Senior Social Worker - Mental Health Social Care Team

We are a local authority working for the community, improving the lives of our residents and we are looking for a motivated and talented Senior Social Worker with mental health and social care experience to join our Mental Health Social Care Team. This role primarily focuses on supporting the Team / Team Manager with the S117 process and undertaking reviews. There is the opportunity to work flexibly and support the drive towards excellent S117 plans for people and their families.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

Working as a Senior Social Worker for Reading Borough Council you will be part of a friendly and supporting team. We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate great communication skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with adults of all ages, colleagues and health partners.

About the Role:

The Mental Health Social Care Team work with adults with a diagnosis of functional mental disorder.

We use the Conversation Counts model and the team offer the full range of social care interventions for the client group, from advice and signposting, adult safeguarding, discharges from the psychiatric hospital, to initial assessments under the Care Act and commissioning of services to meet eligible needs or mental health aftercare needs under S117 Mental Health Act 1989 and onward reviews.

Good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act is pivotal to the role and experience of court work and Community DOLS is required. We welcome applications for AMHPs. The team takes a strengths based approach and aims to help individuals tap into support available in their local network where possible with an aim of preventing needs arising and promoting independence in their own home.

We benefit from a mental health reablement service which supports our clients to meet their goals and retain independence and recover from periods of ill health.

Have a particular focus on reviewing and S117 aftercare, you will support the team manager with quality assurance of S117 applications across the council and the process and we are particularly looking for someone highly organised and efficient.

You will hold a small varied caseload as well as providing supervision, guidance and oversight to a group of social care practitioners, operating as the duty manager for the team on a rota basis and deputising for the Team Manager as necessary. You will contribute to the team performance and positive outcomes for our residents.

You will work within the legal framework provided by the statute, guidance, policies and procedures.

You will need to have:

• A degree or equivalent in Social Work
• Registration with Social Work England
• Understanding of the Care Act 2014 and relevant legislation that guides Adult Social Care.
• Understanding and experience in working with the MHA 1983 (as amended 2007) and the MCA 2005)
• Significant understanding and experience in working with adults with serious mental illness.
• Good teamwork and networking skills
• A proven ability to focus on good outcomes for people

We offer excellent support, supervision and induction. You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop. There are opportunities for training as an Approved Mental Health Professional, BIA or practice educator.

We work closely with our colleagues within Reading Borough Council, Health Professionals, Voluntary and Charity colleagues to facilitate the best possible outcomes for those people we support.

This role offers Agile/Hybrid Working you have the opportunity to work from home and the Civic Offices in Reading but also you will need to attend face to face visits within the Reading Borough.

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years LG continuous service and 33 days after 10 years' service in Reading, with the option to buy additional leave
• Maternity, adoption, parental and sick pay
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Access to a range of training and learning opportunities to help you develop
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted,
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work

If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Penny Conroy, Mental Health Social Care Team Manager, on 07580 539 875 or penelope.conroy@reading.gov.uk

Closing date: Applications to be reviewed upon submission
Interview date: To be confirmed

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Visit: www.moretoreading.co.uk to find out more about Reading's Community & Adult Social Care Services. It's a chance to hear from the people who already work here and why they have chosen Reading as their professional destination.