Senior Social Worker - Working Age Mental Health Western team

About Us

Working for us at West Sussex County Council is all about making a positive difference to the people of West Sussex. The Working Age Mental Health Western team (Chichester) has a vacancy for a full-time qualified Senior Social Worker. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to work within a team that supports individual with complex mental health and dual diagnosis. They collaborate with individuals, health colleagues Sussex Partnership NHA Foundation Trust and allied agencies. This includes, Homeless agencies (Stone pillow, Turning Tides), Neighbourhood mental health services, domestic violence agencies, and substance support services CGL.

The team is responsible for providing Care Act assessments, Safeguarding Enquires, Mental Capacity assessments, working with parts of the Mental Health Act (MHA) such as social circumstance reports, tribunal and reviewing s117 MHA after care. Providing professional support to our customers in the Chichester and Bognor area who have complex mental health needs.

The team is a supportive and enthusiastic team and consists of a mixture of qualified social workers with varying experience and prevention and wellbeing officers who work together to support residents on our area and each other to meet their full potential. The team work across Chichester and Bognor and the surrounding areas, and the office base is in County Hall, Chichester. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives while building your skills in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.

If you are passionate about working with complexity and committed to delivering excellent social work practice, we would love to hear from you.

About The Job

Salary: £45,529 - £48,738per annum
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract Length: Permanent
Location: Chichester office base with regular travel covering the surrounding area

As a Social Worker, you will be responsible for providing a statutory social work service to individuals with complex mental health. This can include working with individuals with dual diagnosis and mental health aftercare needs.

You will work in partnership with health colleagues and allied agencies to support vulnerable individuals to complete all statutory work such as Care Act assessments, s117 aftercare planning meetings, safeguarding, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interest Meetings, sec 21 A Dols challenge as well as any other social care related tasks and functions. A strong understanding of risk management, safeguarding, and partnership working is required. In return, we offer a challenging and fulfilling role, opportunities for professional development, supportive management, opportunity for some flexible working.

Your office based will be in Chichester, with opportunities to work hybrid from home part of the week. You will need to take an organised approach whilst exercising your expertise with knowledge of policies and legislations to support those in need.

There will also be a requirement for you to work flexibly to support customers, carers and families, sometimes out of normal office hours. You will be required to travel including to locations that are not always easily accessible by public transport so it is desirable for you to have a driving licence.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills & Qualifications (please cover with examples within your application as these are the short-listing criteria):

• Experience of working proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate strengths-based assessment of needs in complex situations and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes (in line with relevant legislation).
• Demonstrable evidence of leadership skills when working in partnership with people, carers, colleagues and a variety of external agencies in complex situations to meet people’s outcomes.
• Experience of managing situations with complex and competing risks, utilising a risk enablement approach and using evidence-based practice.
• Experience of analysis and interpretation of complex people related information and data to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
• Experience of leading safeguarding enquiries.
• Ability to provide supervision and develop the capabilities of less experienced social care practitioners including contributing to performance management.
• Mentor and coach students and apprentices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders to provide clear advice and guidance and interventions.
• Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice, and supervision, and to prioritise and organise work and meet agreed performance expectations.
• Sound and accurate IT skills to ensure effective record keeping, compliant with data protection and respecting confidentiality.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• A Degree in Social Work or a recognised equivalent Social Work qualification e.g., Diploma in Social Work.
• Registered with Social Work England
• Experience of undertaking assessments in complex situations and social work intervention planning, implementation, and review by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.
• Extensive experience of working in partnership with those who access the service and maintaining a focus on the needs and strengths of the people, and the outcomes they want to achieve, whilst handling conflict and disagreement.
• Experience of managing risk within a risk enablement approach Excellent, up-to-date working knowledge of relevant legislation e.g., Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005), Mental Health Act (1983, 2007).
• Valid, full driving licence. Desirable

Rewards and Benefits

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06509.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Karen Golding (Team Manager) at karen.golding@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.

To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion, accessibility and diversity is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all cultures, ethnicities, identities, backgrounds and lived experiences, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme (if you meet the essential criteria), this can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!