AddressPosition: Social Worker London
Location: Two roles available, one position in Coulsdon (CR5) and another position based in Highams Park (E4)
Salary: £35k per annum for Full time, (32 hours pro-rata also considered)
Closing date: 5th April 2024, although we reserve the right to close the advertisement early should we receive a high number of applications
Interview date: Week commencing 15th April 2024.
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave, pension, life assurance, an employee assistance programme, Cycle to Work scheme.
About Us
CHT is a small, flexible organisation offering a unique residential treatment to some of the most vulnerable members of society. Our Psychologically Informed Recovery Communities are co-produced by residents and staff working together. These are open, democratic spaces creating the living and thinking space for adults and young people suffering severe and enduring mental health difficulties to develop new relationships, to learn more about themselves, and to rebuild their lives. Our residents expect a lot from our staff and our clinical standards are high, making CHT, ‘where relationships are the treatment’, a challenging and creative place to work.
About the Role
Over the past 5 years CHT has grown its services and clinical team significantly. That growth is consolidating now around our new quality assurance system. Over the next 12 months new services will open and our training offer will expand further.
Most residents do well with CHT: around two-thirds of residents leave our communities having recovered a better sense of themselves stepping down to reduced support accommodation. We want to do more at the beginning and at the end of a placement, and we want to work more effectively with families so that the treatment we offer can feedback into the networks that we know help sustain recovery.
This is where the new Social Work role comes in. CHT are recruiting qualified Social Workers to help shape and guide the placement pathway for residents. Social Workers will take a role in assessment, resident induction, and resident move-on, using outcome measures to ensure that placement goals are best met by our recovery plans. They will support Service Managers to develop safeguarding practice whilst maintaining and developing relationships with our statutory partners.
About you
You will be a qualified Social Worker with a knowledge or interest in family systems theory, ready to develop your practice further in this area. You will be well organised and flexible, able to work on your own initiative under line management supervision. CHT’s model promotes choice and control: you will therefore be able to work within a framework of reflective practice and positive risk taking. We manage change at CHT and so we work with resistance; you will want to apply yourself to the challenge. Our residents want commitment and adaptability from our staff; we want someone who can interpret and use our model to create a distinctive Social Work practice within the organisation.
The offer
If you are interested in building a career in mental health then CHT gives you the opportunity to develop yourself in a unique community setting working with a great team and an incredible group of residents.
Staff support and CPD is a central pillar of our model and for the Social Worker role. Newly Qualified Social Workers will complete the AYSE in their first year of practice. Training in the clinical model will be available to all. For experienced Social Workers we will look at opportunities to undertake further training in Family Systems Therapy.
Job Description
Purpose of role
This is a new role for CHT and we are looking for an enthusiastic professional who can work with us to develop the role of systemic social work practice in our residential Psychologically Informed Recovery Communities in line with the organisation’s model. In particular, the Social Worker will:
1. Work to protect the rights and promote the interests of CHT residents, especially in liaisons with statutory partners
2. Join a multi-disciplinary team meeting to oversee, review and support residents and staff on their recovery pathway
3. Manage a caseload of up to 15 residents, working alongside Therapeutic Practitioners, the Team Leader and the Community Psychotherapist to review treatment plans, ensuring that the resident’s placement goals are being met.
4. Take a lead role in the implementation of CHT’s Move-On Policy
5. Act as a bridge between the Therapeutic Community and the wider community, working with the Service Manager, partners in NHS and the local authority to identify and create opportunities for social inclusion.
6. Work closely with the Expert By Experience practitioner to facilitate groups in move-on and resident safety
7. Act as resident family liaison, working closely with the Service Manager to ensure that CHT’s Working with Families Policy is implemented in the Community.
8. Support the Service Manager in their Safeguarding Lead role, contributing to safeguarding investigations, planning meetings and actions
9. Contribute and lead on incident investigations, ensuring that learning is circulated within the team and the wider organisation
10. Act as hospital liaison for residents held under Section of the Mental Health Act
Primary tasks
1. Demonstrate and ensure high standards and probity within CHT policy.
2. Form robust and effective working relationships with colleagues across CHT and in partner organisations.
3. Work in line with overall CHT objectives to enable and support the recovery journey of CHT residents and the delivery of the CHT vision and ethos.
4. Be alert for instances when vulnerable residents may be at risk and to ensure safeguarding vulnerable adult alerts are made as appropriate within required timescales.
5. Undertake safeguarding investigations including risk assessment and protection planning.
6. Adhere to the Mental Capacity Act, undertaking mental capacity assessments where appropriate, referring to an IMCA as per the Act or undertaking Best Interests assessments under the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards.
7. Promote equality of opportunity and recognition of diversity in the delivery of services and in employment practice.
8. Promote a philosophy of putting therapeutic approaches to resident interventions first at every opportunity.
General
· To work to Social Work England Standards of conduct, performance and ethics, ensuring continuing professional development.
· To undertake all work in accordance with the Care Act (2014) and best practice guidance.
· To work in partnership with colleagues, other professionals and partner agencies to undertake and/or participate in a holistic assessment of residents and, where appropriate, their families/carers to devise and enable successful move-on strategies and plans.
