Hospital Discharge Social Worker

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.
• 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.
• Coordinate with health and social care professionals, complete relevant assessments, and seek funding approval through the appropriate panel processes to ensure suitable care and support arrangements are in place.
• Record your interventions carefully on our Mosaic system, maintaining accurate documentation that informs high standards of care.
• 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, manage incoming enquiries, address urgent concerns and follow up promptly on non-responses.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ready to join us? 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.