At a Glance
- Tasks: Support older adults with mental health needs and facilitate their safe hospital discharges.
- Company: Join a caring council dedicated to community support and wellbeing.
- Benefits: Flexible working, competitive salary, professional development, and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Enjoy manageable caseloads and regular supervision in a supportive team environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of older adults while growing your career.
- Qualifications: Social Work England registration and experience in adult social care required.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
Deliver high-quality mental healthcare and support older adults across our community. Supporting older adults with complex mental health needs requires empathy, dedication and skill. As part of our team, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering compassionate care that helps residents live safely and independently within our borough.
What you'll be doing
- Every day brings variety as you carry out Care Act duties for older adults managing complex mental health conditions alongside physical comorbidities. You'll conduct home visits to complete thorough assessments, carry out reviews and lead safeguarding enquiries to ensure residents receive tailored, wraparound support.
- Support clients through hospital discharge processes, facilitating timely returns to their own homes or transitions to care home placements where required. This includes coordinating with health and social care professionals, completing relevant assessments, and seeking funding approval through the appropriate panel processes to ensure suitable care and support arrangements are in place.
- In the office or working from home, you'll record your interventions carefully on our Mosaic system, maintaining accurate documentation that informs high standards of care. Collaboration is central to this role; you'll work alongside co-located NHS partners in the Older Adults CMHT and work with inpatient NHS colleagues in multidisciplinary team meetings at St Charles to plan safe hospital discharges.
- As a duty worker on rotation, you'll manage incoming enquiries, address urgent concerns and follow up promptly on non-responses. Throughout your work, you'll receive regular face-to-face supervision, ensuring you have the guidance needed to navigate complex cases, financial scrutiny and ongoing service reviews post-Section 75.
What you'll bring
- You’ll be a Social Work England-registered social worker holding a recognised social work degree or equivalent qualification. You'll bring proven experience working in adult social care, specifically supporting older adults facing complex mental health challenges.
- You’ll possess a strong working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and relevant care legislation, allowing you to balance civil liberties with statutory responsibilities confidently. With clear and empathetic communication skills, you build effective relationships with service users, carers and multidisciplinary teams. Applications welcome from practicing AMHPs.
- You're structured and detail-oriented when managing documentation on electronic databases, taking pride in delivering care with competence even when navigating financial constraints and complex assessments.
Why join us
At RBKC, we’re all in - investing in our people, our communities and our future. You’ll join a supportive, friendly and co-located team where manageable caseloads allow you to focus on delivering high-quality care. We genuinely invest in your professional growth through comprehensive learning and development opportunities - in fact, this vacancy arose following an internal promotion to our Bi-Borough Integrated Commissioning Team. There is potential for AMHP training following a qualifying period and once authorised by the AMHP training panel. You’ll receive regular face-to-face supervision and benefit from seamless partnership working with NHS mental health colleagues. Alongside a competitive salary, you’ll have access to flexible working arrangements, wellbeing support and clear avenues for career progression.
About us
Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough. As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.
In this role, getting stuck in is our mindset for delivering social care, whether you’re visiting residents in their homes, collaborating with NHS colleagues at St Charles or managing duty calls in the office. Navigating complex mental health needs and financial scrutiny is not always smooth sailing, but every ounce of effort pays off. When you commit fully, challenges become opportunities for growth, directly ensuring our older residents receive the skilled and respectful care they deserve.
Position and Interview Details
This role requires an Enhanced Adults DBS and Adults Barred List. Interviews will take place on the 10th September 2026. We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants. We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible. We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will normally start at the minimum of the pay scale. However, a higher starting salary may be negotiated where a candidate demonstrates exceptional skills, knowledge, or experience. Employees receive annual salary increments until they reach the top of the pay scale, as well as any agreed cost of living pay awards.
Hospital Discharge Social Worker in London employer: ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where community engagement and consumer protection are at the forefront. Employees benefit from a supportive culture that prioritises professional development and collaboration, ensuring that you can grow your skills while making a meaningful impact in safeguarding consumers and promoting fair trade within the borough.
Contact Details:
ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Hospital Discharge Social Worker in London
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Hospital Discharge Social Worker in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
