Transition Social Worker

West London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 57,000; Part time

Job summary

West London NHS Trust is seeking a Specialist Therapeutic Practitioner: Transition & Recovery to join the Transition Team on a part-time, permanent basis. The role supports people moving from inpatient to community care, using trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches.

You will deliver individual and group interventions, build therapeutic relationships, and work collaboratively across MDTs to reduce readmission and promote recovery and independence.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in one of the listed disciplines and eligible for registration.
• Current registration with the relevant professional body (NMC/HCPC/SSW England).
• Experience in mental health and multidisciplinary teams.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and AMHP status.

Responsibilities

• Provide transitional and recovery-focused therapeutic/interventions.
• Develop care plans, risk assessments and relapse prevention strategies.
• Coordinate inpatient and community care with carers and other professionals.
• Support families and carers and uphold safeguarding responsibilities.

Skills

Communication

Team collaboration

Risk assessment

Therapeutic intervention

Autonomy

Education

Mental Health Nursing

Occupational Therapy

Social Work

Psychology

AMHP qualification

Tools

Electronic clinical records

IT systems

Job description

Main area Transition Social Worker Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours 30 hours per week (Part time - 30 hours per week) Job ref 222-LS-Man-202

Site H and F Mental Health Unit Town London Salary £47,951 - £56,863 per annum including 20% HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 12/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 20/10/2026

West London NHS Trust provides a full range of mental health, community and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

The Transition Team provides enhanced, recovery-focused support to people experiencing complex transitions between acute inpatient mental health services and the community, particularly those at increased risk of readmission.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Specialist Therapeutic Practitioner: Transition & Recovery to join our multidisciplinary team. The role is open to appropriately qualified and registered professionals from nursing, occupational therapy, social work, psychology and arts therapies.

The post holder will work across inpatient and community settings, developing therapeutic relationships during admission and providing continuity of support as individuals transition back into the community. You will work collaboratively with individuals, carers, inpatient and community MDTs, and statutory and voluntary services to understand and address the psychological, social, relational, environmental and practical factors that can contribute to repeated admission.

You will provide individual and group-based therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, drawing on your professional expertise alongside evidence-based, trauma-informed, strengths-based and recovery-focused approaches. This may include relapse prevention, emotional regulation, anxiety and distress management, psychoeducation, behavioural activation, motivational and solution-focused approaches, social and occupational interventions, and family/carer work.

Main duties of the job

Maintain a high standard of clinical work when carrying out nursing procedures.

Responsible for the safe custody of medication, including checking and administration.

Ensure compliance with our clinical governance framework, you will motivate colleagues, champion service user safety and dignity and drive continuous improvement.

• Reduce avoidable readmission to acute mental health services.
• Provide continuity between inpatient treatment and community recovery.
• Identify and address factors contributing to repeated admission.
• Deliver personalised therapeutic and psychosocial interventions.
• Support early identification of deterioration and relapse prevention.
• Strengthen resilience, independence, choice and self-management.
• Improve engagement with statutory, community and voluntary services.
• Address social and environmental factors affecting recovery.
• Work collaboratively with families and carers where appropriate.

Improve the experience and outcomes of transition from hospital to community.

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed

Qualifications & Training

• Professional qualification in one of the following disciplines: Mental Health Nursing; Occupational Therapy; Social Work; Psychology where the qualification provides eligibility for the professional requirements of the post; Art Therapy/Art Psychotherapy or another recognised Arts Therapy profession appropriate to the service.
• Current registration with the relevant professional body/regulator where required for the profession, for example NMC, HCPC or Social Work England.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to mental health practice.
• Qualified AMHP

