Social Worker

Job overview

We are looking for a skilled, motivated, and compassionate Mental Health Social Worker (Band 6) to join our dedicated multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced social worker who is passionate about promoting recovery, protecting vulnerable adults, and improving outcomes for people experiencing mental ill-health.

Working alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, support workers, and community partners, you will provide high-quality social work interventions that are strengths-based, person-centred, and recovery-focused.

Main duties of the job

• Manage a complex caseload of individuals with severe and enduring mental health needs.
• Complete comprehensive social care, needs, risk, and safeguarding assessments.
• Develop, implement, and review person-centred care and support plans.
• Work collaboratively with service users, carers, families, and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Lead on safeguarding enquiries and contribute to risk management processes.
• Support discharge planning and facilitate access to community resources and services.
• Contribute to Mental Health Act assessments and Mental Capacity Act decision-making processes.
• Advocate for individuals' rights, independence, and social inclusion.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and legally compliant documentation.
• Provide mentorship, advice, and support to less experienced colleagues and students where appropriate.
• Undertake Care Act Assessment
• Undertake placement reviews

Working for Us

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop‑in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London

(B&D, Goodmayes, Redbridge, Havering and Waltham Forest)

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 p.a. pro rata for part time).

High Cost Area Supplement – Fringe

(Basildon, Thurrock, Brentwood, Harlow and Dartford only)

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,303 to a maximum of £2,198 p.a. pro rata for part time)

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCA (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

We value applications that genuinely reflect each candidate’s own skills, experience and motivations. We therefore strongly discourage the use of AI-generated content in applications.

Applications should be written in your own words and accurately represent your knowledge, skills and experience.

We reserve the right to reject an application where we reasonably believe AI has been used to generate or materially contribute to its content.