible working options, professional development opportunities, and a supportive working culture.

Benefits

Access to learning and development

Flexible working options

Civil Service pension

Free on-site parking

Professional registration fees reimbursed

Qualifications

• Must be an appropriately qualified and experienced Mental Health Social Work Professional.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Experience in risk assessment and mental state.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) in support of a designated Mental Health Team.
• Contribute to service delivery development.
• Manage patient caseloads per DCMH allocation processes.

Skills

Mental Health Social Work

Risk Assessment

Communication

Education

Degree in Social Work

Job description

Go back Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

HEO Senior Mental Health Social Worker

The closing date is 25 February 2026

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, then you would be well-suited to the senior Mental Health Social Worker role that we have at Healthcare Facility, RAF Brize Norton!

The vacant post is full time offering 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!

• A Market Skills Allowance of £5,000 per annum (pro rata) will be offered to the successful candidate
• 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 28.97%
• Free on-site parking
• Professional registration fees re-imbursed

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.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will provide effective Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) in support of a designated Mental Health Team.

About us

Our success depends on our people. The Whole Force consists of 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 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.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command

CSOC unites Defence's cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.

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, Network, Defence Mental Health Social Work Service and the wider Defence Mental Health Services.
• Contribute to the development of service delivery, suggesting developmental initiatives in support of observations.
• 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 the DCMH by providing direct delivery advice for MHSW to the DCMH line manager and the MHSW Regional Lead.
• Support management and DCMH by providing advice and support on safeguarding issues and practice as DCMH team Safeguarding Lead.
• Undertake such additional clinical/management tasks as may be appropriate to the grade and the role agreed in discussion with their line manager / Regional lead / Head of Service (HoS).

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

Selection Process

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.

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.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

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

At interview short case study may be required. The case study will be provided 10 minutes before the interview. The interview may consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation-based scenarios. 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.

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 BPSS 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.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

This vacancy is part of the AGreat Place to Work for Veterans initiative

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.

Person Specification

Behaviour Statement

• 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.

Qualifications

• Must be an appropriately qualified and experienced Mental Health Social Work Professional.
• Degree in Social Work or equivalent Diploma in Social Work (DipSW)/ Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW).
• Evidence of continued professional development and willingness to train in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as required.
• Knowledge of all relevant social care legislation mental etc. (the full list).
• Significant post qualification experience within mental health services, experience in risk assessment and mental state.

Provide a CV

• 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.

Registrations and Memberships

• Registered with SWE, SSSC, SCW or 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.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

£37,720 a year. Market Skills Allowance £5000 (pro rata for part time)