Specialist Social Worker

The Methodist Church in Britain; Hull and East Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced leave package

Health and wellbeing support

Investment in staff development and-sk

Willingness to discuss working arrang*

Job summary

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced social worker for its Forensic Division. The role focuses on person-led assessments, risk assessment, and support planning across community, mental health and hospital settings.

Responsibilities include acting as Social Supervisor for conditionally discharged patients, mentoring colleagues, and coordinating CPA processes. A degree and current SWE registration are required, with strong practice development and leadership experience.

Qualifications

• Degree and current Social Work England professional registration.
• Post-registration or graduate diploma or equivalent specialist experience.
• Specialist CPD with impact on practice.
• Experience promoting service user and carer involvement.
• Mentoring and supervision experience.
• Experience as a CPA coordinator.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct clinical care with systems to monitor practice and performance.
• Carry out person-led, risk and support planning assessments.
• Coordinate tailored social care packages and therapeutic interventions.
• Act as Social Supervisor for conditionally discharged patients and report to the Secretary of State.
• Ensure patient safety and risk reduction using professional judgement.
• Work autonomously and with the MDT to develop person-centred care plans.
• Support service users, carers on care pathways and service development.
• Provide supervision to colleagues in the Forensic Division.
• Offer clinical leadership and advocacy, including discharge preparation.
• Support training programmes and promote forensic social work knowledge.
• Participate in incident debriefs and learning from incidents.

Skills

Policy knowledge

Audit & standards

IT skills

Communication skills

Time management

Equality & diversity values

Education

Degree & Social Work England registration

Job description

This specialist social work post sits in the Forensic Division of Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, across community, mental health and hospital settings. The core work is person-led assessment, risk assessment and support planning, including acting as Social Supervisor for conditionally discharged patients. It is multidisciplinary, may involve deputising for the Advanced Forensic Social Worker, and includes supervising colleagues. Fit depends on a degree, current Social Work England registration and proven specialist practice and mentoring experience.

What the job involves

• Provide direct clinical care, with systems to monitor and support practice and performance
• Carry out person-led, risk and support planning assessments in line with legislation and standards
• Assess needs and coordinate tailored social care packages and therapeutic interventions
• Act as Social Supervisor for conditionally discharged patients, monitoring risk and reporting to the Secretary of State
• Ensure patient safety and risk reduction, using professional judgement in complex and unpredictable events
• Work autonomously and with the wider MDT, using clinical reasoning for person-centred care plans
• Work with service users and carers on care pathways and service development
• Provide support and supervision to colleagues in the Forensic Division
• Provide clinical advice and leadership suited to professional background, acting as advocate and role model
• Provide clinical support to community consultancy, including discharge preparation
• Support training programmes and promote high standards of forensic social work knowledge
• Take part in incident debriefs and support learning from incidents

Qualifications

• Degree and current Social Work England professional registration

Experience

• Post-registration or graduate diploma, or equivalent experience showing specialist practice
• Specialist-level CPD relevant to the service area, with evidence of its impact on practice
• Evidence of promoting service user and carer involvement
• Demonstrable mentoring and supervision experience
• Experience as a Care Programme Approach (CPA) coordinator

Skills & knowledge

• Full understanding of policy and legislation, including Safeguarding, Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and Liberty Protection Safeguards
• Full understanding and application of practice standards and audit in the service area
• Standard IT skills
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Good time management
• Ethical values within a culture of equality and diversity

Other

• Forming and maintaining appropriate boundaries with vulnerable people
• Practical skills related to daily living
• Ability to commute between sites
• Frequent exposure to emotional or distressing circumstances

Nice to have

• Accredited Practice Educator
• Best Interest Assessor
• Approved Mental Health Professional, or willingness to train as one
• Postgraduate or masters-level CPD or experiential learning
• Leadership training or experience, including leading and motivating staff through change
• Project work that has impacted practice
• Working knowledge of Trust policies and procedures
• Professional networking locally

What’s offered

• Enhanced leave package
• Health and wellbeing support
• Investment in staff development and skills
• Willingness to discuss working arrangements that differ from those advertised