Social Work Assistant - Out Of Area Treatment Service (Oats)

Role Responsibility

The Out of Area Treatment Service (OATS) is a small team, which is part of the ASCH Directorate within KCC. OATS work closely with the Integrated Care Boards, Kent and Medway Partnership Trust, Review and Resettlement practitioners and KCC commissioners to provide a joined -up approach to assessing people’s care needs under relevant legislative framework.  

The service provides a county wide Social Work service for adults who are admitted to an Out of Area psychiatric hospital. 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 Out of Area 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, network and communities.

We are looking for dynamic, creative and enthusiastic individuals to join our friendly and supportive team.

The role will offer you plenty of opportunities to undertake in-house core training courses and to acquire skills and knowledge to enhance your progression. 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. You will be responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating appropriate discharge plans with the support of the Social Worker.

In your role as an OATS Social Work Assistant, you will be working collaboratively with our service providers and stakeholders, and taking a strength-based approach, you will support complex assessments whilst promoting positive outcomes for individuals. You will support people to set personal goals and outcomes and to take positive risk whilst aiming for the least restrictive interventions. and review their effectiveness. Whilst 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.

Our offer

• Starting salary  £25,378 - £28,466
• Relocation packages up to a maximum of £8,000
• Full induction and comprehensive professional learning and development
• Starting annual leave allowance of 27 - 29 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.

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.