Experienced Social Worker

Role Responsibility

To support adults who are struggling with their mental health and to make a difference at the most vulnerable point of their lives.

The Early Discharge Planning Team (EDP) are part of the ASCH Directorate within KCC. The service provides a county wide social work service for adults who are admitted to a psychiatric hospital (St Martin’s in Canterbury, Priority House in Maidstone and Littlebrook Hospital in Dartford). Our service is based on recovery and social inclusion principles and is designed to be accessible to anyone who is an inpatient on any of the adult psychiatric wards needing mental health and wellbeing support from a social care perspective. Our service provides a consistent person-centred support through services which champion mental wellbeing for people within families, networks and communities.

We are looking for dynamic, creative and motivated individuals to join our friendly and supportive teams.

The role will offer you plenty of opportunities to both undertake and contribute to training initiatives and in-house core training courses, while assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating appropriate discharge plans. We are committed to working in co-production with service users and carers, within a recovery approach which maximises self-determination and empowerment. Working alongside multi-disciplinary colleagues and with other agencies, including Acute and Community Trusts, Primary Care Services and the voluntary sector you will support service users and carers to develop personalised care and support plans which draw on community resources in order to achieve the most positive outcomes. This gives us the opportunity to provide social care intervention quickly and effectively to those who need it most.

In your role as an experienced Social Worker in the Early Discharge Planning Team you will undertake complex case work, for example Mental Capacity (MCA) Assessment, Court of Protection applications, s42 safeguarding enquiries. You will support people to take positive risk whilst aiming for the least restrictive interventions. Working collaboratively with our service providers and stakeholders, and taking a strength-based approach, you will undertake complex assessments, support individuals to set personal goals and outcomes, and review their effectiveness. Putting the person’s wishes at the heart of every decision, you will explore the community and commissioned services that will best meet their eligible needs, working within budget to make the best use of resources. You will support your colleagues to develop their practice providing formal and informal support to less experienced practitioners including Social Work Apprentices.

You must also possess:

• Good working knowledge of all relevant Mental Health and Social Care legislation and Codes of Practice. You must also have a good understanding of SWE requirements.
• Competency to operate at the Advanced Practitioner level of the Social Care Capability Framework.
• Be registered with Social Work England, have a degree in Social Work, CQSW/Dipsw or equivalent (or on the verge of completing your social work degree).
• At least three years post qualifying experience in the field.
• Relevant knowledge of the legislation, policy and guidance underpinning our work. 
• Robust working knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments, and approaches to social work intervention.
• Good computer literacy and report writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and mediation and negotiation skills.
• Working knowledge of the Care Act 2014, ability to work in partnership with people, the Kent Enablement and Recovery Service (KERS) and with our Strategic Partners to help identify services or resources in the community that can support well-being.
• Have effective communication skills, with the ability to write reports and meet deadlines. 
• Be willing to travel across a wide geographical area, you will be an motivated, flexible practitioner with a passion for working with people with mental health problems.

Our offer

• Starting salary £ 34,866- £ 41,011
• Relocation packages up to a maximum of £8,000
• Full induction and comprehensive professional learning and development
• Starting annual leave allowance of 28 - 30 days
• A minimum of 5 day's training each year
• Excellent local government pension scheme.
• You will receive regular professional supervision and have the opportunity to critically reflect on your practice.
• You will be supported to develop your practice and progress your career.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

So please come join us, we would love to have you on board our team.  

Contact Details

For more information about the role, please contact Szilvia MacKenzie – Team Manager Early Discharge Planning szilvia.mackenzie@kent.gov.uk or Christine Lynn- Advanced Practitioner Early Discharge Planning Team Christine.lynn@kent.gov.uk .

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.