Social Worker

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; St Albans; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a passionate Social Worker dedicated to delivering care to adults with mental health issues. This role involves working within a multi-disciplinary team to provide high-quality social care services, focusing on assessment, care planning, and championing equality and diversity. Candidates must be registered with Social Work England and possess strong communication and analytical skills. This position emphasizes recovery-focused support and safeguarding practices.

Qualifications

• Registered with Social Work England.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a car.
• Strong post-qualification experience in social work.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment, care planning, and coordination for adults in mental health services.
• Deliver recovery-focused care, ensuring choice, control, and independence.
• Champion equality and diversity in social care.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Analytical skills

Experience in safeguarding

Knowledge of legislation and policy

Education

Appropriate professional social work qualification

Education to degree level

Tools

Electronic recording systems

Job description

Overview

The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as into London and beyond. We are looking for a Social Worker who is passionate about care delivering care to adults with mental health issues.

As a Social Worker, you will work as a member of the multi‑disciplinary team, providing high quality social care services to adults of all ages experiencing mental ill‑health. The core functions of the role will be to provide assessment, care planning and coordination of care from a social perspective to adults accessing the service. You will deliver recovery‑focused care and support to service users and their carers that is focused on the principles of choice, control, and independence, as well as ensuring safety. You will act as a champion of social care and safeguarding in your locality. You will actively address adversity, support adults at risk of social inclusion and assist adults accessing support to deal with a range of adverse circumstances. You will champion equality and diversity and be expected to challenge discrimination in all its forms as part of your role.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide assessment, care planning and coordination of care from a social perspective to adults accessing the service.
• Deliver recovery‑focused care and support to service users and their carers, focusing on choice, control and independence.
• Act as a champion of social care and safeguarding in the locality, including promoting adult safeguarding practice and undertaking safeguarding enquiries.
• Address adversity, support adults at risk of social inclusion, and assist those accessing support to deal with adverse circumstances.
• Champion equality and diversity, challenging discrimination in all its forms.
• Ensure service users who do not meet social care eligibility criteria are appropriately sign‑posted and supported.
• Commission appropriate health and social care services on behalf of service users, including offering direct payments where applicable.
• Ensure commissioning allows choice and focuses on community‑based support and universal services.
• Conduct regular risk assessments and keep vulnerable people safe.
• Undertake carer assessments, including contingency plans and provision of support.

Pre‑requisites

• Registered with Social Work England.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a car.
• Previous applicants need not apply.

Key Qualifications

• Appropriate professional social work qualification.
• Education to degree level.
• Training in principles and application of outcomes‑focused assessments and personalisation.
• Relevant post‑qualifying training for social workers.
• Training and experience in safeguarding.
• Approved Mental Health Professional/Best Interests Assessment Training (desirable).

Experience & Knowledge

• Strong post‑qualification experience.
• Knowledge of legislation, theory and policy in relation to the relevant care group.
• Experience of undertaking assessments focused on personalisation, choice and control, and care planning.
• Understanding and experience of personal budgets and direct payments.
• Experience of multidisciplinary working and collaborative practice.
• Experience of partnership working with service users and carers, demonstrating dignity and respect.
• Experience as Approved Mental Health Professional or Best Interests Assessor (desirable).
• Excellent communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders, verbally and in writing.
• Ability to manage highly sensitive information.
• Experience of using electronic recording systems and producing accurate, timely reports.

Analytical Skills

• Ability to analyse service user and carer information.
• Experience of undertaking small‑scale audits and surveys.

Physical Skills

• Car driver (unless disability prevents driving).
• Ability to visit and attend meetings at a variety of locations and environments.

For full details of the role and responsibilities for this vacancy please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification documents attached.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from theCare Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout.