Social Worker in Eccles

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore, we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us.

The Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team works with autistic individuals and those with a learning disability who are at imminent risk of admission to hospital due to significant risk to self or others and individuals who may be at risk of placement breakdown or contact with the criminal justice system. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Social Worker within the Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team. We are looking to recruit a dynamic and skilled Social Worker into a band 6 Senior Social work post, based in Eccles Manchester. We are keen to consider applicants from different practice areas of social work with transferable skills and will support professional development in practice.

Main Duties of the Job:

• The Specialist Support Team provides a service to patients, their families and carers working in a collaborative approach.
• The post holder will provide consultancy on issues relating to the social care needs of patients, some of whom have forensic risk profiles, providing skilled advice and guidance to staff both for the Specialist Support Team and in the wider social care community within the requirements of legislation.
• The role seeks to contribute towards the following service aims:

• Provide increased treatment options in the community.
• Contribute towards a reduction in behaviour leading to contact with the criminal justice system.
• Contribute towards reduced numbers of autistic people and those with a learning disability admitted to hospital settings.
• Contribute towards an increase in capacity to provide effective support for autistic people and those with Learning Disabilities who offend or display challenging behaviour in community settings through the delivery of training, collaborative case management, shared risk management and Crisis Intervention.
• Contribute towards a reduction in the number of safety incidents reported.
• Improve people's experience of co‑ordinated discharge planning.
• Reduced length of stay when autistic people and those with learning disabilities are admitted to hospital or secure services.

Working for our Organisation:

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and being commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities. We are committed to ‘perfect care’ – safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient – and support our staff to do the best job they can.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities:

You will be an active member of a multi-disciplinary team and will bring the social care perspective to service planning meetings and individualised care planning. You will provide a professional social work service to patients, their families and carers and routinely liaise with external stakeholders and members of the multi-disciplinary team. The successful candidate will have the ability to deliver an efficient and high quality social care service, have well developed assessment and analytical skills alongside effective interpersonal, communication and organisational skills. You must have good knowledge of the key relevant Health & Social Care and Criminal Justice legislation as well as a good knowledge around safeguarding frameworks. You should have well developed report writing skills as you will routinely be required to complete reports and assessments within this role.

Person Specification:

• Degree in Social Work or DipSW or CQSW.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• Post‑qualifying training (formally or work based) in relevant areas of social work and/or mental health, learning disability or forensics.
• Evidence of significant continuing professional and personal development.
• Approved Mental Health Professional Qualification.
• Qualifications relating to the Mental Capacity Act, e.g., Best Interest Assessor.
• Masters Degree (MSW) or Postgraduate (PGDipSW).

• Suitable post qualifying experience as a Social Worker.
• Knowledge and application of professional standards, codes of conduct and Social Work England standards of proficiency and Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
• Good working understanding of Information Governance, Data Protection and confidentiality.
• Ability to assess and manage complex cases in a multidisciplinary team setting.
• Skilled at assessing and implementing risk management frameworks.
• Skilled at assessing and promoting the involvement of people in developing their own care/support plans using a strengths and asset‑based approach.
• Experience of working with service users with mental disorders and/or learning disabilities.
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working and promoting social work/social care.
• Experience of presenting reports in formal settings, e.g., Courts, Mental Health Tribunals, Safeguarding Strategy.
• Experience working with families, child and adult safeguarding.
• Experience of working with forensic service users.
• Experience of supervising others.

• Ability to practice within the legal and ethical boundaries of the Social Work profession.
• Ability to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice.
• Ability to manage time, prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• Ability to practice as an autonomous professional and part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to build compassionate and effective relationships.
• Experience in recording and preparing assessment and Mental Health Review Tribunal reports.
• Demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights.
• Ability to travel nationally at short notice to complete assessments and visit families.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.