Senior Case Worker (Mental Health Nurse/OT/Social Worker)

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

An established health organization is seeking a dedicated Senior Case Worker to join their dynamic team. This role focuses on providing specialized care to individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will coordinate care, develop collaborative care plans, and implement evidence-based interventions. The ideal candidate will be compassionate, adaptable, and committed to patient-centered care, promoting hope and recovery in challenging situations. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of individuals and their families while working in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Benefits

Free car parking

27 days leave plus bank holidays

Broad range of training opportunities

Generous NHS pension

Flexible working opportunities

Recognition and long service awards

Fast Track physiotherapy

Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Practitioner required (Nurse, OT, or Social Worker).
• Experience in teamwork and collaboration with agencies is essential.

Responsibilities

• Care Coordinating a caseload of 15 patients with first-episode psychosis.
• Providing specialist assessment and implementing evidence-based interventions.

Skills

Mental Health Nursing

Occupational Therapy

Social Work

CBT Approaches

Family Work

Risk Assessment

Team Collaboration

Communication Skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Registered Mental Health Practitioner

Completion of Preceptorship Programme

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Senior Case Worker (Mental Health Nurse/OT/Social Worker)

Band 5

Main area: Mental Health Nurse/Occupational Therapist/Social Worker
Grade: Band 5
Contract: 12 months (Fixed term - 1 year - to start Feb 2025)
Hours:

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (May require occasional evening work)
Job ref: 327-24-1067-B

Site: GRIP Town Gloucester
Salary: £29,970 - £36,483 per annum (pro rata)
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 06/01/2025 23:59

We love what we do and we think you will, too!

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county.

We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you’.

Our application process aims to understand each candidate's knowledge, skills and experience. We have found that candidates that use AI to generate their answers can lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.

It is really important to personalise your application to convey your individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively and for us to understand why you are applying for this role with GHC. We discourage over-reliance on AI-generated applications as it will lessen your chances of success in securing an interview with us.

Job overview

1 x full-time (5 days a week) fixed term contract/secondment opportunity for up to 12 months - required to start February 2025

1 x part-time (4 days a week) fixed term contract/secondment opportunity for up to 12 months - required to start February 2025

Internal applicants who wish to be considered for a secondment opportunity should discuss with their line manager the suitability of a possible secondment.

GRIP (Gloucestershire Recovery in Psychosis) is a county-wide Early Intervention in Psychosis team that provides care to people experiencing their First Episode of Psychosis. The aim of the team is to work in line with the principles of Early Intervention to deliver specialist care that reflects the principles of recovery and social inclusion.

The team works intensively over a period of up to three years with clients, their families and the wider community to provide the best possible outcomes for people experiencing psychosis and to mitigate the long-term effects of serious mental illness. We are a dynamic, expanding multi-disciplinary team with a strong focus on patient-centred care and promoting hope/collaborative working.

The ideal candidate will show a keen interest in Early Intervention in Psychosis values – taking a flexible, compassionate and person-centred approach to working with people at a difficult stage in their lives, and promoting hope for the patient and their family. The ideal candidate will be motivated, enthusiastic, and adaptable in their approach.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role will be Care Coordinating a caseload of approximately 15 patients who are presenting with their first-episode of psychosis or an at-risk mental state. The role will involve providing specialist assessment, creating collaborative care plans and implementing evidence-based interventions, and managing risk in the least restrictive manner. As a Care Coordinator, you will work alongside the patient and their families to provide them with hope for the future, enable them to develop a sense of control over their illness, and support them to re-engage with their interests.

Within this role, there will be opportunities to engage in continuing professional development, service and health promotion, running groups, and working with the team to develop our service. There is a strong focus on Family Work within Early Intervention, and there will be opportunities to undertake further training in this and other relevant approaches. The role will involve providing advice and guidance to other agencies and working with students.

We are pleased to be able to offer Band 5 posts for a registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist.

For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Jess Partridge (Team Manager) on 0300 421 4884 or by emailing [e-mail]

Working for our organisation

We have in excess of 5000 staff working over 50 sites, providing a diverse range of services. We strive to support an organisational culture that is welcoming, builds and celebrates inclusivity and diversity and provides a sense of belonging and trust.

The annual NHS Staff Survey gives our people the opportunity to tell us about their experience working at the Trust. For the 2023 survey just over 2800 colleagues gave us their views (58.5%). It was great to see from the results that colleagues are saying that:

• 89.7% believe they are making a positive difference to patients/service users;
• 73.3% would recommend the organisation as a place to work;
• 82.4% agree that care of patients and service users is the organisations priority;
• 76.7% would be happy with the standard of care for a friend or relative.

Our results put us as 5th nationally as a Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities NHS Employer of Choice and 1st equal amongst all NHS Provider Trusts in the South West. However, we know we have more to do and will continue to drive forward our commitment to making GHC a Great Place to Work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Gloucestershire Health and Care is committed to embedding and providing personalised care through all of its services as part of our high-quality care strategy. The purpose of personalised care is to empower people to lead the lives they want to live. Personalised care starts with a conversation with people about what matters to them. It builds on what people can do, as well as addressing their health needs. Including new ways of working and delivering care, emphasising that we need to make effective use of the full range of our people’s skills and experience to deliver the best possible patient care. So we want to know What Matters to You and that you will share our values and join us on this very important journey.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

We provide a Multi-professional preceptorship programme that is aligned to the National Preceptorship Framework for Nursing and have been awarded the Interim quality mark from NHS England. Our programme is provided to all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners. In addition to the programme, we also offer all preceptees the opportunity of enrolling and completing the level 7 (Masters) 15 credit validated module “Preceptorship for Healthcare” (AP7026).

Newly qualified Social Workers are offered the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment programme (ASYE) which is similar to a preceptorship programme.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Practitioner – Mental Health Nurse/Occupational Therapist/Social Worker
• Trained in CBT approaches/ willingness to undertake
• Trained in Family Work/ willingness to undertake
• FLAP/ Mentor Trained/ willingness to undertake

Experience

• Experience of team working
• Experience of collaboration working with other agencies including the voluntary sector
• Completion of preceptorship programme if less than 1 year experience
• Experience of working with young people with mental health problems
• Working knowledge of the complex needs of people with psychosis

Other

• Ability to travel around the locality as requested, independently and efficiently. (If you have a full driving licence there will be an expectation to drive trust vehicles where required)
• Flexibility with working hours when necessary
• Able to attend and participate in all mandatory and statutory training events

Professional / Managerial / Specialist Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the Mental Health Act & legal aspects of Mental Health care
• Demonstrable skills in risk assessment and management
• Knowledge of the different approaches to mental health assessment
• Knowledge of evidence-based intervention with clients in all phases of mental illness
• An understanding of national policy in relation to mental health
• Up to date clinical knowledge including risk assessment, dual diagnosis and health and social care needs
• Knowledge of Child care / protection issues
• Ability to work on social factors affecting mental distress e.g. accommodation, substance misuse, domestic violence, welfare rights

Personal skills, abilities & attributes

• Approachable and flexible
• Good communication skills (written and verbal)
• Be able to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to assimilate new concepts and approaches to care
• Ability to engage positively with service users
• Ability to work effectively as a team member
• Ability to undertake all statutory and mandatory training including Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression
• Breakaway (subject to Occupational Health clearance)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Outlook

When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:

• Free car parking at many of our sites
• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
• A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.
• A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours
• Flexible, family-friendly and agile working opportunities
• Recognition and long service awards
• Fast Track physiotherapy
• Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application.

For more information please see the attached 'Additional Information for Applicants' document.

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.