Social Worker

Kent County Council; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market premium payments

Generous annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Professional development via social_cA

Practice framework

Job summary

Kent County Council is seeking a Social Worker for the Early Discharge Planning Team to support safe, timely discharges from acute mental health facilities. You will collaborate with service users, carers, and a multidisciplinary team to deliver holistic assessments and robust discharge plans.

You will contribute to training, participate in research, and help develop practice standards while working in a flexible, customer-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Must be registered with Social Work England and hold a Social Work degree or CQSW/Dipswor equivalent.
• Experience safeguarding and applying Care Act and Mental Capacity Act in practice.
• Ability to work across a multi-agency environment and with multidisciplinary partners.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload of inpatients and coordinate safe, timely hospital discharges.
• Lead on practice areas like self-neglect, mental capacity, and self-directed support; contribute to training.
• Develop and deliver holistic assessments, risk management, and discharge planning in collaboration with partners.

Skills

Social work practice

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication

Report writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work

Registered with Social Work England

Job description

The Early Discharge Planning Team is KCC’s acute mental health hospital discharge team. The team works with adults who are inpatients in Acute Mental Health Hospitals in Kent and including some out of area hospitals. Our mission is to help people leave hospital safely and smoothly, working closely with NHS partners, Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and other agencies. We believe in a joined-up, person-centred approach, making sure every discharge is safe, timely, and tailored to individual needs.

Our intervention considers the adult’s needs from a social care perspective at the earliest opportunity on admission. By working collaboratively with partner agencies, we ensure a holistic, person-centred, Care Act compliant, and outcome-focused response to achieve timely and safe discharges.

Role Responsibility

As a social worker in the Early Discharge Planning Team, you will manage a varied caseload, collaborate with service users and carers for safe, prompt hospital discharges, and work with multidisciplinary partners to deliver holistic assessments, effective risk management, and support planning.

You will take a lead on practice areas including self- neglect, mental capacity, self -directed support and the professional development of others, and will raise the standard and quality assure practice within the team by contributing to training initiatives and participating in areas of research.

You must possess:

A good working knowledge of the relevant Social Care and mental health legislation, policy, guidance, and Codes of Practice.

Be registered with Social Work England, have a degree in Social Work, CQSW/Dipswor equivalent.

Evidence of experience of safeguarding practice and the application of the Care Act and Mental Capacity Act in practice.

Competency to operate at the Social worker or Experienced Social Worker level of the Social Care Capability Framework.

A working knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments, and approaches to social work intervention.

Significant post qualification experience in social work, Health related agencies or related private or voluntary organisation, of a magnitude that enables the post holder to have achieved the relevant level of the Capabilities Framework.

Being able to work in a multi-agency environment/partnership.

Good computer literacy and report writing skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills and mediation and negotiation skills.

Have effective communication skills, with the ability to write reports and meet deadlines.

Be willing to travel across a wide geographical area.

Enthusiastic, flexible practitioner with a passion for working with people with mental health problems.

Our Support Offer

• In return, we offer an attractive benefits package and a commitment to ensuring that you achieve a healthy work life balance and opportunities for flexible working arrangements that meet business need.
• We offer generous market premium payments (subject to eligibility). You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave allowance and the local government pension scheme.
• You will have excellent opportunities for professional development with access to our social care academy, progression routes and our newly launched practice framework.
• We will support you to consolidate your skills and knowledge, assisting you to develop areas of specialist practice development such as Approved Mental Health Professional Training, Best Interest Assessor Training and Practice Educator training.
• You will receive regular professional supervision and have the opportunity to critically reflect on your practice. You will be supported to develop your practice and progress your career.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements.

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Deadline for applications is: 25/11/2026

Shortlisting will take place on: 01/12/2026