Band 5 social worker

We are recruiting a qualified Band 5 Social Worker in Hertfordshire's first episode in psychosis team. We would love you to join our team in the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Service – which we call PATH (Psychosis: Prevention, Assessment and Treatment in Hertfordshire). People using our service are experiencing psychosis for the first time. We are committed to delivering personalised and meaningful care that makes a positive difference and helps people to achieve outcomes that make their lives better.

Our Band 5 social worker will be working in the North and East of Hertfordshire in a specified geographical area around Bishops Stortford with a main team base in Stevenage. Our roles are focussed on delivering care along the FEP pathway for people and their families. As well as offering the ASYE for newly qualified social workers, you will have access to comprehensive training to develop your skills in:

• Expertly assessing psychosis with people who are coming into our service for the first time
• Delivering excellent physical health care to support healthy lifestyles and ongoing good health
• Completing an accredited training programme (with dedicated study time) to be a Family Intervention Therapist who will work alongside trained Clinical Psychologists in the service to support families

The candidate will be working as part of a hub and spoke model, care coordinating a caseload of service users who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The hub serves as a central point of coordination, working closely with the wider multi-disciplinary team as spokes to oversee care plans.

The FEP/EIP Social Worker will be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of a programme of care for a defined caseload of people with first-episode psychosis and maintaining associated records. The core functions are to undertake integrated health and social care assessments, co-producing a care plan with individuals and their support networks and delivering this within a framework of recovery which embraces each individual's right to choice and control. Ensuring that carers are effectively assessed and supported is a key component of this role.

The role requires skills in assessing, planning, organising, reviewing and delivering recovery-oriented and evidence-based interventions to support the recovery of service users, as agreed with supervising clinician(s). This work will be in accordance with clinical governance processes and professional standards. The post holder will utilise their skills and knowledge to undertake assessments, identify desired social care outcomes and carry out treatment both in inpatient areas and community areas as appropriate.

For full details of the role and responsibilities please refer to attached Job description and person specification.

Qualifications and Skills

• Experience at a relevant mental health setting
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Working knowledge of MHA (1983), CPA, Risk Assessment and Section 25 etc
• Effective multi-professional team communication & team working
• Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate agreed care with supervision
• Communication skills
• Excellent ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders including service users and carers, other professional colleagues, members of other organisations and local communities, verbally and in writing
• Ability to manage highly sensitive information
• Experience of using electronic recording systems and ability to produce accurate, appropriate, and timely reports
• Experience of undertaking small scale audits and surveys

The Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,500 staff members 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.