HEO Senior Mental Health Social Worker

Integrated Care System; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization is seeking a Senior Mental Health Social Worker to join their team in Plymouth. This full-time position offers competitive pay, benefits including a £5,000 market supplement, and opportunities for training and professional development. The successful candidate will support mental health services as part of a dedicated team within the Ministry of Defence.

Benefits

Civil Service pension

Access to gym

Free parking

Flexible working options

Inclusion and diversity culture

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must be registered with the Social Work England.
• Experience working in mental health services.
• Understanding of legislation including Mental Health Act.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective Mental Health Social Work support.
• Manage patient caseloads according to DCMH processes.
• Contribute to service delivery development.

Skills

Mental Health Social Work

Risk Assessment

Safeguarding

Education

Degree in Social Work

Social Work England Registration

Job description

Go back Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

HEO Senior Mental Health Social Worker

The closing date is 04 August 2025

Are you a highlyskilled Senior Mental Health Social Worker looking for an exciting andrewarding role working alongside the military? Are you seeking job satisfaction, numerous benefits, andtraining opportunities? Would you like your career to take a differentdirection into a friendly and professional organisation?

If the answer is yes,you would be well-suited to the Senior Mental Health Social Worker role that wehave within the Department for Community Mental Health at HMS Drake.

This vacancy is full-time, offering 37 hours per week.

• £5000 Market Supplement (pro-rata) will be offered to the successful candidate.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Excellent training and development opportunities tailored to your role
• A Civil Service pension with an average employercontribution of 28.97%
• Access to gym
• Free parking
• An environment with hybrid / flexible working options

Main duties of the job

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

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 responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• To provide effective Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) in support of a designated Department of Community Mental Health, 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 or the MHSW Regional Lead
• Support management and DCMH by providing advice and support on safeguarding issues and practice as DCMH 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 / HoS

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification document for further information.

Selection Process

The selection at sift stage will be based on your CV.

At interview, you will be tested against the following Behaviours:

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

Further Information

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.

When choosing your behaviour examples, pleasemake sure you use real life scenarios that relate toyour own experiences. Whilst technology may helpto enhance your written submission, presenting theideas of others or those generated by technology,could result in your application being rejected.

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have therequired skills, knowledge, experience,qualifications and memberships in the CV section ofthe application form.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days ofthe vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held ona date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travelexpenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly will be considered, takinginto account business needs.

Please note the salary will be pro-rata where parttime hours are undertaken.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met byour uniformed personnel, but you will form thecontinuity of care required by our patients whenbased at home.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working,which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntaryarrangement, blending a balance of attendance inthe workplace (your permanent duty station whichis based on business assessment of where the workis best done) and working from home as a personalchoice (if the role is suitable for this). If you aresuccessful, any opportunities for hybrid working willbe discussed with you prior to you taking up yourpost.

To be considered for this role, qualifications andmemberships detailed must be held in full, prior tosubmitting your application.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who arenew to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-monthprobation period (unless otherwise advised)effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the securityrequirements before they can be appointed. Thelevel of security needed is security check.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigrationrules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, theMinistry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for askilled worker visa under the points-based system,where a role has been deemed to be businesscritical. This role does not meet that category andwe will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT opento applications from those who will requiresponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found torequire sponsorship, your application will berejected and any provisional offer of employmentwithdrawn.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotesequality of opportunity. There is a DisabilityConfident Scheme (DCS) for candidates withdisabilities who meet the minimum selectioncriteria.If you need to advise us that you need additionalhelp or reasonable adjustments for the recruitmentprocess, please contact [e-mail].

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 asafe and healthy working environment for its staffwhich includes educating them on the benefits ofnot smoking, protecting them from the harmfuleffects of second-hand smoke and supporting thosewho want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and theuse of all tobacco products (including combustibleand chewing tobacco products) will not bepermitted anywhere in the Defence workingenvironment. The policy is Whole Force and includesall Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking,considering, or accepting employment with theMinistry of Defence should be aware of this policyand that it is already in place at a number ofDefence Establishments.

Please ensure you have read all the details in theimportant information link prior to applying.

Person Specification

Experience

• A full UK driving licence is required for this position.

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.
• Please provide your Social Work England registration. You are required to be registered as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application. Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid registration.

Qualifications

• Must be an appropriately qualified and experienced Mental Health Social Work Practitioner. Be registered with the Social Work England, SSSC, the CCW or NISCC.
• 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.
• An understanding and working knowledge of all relevant social care legislation Mental Health Act (MHA) (83), Mental Capacity Act (MCA) (05) Including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS (LPS)), Care Act 14, European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (98) Adult and Children Safeguarding.
• Significant post wualification experience, which must be within mental health services. Experience in risk assessment and mental state.
• Experience of working with clients with a range of complex mental health difficulties.
• A thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorders and treatment options including the recovery model.
• Caseload Management experience in a mutli-professional setting.

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.

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

£36,530 a yearPer annum (Pro rata for part time) Plus £5000 market Supplement