Senior Social Work Practitioner Full Time

DIRECTORATE: Adult Social Care Integrated Care & Public Health

HOURS OF WORK: 35

RESPONSIBLE TO: Team Manager

(LINE MANAGER)

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Service Manager

Head of Service, Mental Health

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Social Work Staff, Support Workers, students or trainees as required

LIAISES WITH: Multi Professionals, including in the Mental Health Trust – Inpatient and Community Services. Housing, Public Health. Adult, Older People and Children’s Social Care and Health Services. Primary and Secondary Care Services. Statutory and non- Statutory Services

Overview Of The Post

• To provide advice consultation and professional supervision to a group of specialist mental health social care staff
• To be a lead practitioner in the team, ensuring the provision of a high quality and safe specialist mental health service to the defined service user group.
• The post holder will be expected to deliver a range of evidence-based interventions which will promote strengths base approach, social inclusion for this group of service users, who Experience low, moderate or severe or mental health issues.
• The post holder will work in partnership with a range of other services which may include EIS, Home Treatment Teams, Integrated Recovery Hubs Older People, Integrated Recovery Hubs (IRH), Acute, Inpatients Services, Voluntary and independent and community services.
• The principal purpose is to provide a person cantered approach, focusing on Strength, ability, and the resident existing networks The senior will be relied on to lead by example
• The Postholder will practice to the Department Social Work Model and guide colleagues in the team in this framework
• The post holder will work within the safeguarding adults and safeguarding children frameworks across the London Borough of Merton
• Able to act consistent with the Values of the Council

Key Tasks And Responsibilities

• Foster recovery through empowerment of Residents and carers by involving them in the planning of their care Establishing and maintaining consistent supportive relationships, which encourages increased self-determination and responsibility for service users and their care.
• Offer a range of evidence-based interventions and risk management approaches enabling the residents and carers to reduce and manage symptoms and high-risk behaviour.
• Offer practice guidance to colleagues in the team
• Be proactive, innovative and creative in delivering care, enabling the facilitation of service user’s recovery.
• Engage residents and carers in relapse prevention and crisis planning providing intervention that maximize the ability to resolve crisis and prevent hospitalization.
• Support early discharge from both inpatient and Home Treatment Team by providing regular, formal reviews.
• Deliver a collaborative and responsive service through practice that is dictated by service users/carers intelligence and experience of their own situation .
• Display expertise in understanding and applying Social Care, Mental Health, Mental Capacity legislation and guidance.
• Display awareness of the wider range of Social Care legislation and policy,
• Be creative in ensuring information and advice is delivered in manner that will be receptive to others
• Act as Case Manager to a defined caseload of service users.
• Respond swiftly to crisis, providing intervention to prevent admission.
• Work closely with Carers.
• Ability to act independently carrying out function on the team’s Duty system while also seeking to consult with seniors as required
• Recognize racial, cultural, sexual preference and linguistic differences.
• Ensure that record keeping/documentation reflects, prescribed departmental expectation.
• Maximize the use of resources within the team and available in the community.
• Have an understanding and work with the mental Health trust and Integrated Commissioning Board.
• Carry out the responsibility of being part of the Lead group in the service
• Ensure that care and support plans are reviewed and updated to take into account of the most recent information regarding Residents and Carer needs. It should reflect their views, their voice .
• Undertake risk assessment/management and positive risk taking by developing genuine interventions with those you are working with
• Carry out SAM or Enquiry Officer Duty under Safeguarding procedures, as appropriate
• Ensure activity/contact is entered promptly on Mosaic, conforming with Department Recording requirement.
• Provide carers assessment and care plans or support their production
• Work with Brokerage, mental health Social Work Service process to implement Care Packages, including personalised budgets, in the community.
• Knowledgeable about financial implications of the Care Act 2014, and Departmental policy and procedure arising from this
• Guide colleagues to ensure discussion regards Financial implication of the Cre Act are discussed with residents and Carers
• KEY RELATIONSHIPS
• Maintain professional relationships with other agencies, e.g.,; Neighbourhood Services, Police, Probation Service, Education, Advocacy, PALS, Benefits and Voluntary Services to ensure provision of a quality package of care and service delivery for the service users and their carers.
• SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
• Participate in service development and partake in the evaluation of the quality of service delivery.
• Support and facilitate initiative in developing service user’s participation groups.
• Assist in planning, undertaking and evaluating specific projects related to clinical practice within the community.
• MANAGEMENT/ AUDIT
• Implement and participate in orientation and local induction programmes for staff.
• Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within the agreed time scale.
• Participate in research, audit reviews and other initiatives in accordance to expected Governance.
• Be responsible for ensuring that accurate records are kept in accordance with Council policies and legal requirements.
• Report all complaints and or incidents in accordance with Local Authority procedures and ensure that the line manager is informed.
• Actively contribute to the development and review of policies and procedures based upon best practice.
• TRAINING
• Ensure that own knowledge and skills are constantly updated.
• Attain appropriate levels of computer literacy
• Facilitate students achieving their competencies relevant to their outcome.
• Attend mandatory training as outlined by Trust policies.
• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post, through continuous Professional Development
• Be an approved mental health practitioner, providing assessments as required by the mental health act. Or willingness to undertake AMHP training if required
• Undertake SAM training and practice as a SAM
• PROFESSIONAL
• To participate in the AMHP Duty rota, providing a source of support and advice to those undertaking duties under the Mental Health Act 1983, and to provide specialist cover as necessary.
• Have a working knowledge of current appropriate legislations – The Children’s Act, Care Act (2014), Carers legislation and the Mental Health Act (1983) and other relevant legislation.
• Be aware of and adhere to Local Authority procedures.
• Set own objectives through Appraisal, work towards achieving these
• Deliver and engage in regular professional supervision.
• Adhere to and work within the guidelines of own professional code of practice.
• Maintain registration of care profession and membership in relation to the relevant professional qualification
• Act as a positive role model for colleagues.
• Ensure that full regard is taken of the dignity, individuality and well-being of residents and carers.
• Be accountable for own practice and take every reasonable opportunity to sustain and improve knowledge and professional competence.
• Advocate and promote self-advocacy for service users/carers.
• COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
• Communicate effectively with other members of the service pertaining the assessment, care plan, risk factors, relapse signature, sign of deterioration in service user’s mental and physical conditions.
• Ensure that information of a sensitive and contentious content is handled with professionalism and communicated appropriately to clearly identified persons.
• Respond to emergency situations in a clear and supportive manner showing sensitivity and direction at all times.
• CONFIDENTIALITY
• In the course of your employment you will handle confidential personal information You must not read, discuss, disclose or pass on confidential information unless it is necessary in the pursuance of your legitimate duties.
• Unauthorized disclosure of such information will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter. In addition it is important that you realize that if this confidentiality is breached, this may result in civil proceedings or a criminal prosecution.
• HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Help to ensure your safety and others by maintaining a safe environment.
• Ensuring that all furniture, fixtures and equipment are maintained in good order, reporting faults as soon as they are noticed.

You are required to make positive efforts to maintain your own personal safety and that of others by taking reasonable care, carrying out requirements of the law and following recognized codes of practice. You are also required to be aware of and comply with Trust policies on health and safety, etc.

• EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The aim of the Council is to ensure that no job applicant or employee is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds or race, colour, creed, sex, marital status, sexual preference, disability, age, nationality, ethnic or national origins. The Council commits itself to promote equal opportunities and will keep under review its policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all users and providers of its services are treated according to their needs. The policy also applies to staff working within the Trust.