Social Worker – WAMHS – Northern Area

Job Description

Job Title : Social Worker – WAMHS – Northern Area
Job Category : Social Care – Qualified
Location : County Hall North, West Sussex County Council
Hours Per Week : 37.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:30
Salary: £25.83

Pay – £38 per hour or £35 per hour plus £150 per week expenses
Working arrangements : 3 days working in West Sussex – 2 days working from home
Location – Horsham but covering Horsham , Crawley and Mid Sussex

In this challenging, but rewarding role, you will be required to act as allocated
social worker responsible for delivering a statutory social work service to those
people who access or need specialist mental health services, to include
assessment, planning, implementing and review. This includes being responsible
for leading on specialist areas of service delivery (for example peri-natal, early
intervention, transitions and homelessness), ensuring that key developments are
communicated to colleagues and that business change is successfully
implemented.

Required experience and skills
(These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
Key Skills:
1. Ability to analyse and interpret complex people related information and data
in order to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service
provision.
2. Solution focussed with the ability to analyse a range of complex situations
and provide forward thinking strategies and solutions that consider a variety
of possible solutions and balance risks/resources and desired outcomes.
3. Ability to undertake direct work with those who access or need the service in
order to support individuals. Ability to work in partnership with carers,
colleagues and a variety of external agencies in order to deliver the most
effective service.
4. Ability to work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate
assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and
outcomes. Ability to be proactive in having up-to-date knowledge and
understanding of changes in legislation, white papers, current research and
best practice developments.
5. Highly developed communication skills in order to communicate clearly and
effectively in both written and oral format, including the ability to explain
complicated information to a wide range of people and negotiate and
persuade others to adopt a particular course of action that they may not
otherwise wish to take.
6. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to
seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
Qualifications and/or experience:
• Degree in relevant professional or equivalent qualification e.g. Certificate of
Qualification in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work.
• Completion of relevant post qualifying training.
• Registration with the relevant professional registration body and
responsibility for maintaining registration with that body.
• Approved Mental Health Practitioner (it is a requirement to have AMHP
qualification or to be working towards the qualification to be complete within
2 years of appointment and to maintain level of knowledge).
• Practice Teacher’s Award – Desirable
• Full, valid driving licence.
• Experience of working with service users with severe and enduring mental
health problems in the community.
• Advanced theoretical, practical and procedural knowledge of social work.
Knowledge of current social work research, legislation, white papers and
developments in best practice. Good, up-to-date working knowledge of
legislation relevant to the specialist area of the post e.g. Mental Health Act,
Mental Capacity Act.
Job Description & Person Specification

• Advanced knowledge of risk management within Mental Health.
• Breadth of understanding of the therapeutic interventions that can be used
and an excellent understanding of the partnership agencies including health,
housing, learning, statutory, voluntary and independent sector.
• Demonstrable experience of dealing with a wide breadth of issues and
complex situations and using highly developed analytical skills to provide
solution focussed and resource efficient options.
• Evidence of good assessment skills, including the ability to ensure regular
reviews and risk management with a variety of individuals, carers or families.
Evidence of effectively prioritising work and meeting deadlines.
• Experience of effective partnership working with those who access or need
the service and maintaining a focus on the needs of the individual whilst
handling conflict and disagreement.
• Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multi-agency/
multidisciplinary setting.
• Evidence of working with those who access or need the service to identify
issues and identify specific action by means of creative and pragmatic
solutions.
• Experience of managing levels of risk within a caseload of complex
safeguarding cases.
• Experience of effectively coaching and supervising others, acting as a practice
role model and promoting exemplary practice.
• Sound and accurate IT knowledge.

The person will need experience in working with people with mental health issues.
The person will be required to travel around the Northern area of the county doing visits, please do not submit anyone that cannot travel.