Experience

• Experience of working with people experiencing serious and/or enduring mental health difficulties.
• Experience of working within multidisciplinary mental health services.
• Experience of undertaking assessment, care planning and risk assessment.
• Experience of developing therapeutic or professional relationships with individuals experiencing complex needs.
• Experience of collaborative working with service users, families, carers and other professionals.
• Experience of delivering therapeutic, psychosocial, recovery-focused or professionally specific interventions.
• Experience of working with individuals during periods of significant change or transition.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the factors that can contribute to relapse, crisis and repeated hospital admission.
• Experience of working collaboratively across organisational or professional boundaries.
• Experience within acute inpatient mental health services.
• Experience of community mental health practice.
• Experience supporting individuals following discharge from hospital.
• Experience of group-based therapeutic interventions.
• Experience of working with individuals who experience repeated admissions.
• Experience of family or carer interventions
• Experience of service development, audit or quality improvement.
• Experience of supervising, mentoring or supporting less experienced staff.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of recovery-focused mental health practice.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and psychologically informed approaches.
• Sound knowledge of risk assessment and risk management.
• Understanding of adult and child safeguarding responsibilities.
• Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983/2007 and Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Understanding of the Care Act 2014 and the relationship between health and social care.
• Understanding of equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice.
• Understanding of the impact of social determinants including housing, poverty, isolation, trauma and inequality upon mental health.
• Knowledge of confidentiality, information governance and appropriate information sharing.
• Understanding of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working.

Skills

• Ability to maintain Social Work Professional Standards
• Ability to model and encourage our Corporate values and behaviours and to be positive, open-minded, supportive and respectful to colleagues, partners and residents
• Ability to communicate effectively with others and ability to write a clear, accurate, consistent and timely and case record and reports as per the Recording Guidance
• The ability to effectively manage time effectively, including adequate throughput of casework, learning and other team requirements
• The ability to effectively use supervision to support caseload management, raise risks and ask advice, reflect on practice and contribute towards development of core skills and competence
• To be technically proficient and able to use IT equipment, able to demonstrate digital solutions for residents and carers and understand pertinent data
• Excellent therapeutic and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to engage individuals who may have experienced difficulties engaging consistently with services.
• Ability to develop collaborative and recovery-focused relationships.
• Ability to undertake comprehensive assessment and formulate appropriate intervention plans.
• Ability to identify patterns and factors associated with repeated crisis or admission.
• Ability to work autonomously while recognising when consultation or escalation is required.
• Ability to manage complexity, uncertainty and competing priorities. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across inpatient and community environments.
• Ability to contribute constructively to multidisciplinary decision-making.
• Ability to work creatively and flexibly in response to individual need.
• Ability to facilitate individual and/or group interventions within professional competence
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Competent use of electronic clinical records and standard digital systems.

Other

• Compassionate and recovery focused.
• Curious about the individual's experience and the factors underlying repeated admission.
• Able to build trust and maintain therapeutic relationships.
• Committed to collaborative and person-centred practice
• Able to work confidently and independently in community environments.
• Flexible and able to respond appropriately to changing clinical circumstances.
• High level of initiative and self-motivation. Committed to anti-discriminatory and culturally responsive practice.
• Able to reflect upon own practice and make constructive use of supervision.
• Committed to promoting independence rather than creating dependency.

As an employee of West London NHS Trust, you have a responsibility to maintain a sound understanding of, and a commitment to uphold the National Health Service values and principles set out in the NHS Constitution.

We reserve the right to close adverts prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to West London NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, you will be required to undergo a pre-employment checks which can take between 4-8 weeks . After which your information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR ).

West London NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We encourage the thoughtful use of technology as a demonstration of strong time management and a commitment to innovation. However, we encourage applicants to personalise their recruitment application to showcase their unique skills and experiences.

While AI-generated content can be a helpful tool, relying solely on generic responses instead of highlighting your own strengths and achievements may impact the success of your application. The success of an application will always be assessed against the essential and desirable criteria for the role, so it is important to ensure that your application and any supporting information clearly demonstrate how you meet these requirements.

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.

Address Human Resources – Trust Headquarters
West London NHS Trust
1 Armstrong Way - Southall
UB2 4SA
Telephone Mob: [phone]

At West London NHS Trust, we want you to support you to build a career you can be proud of and this starts before your first day with us. Our people live our values every day as they deliver, manage and work to improve our services to patients, carers, families and other professionals.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process clear and efficient. It’s in everyone’s interest that we get the very best people on board as soon as we can.