Social Worker – Mental Health & Wellbeing Team linking with Primary Care Mental Health

About the role

Social Worker – Mental Health & Wellbeing Team linking with Primary Care Mental Health

Permanent, Full Time

£36,101 to £48,622 per annum

Location: Colchester or Tendring

We welcome applications from Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) for this opportunity. The starting salary for a NQSW completing the ASYE programme is £33,885 per annum.

Essex County Council is excited to introduce two new Social Worker roles which support Community Mental Health Transformation in North East Essex. One post will cover the Colchester area and the other will cover Tendring.

The posts will work closely with the Senior Social Worker within the Multi Professional Single Point of Access Team in Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust to build strong Social Work practice within Primary Care Mental Health and ensure the principles of the Care Act are at the centre of conversations with adults. The posts will be hosted in the Adult Social Care Mental Health and Wellbeing Team and they will focus on providing an enhanced social care offer within Mental health services, enabling intervention as early as possible in line with our responsibilities to ‘Prevent, Reduce and Delay’ the onset of people’s needs.

You will be able to manage the demands of a caseload and support health and social care colleagues with complex cases and navigating services. You will work collaboratively with statutory and non-statutory/voluntary agencies, ensuring a joined-up approach to reduce risk and ensure people are bridged to the most appropriate service for them to meet their needs as early as possible.

We are looking for someone committed to person centred work with individuals and families focusing on their strengths, interests and assets in accordance with the Care Act (2014). As part of a partnership and collaborative working, you will support the understanding and knowledge of the role of social work within mental health and the importance of the social determinants of health and how they impact people’s lives.

This role requires balancing direct work to support people with their own mental wellbeing alongside assessment/review for eligibility for commissioned services. Whilst ensuring they are balancing need with finance. Experience of statutory social work, modelling good practice and providing advice and guidance is essential in this role.

Working pattern is Monday-Friday, working flexibility to meet the demands of the service. A hybrid way of working to ensure flexibility for the service is essential.

Key Roles, Skills and Responsibilities:

Assess complex social care needs and provide support to vulnerable adults, which enable them to live healthily and independently·
Develop support plans that gain commitment to solutions that drive the care required for each individual’s needs.
Accountable for working within the statutory legal framework, policy and guidance and determining when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached.
Accountable for conducting assessments and plan responses to safeguard a child or vulnerable adult include intervention as required.
Develop a client centric approach which enables early intervention and prevention and increases independence.
Work with families, communities and individuals to help people age well supporting the Council’s wider strategic aims.
Support the Senior Social Worker with the upskilling of health partners, ensuring Care Act compliance across primary care.
Support consultations around mental health with professionals within Adult Social Care and Children and Families social care within your area.
Support other primary care services such as the Primary Care Mental Health Team’s with development of social care knowledge.
Supervision of unqualified social care staff when required.
Provide a clear picture of how a person’s independence can be promoted and maximised. Promote conversations to draw on the support around each person, their networks, local community and personal resources and support with delivering statutory responsibilities under the Care Act (2014).
Establish therapeutic relationships with service users, their families and carers. Supporting them to utilise self help options and bridging them to appropriate services.
Utilising direct work skills to improve a person’s mental wellbeing.
Linking in with local communities and services to understand the demographic in which you are working.
Undertake risk assessments and develop risk management plans. Ability to support positive risk taking.
Ability to work in accordance with the relevant legislation, (including the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards 2009 and related Codes, the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010 and local policy.
Support health staff with the understanding of the statutory responsibility for the assessment of carer’s (including young carer’s) needs and ensure advice and information is provided.
Prepare and present clear assessments and other reports as necessary to set out the basis of decisions made. Maintain all records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures. Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care.
Be able to work flexibly across areas and teams as required by the service.
Complete mandatory training required by ECC.
You will use digital and technology solutions where they will meet the need and offer a more sustainable approach.
Providing support to the Neighbourhood alliances to support a joined-up approach and working together to improve the wellbeing of the residents of Essex.
Review care and support in line with guidance.
To understand and utilise Health and Social Care commissioned services, demonstrating an understanding of eligibility criteria for social care services, and working in collaboration with nursing and other health care professions in a recovery focused way.

About You

To apply you should be a qualified social worker with a current Social Work England registration. You’ll bring at experience in working within mental health and delivering direct work, along with evidence of continuing professional development, and capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards.

As, as a subject matter expert in relevant professional practice, you should have a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations, and guidance. With experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers, and other multi-agency professionals, and the ability to deliver direct work, we’re looking for your ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework for vulnerable adults.

You’ll also bring:

Experience of developing strong working relationships with partners, other agencies and the voluntary sector to deliver improved outcomes.
Strong communication skills and an ability to develop a rapport and engage with diverse groups of individuals.
Ability to pro-actively influence in a range of planning, decision making and case discussions inter-agency.
Understanding of the financial implications of care packages commissioned.
Evidence of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.
Ability to demonstrate specialist knowledge underpinned by theory and relevant practical experience in order to understand service users with complex needs, their families and carers.
Evidence of continuing professional development and demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g. professional capability framework, knowledge and skills statement.
Experience within a social care setting with evidence of challenging social and family situations.

This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.

What We Offer In Return

We’ll support you to be your best…

Training and development to empower you from our award-winning Essex Social Care Academy.
With us you can make your career work for you with flexible working options
With us you can get the support you need with employee wellbeing and counselling
Lease Car scheme
Up to £8000 for relocation *
With us you can have peace of mind with life assurance of three times annual salary
Payment of professional fees for approved professions
Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ’s about the LGPS.
Volunteering leave
27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC

Whatever you want to achieve in your social care career, you can do it here.

*T&Cs Apply.

Apply now.

For more information visit our Adult Social Care Brochure or contact Abbie.Mollison@essex.gov.uk

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment .

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

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