· Following the policy framework for risk assessment, risk management and safeguarding to identify risks at different stages of the resident journey and working with the resident and other key people to manage risks in such a way that enables the individual to achieve more of their potential within and beyond CHT.
· To support the development of personalised outcome focused treatment plans promoting the self-determination, self-realisation and independence of vulnerable residents, identifying strengths and social capital and supporting them to enhance family and/or social networks.
· To mobilise and coordinate available resources within the organisation and those provided by other services, departments, agencies and wider community and to liaise effectively with hospital, community groups and statutory organisations e.g. finance, placements, legal, NHS professionals, voluntary and provider organisations and housing in terms of assessment and support planning, particularly around move-on options.
· To negotiate with and between residents and their families and carers to support and enable the residents’ recovery journey and to maximise the residents’ opportunities for self-development.
· To prepare and present reports in a clear, concise and clinical way that contributes to multi-agency and disciplinary conferences and meetings and to ensure that all follow up actions from the conference and/or meeting are completed within agreed timescales.
· To prepare, attend and present reports for Case Conferences, Panels, Tribunals, review meetings and Court as necessary.
· To use a range of therapeutic approaches in your work, drawing from psychodynamic, attachment and systemic theories and practices, and the CHT clinical model, to enhance the coping skills, independence, choice and control of CHT’s residents.
· To develop specialist expertise in social work methods with vulnerable residents, their families and carers with particular reference to working with people that have a given diagnosis of psychosis, personality disorder and comorbid diagnosis and complex presentations including suicidal preoccupation, self-harm and substance abuse.
· To take account of life history, loss and grief, transgenerational trauma but also goals and aspirations of vulnerable residents, their families and carers, recognising where there is conflict and working constructively to help families develop the strength and skills to resolve their conflicts and activate and utilise their own resources.
· To use regular supervision and staff appraisal and participate in staff meetings to ensure an effective service to CHT residents and to ensure further professional development.
· To participate in staff development training, performance review exercises or training appropriate to the role and to keep up to date with research and best practice.
· To contribute to service reviews, projects and other activities, providing information for the planning and development of high-quality cost-effective services that are responsive to the changing needs of our residents.
Person Specification
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant social services legislation, particularly Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how this relates to the statutory role of social care
- An awareness and understanding of future changes to legislation e.g. Liberty Protection Safeguards.
- An awareness of human development, psychodynamic and attachment theory, systemic practice, working with families, and working through conflict to a satisfactory and agreed resolution.
- Knowledge, understanding of and commitment to recovery-oriented practice ensuring individuals develop self-awareness, self-determination, choice and control, and are supported to take risks which enable them to achieve more of their potential.
- Knowledge, understanding of and commitment to the governance of Social Work and to apply Social Work England’s standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
- An understanding of the importance of performance data and a willingness to contribute to the improvement of practice and systems, including the use of IT in the collation of data and recording activity.
- Knowledge, understanding of the needs of discriminated against groups and the ability to ensure that services are appropriately delivered to enable and support their recovery journey, including the ability to ensure that services are treating the individual as a person beyond any given diagnosis, label or prejudice against them.
- Knowledge, understanding of and commitment to safeguarding and how it ensures a vulnerable resident can maximise their choice and control over their chosen lifestyle.
SKILLS & ABILITIES:
- Ability to achieve positive change through a systemic approach to problem solving.
- Ability to work with communities, statutory services and the NHS, and voluntary sector to maximise social capital for vulnerable residents with a view to positive and sustainable move-on, and to ensure support is emotionally, psychologically, socially and culturally appropriate.
- Understanding of the benefits of reflective practice and the ability to recognise personal learning and development needs.
- Ability to help individuals in the development of bespoke support packages, including acting as an advocate in order for residents to achieve the best outcomes for their lives.
- Ability to support the individual to complete resident-led therapy plans in line with formulations, and to help them prepare and implement individual recovery and move-on plans and to participate to the highest degree possible in preparing to move on to a sustainable and fulfilling future beyond CHT.
- Ability to work in partnership with residents, families and carers, statutory social services and the NHS in order to effectively co-ordinate interventions.
- Ability to be an effective communicator both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to be flexible, able to adapt to change and to be a team player.
PERSONAL STYLE AND BEHAVIOURS:
- A commitment to continuing professional development including external post qualification opportunities and to keeping up to date with changing social care policy and best practice.
- A commitment to promoting choice and control through positive risk taking in accordance with CHT policy and procedures.
- Commitment to continual service improvement and to participate in service developments including the role of being a champion of change. Commitment to enabling residents’ recovery and supporting their self-development and their active participation in the life of their community both within and beyond CHT
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
- MA or BA in Social Work, DIPSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent qualification.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR CPD:
- Systemic therapy/practice training, family therapy, attachment theory and practice.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Life insurance
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Day shift
Application question(s):
- Please explain why you are applying for the role and how your skills & qualifications match the job description.
Education:
- Bachelor's (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Social Work England (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: On the road
Application deadline: 05/04/2024
Reference ID: Social Worker London
Expected start date: 20/05/2024
