Social Worker – Assertive Outreach (Severe & Multiple Disadvantage)

Job Description

We are recruiting an experienced and values‑driven Social Worker to join our MHLDA Adult Social Care team, working with adults who are rough sleeping or at imminent risk of rough sleeping and who have Care Act‑eligible needs.

This role sits within the MHLDA Front Door and focuses on proactive, relationship‑based engagement with adults experiencing multiple and compounding disadvantage, including mental ill‑health, substance misuse, trauma, cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction, and insecure immigration status (including NRPF).

You will work with a reduced caseload, reflecting the intensity and complexity of the work, and will undertake assertive outreach alongside statutory assessment, safeguarding, and system leadership.

This post is ideal for a social worker who is confident working outside traditional office‑based models and motivated to reduce harm, exclusion and avoidable crisis.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively engage adults who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping in community and voluntary sector settings (e.g. homelessness hubs, drop‑ins, outreach venues).
• Undertake Care Act 2014 assessments, including complex eligibility decision‑making.
• Complete Mental Capacity Act (MCA) assessments, including where capacity is fluctuating or impaired by mental ill‑health, substance use or executive dysfunction.
• Initiate and lead Section 42 safeguarding enquiries where statutory thresholds are met.
• Apply Human Rights Assessments (HRAs), particularly in NRPF and complex immigration cases.
• Work closely with Housing, Public Health, CNWL, NWL, and voluntary sector partners to coordinate responses and prevent entrenchment in rough sleeping.
• Provide professional advice and consultation to voluntary sector colleagues, supporting earlier identification of Care Act needs.
• Contribute to learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and mortality reviews.
• Maintain clear, defensible recording and analysis, aligned with Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP).

You will:

• Be a qualified social worker (Social Work England registered).
• Have significant post‑qualifying experience in mental health, learning disability, homelessness, or safeguarding.
• Be confident applying the Care Act, MCA, safeguarding duties, and human rights frameworks in complex situations.
• Have experience of working with people who struggle to engage with traditional services.
• Be comfortable working outside office environments and adapting your approach to build trust over time.
• Bring a trauma‑informed, strengths‑based and anti‑discriminatory practice approach.
• Be resilient, reflective, and able to work effectively within a small specialist team.

Why Join Us

• Be part of an innovative, prevention‑focused response to rough sleeping and inclusion health.
• Work with manageable caseloads that allow for meaningful social work.
• Shape practice at the interface of safeguarding, homelessness, health and human rights.
• Make a tangible impact in reducing harm, crisis and premature mortality.

For more information, please refer to the Role Profile/Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn