Social Worker
The closing date is 05 November 2025
You may be a newly Qualified Social Worker seeking your first position in mental health or a Social Worker with some experience who is looking to enhance their knowledge and skill in community mental health work.
We have exciting opportunities for Social Workers to join us in delivering high quality community mental health care in Ware, Hertford and surrounding villages.
We are seeking enthusiastic, compassionate Social Workers who hold a strong belief in recovery for people with severe and enduring mental health problems. Our Community Mental Health Social Workers hold a caseload and undertake the role of care coordinator for those with varied complex mental health and social care needs.
You will also provide assessment and specific interventions to meet the needs of service users, their carers and families. It is expected that you will be a flexible practitioner who enjoys new challenges in meeting the developing needs of the service and our service users.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate the ability to work well within a team, priorities and manage own workload and display initiative whilst maintaining a positive, professional and calm approach. An interest and understanding of the issues people with mental health needs may experience is essential for this post as is a good understanding of Care Programme Approach, Care Management and Safeguarding. As newly qualified Social Worker we will support you through completing the ASYE programme.
Main duties of the job
You will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary Team providing a high quality social care service to adults of all ages experiencing or recovering from personality, substance abuse and mental health difficulties and their carers.
The core functions are to provide assessment, care planning and care coordination, including care programme approach, within a framework of recovery which embraces each individual's right to choice and control. Ensuring that carers are effectively assessed and supported is a key component of the social work role.
Our team is based in Cheshunt and provides services to the locality of East & South East Hertfordshire. The service operates Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
All Social Workers must be registered with Social Work England.
* To undertake comprehensive assessments and reviews, ensuring people meet Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) eligibility criteria, and are assessed using the self directed support Needs Outcome Assessment (NOA), process.
* To undertake such reviews as part of an integrated assessment of peoples health and social care needs.
* To offer direct support and advice to service users and their carers, through information and advice and ensure that those who do not meet FACS eligibility are appropriately signposted and supported.
* To ensure appropriate health and social care services are commissioned with and on behalf of service users, including the duty to offer direct payments, and that processes are in place for service users to be charged by the local authority for all social care services.
* To ensure that commissioned services allow choice to service users and carers, and focus on people living in the community with appropriate support and access to universal services.
* To undertake regular risk assessments and ensure that vulnerable people are kept safe.
* To undertake assessments of carers needs, including identifying contingency plans, and provision of support if appropriate.
* To liaise and negotiate with other agencies eg Adult Care Services, Children Schools and Families, Benefit Agency, Housing authorities and providers etc., for joint planning with, or on behalf of, service users.
Please see attached Job Description & Person Specification before applying for this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* An appropriate professional social work qualification (e.g. DipSW, )
* Registration with HCPC
* Training in principles and application of outcomes focussed assessments and personalisation
* Experience or knowledge of mental health services
Experience and Knowledge
* Knowledge of legislation, theory and policy in relation to relevant care group
* Experience of undertaking assessments, focussed as personalisation, choice and control, and care planning
* Knowledge and understanding of personal budgets and direct payments
* Experience of multidisciplinary working and ability to work collaborative
* Experience of partnership working with service users and carers, demonstrating dignity and respect
Skills and Aptitudes
* Ability to analyse service user and carer information.
* Experience of undertaking small scale audits and surveys.
Communication and People Skill
* Excellent ability to communication with a wide range of stakeholders including service users and carers, other professional colleagues, members of other organisations and local communities, verbally and in writing
* Ability to manage highly sensitive information
* Experience of using electronic recording systems and ability to produce accurate, appropriate and timely reports .
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
£32,602 to £39,686 a year, per annum, pro rata inclusive of 5% of basic salary
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