About Us
Working at West Sussex County Council means making a real, positive difference to the lives of the people we serve. The Forensic Outreach and Liaison Service is seeking a full-time Senior Social Work Practitioner with demonstrable post-qualifying experience to join our team.
This is an exciting opportunity to further develop your skills within a busy Forensic Mental Health Service, supporting individuals who have been, or continue to be, involved with the Criminal Justice System. Our practice is grounded in a strengths-based, community-led approach, building on the assets and strengths of individuals, families, and local communities.
Together, we focus on prevention, enablement, reablement, and safety, promoting wellbeing and independence while ensuring that residents, families, and communities receive the right support at the right time.
We offer a supportive working environment that values high-quality professional supervision and provides the right balance of challenge and support. Innovation and evidence-based practice underpin our work, creating a culture where social workers are encouraged to develop, progress, and thrive in their careers.
If you have the talent, commitment, and ambition to achieve the best outcomes for the people we serve, we will support your ongoing professional development throughout your social work career.
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we’d love to hear from you.
About The Job
* Salary: £48,226 to £51,356 per annum
* Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
* Contract Type: Permanent
* Location: Arun Civic Centre office base – countywide travel required
* Interview Date: week beginning 1st June
You will work as part of a multi‑agency, specialist forensic mental health team, delivering a targeted statutory social work service to individuals with severe and/or enduring mental health needs who fall within the team’s admission criteria. This includes working with people in specialist hospitals, prisons, secure units, rehabilitation services, and community settings, many of whom have had, or continue to have, contact with the criminal justice system.
As a Senior Social Work Practitioner, you will act as a lead professional, holding responsibility for delivering high‑quality statutory social work interventions. This includes undertaking and overseeing assessment, care planning, implementation, and review, ensuring practice is lawful, person‑centred, and outcomes‑focused.
You will take a leading role within a specialist area of service delivery, staying informed of key developments and ensuring that changes in policy, legislation, or practice are effectively communicated and embedded across the team. You will manage a complex and challenging caseload, providing expert advice, professional guidance, and supervision to colleagues to support consistent, high‑quality practice.
What You’ll Need to Succeed
* Advanced knowledge of social work theory and practice, alongside a detailed understanding of relevant legislation, organisational policies, and statutory frameworks. Ability to apply this knowledge within complex forensic and mental health contexts.
* Ability to undertake Mental Health Act assessments and statutory duties, including participation in the West Sussex AMHP duty rota and forensic AMHP rota. Role of Social Supervisor for individuals subject to sections 37/41 of the Mental Health Act.
* Strong IT and recording skills; ability to work autonomously, flexibly, and confidently within a demanding and fast-paced environment. Effective communicator with the ability to build strong working relationships across agencies while maintaining a clear social work perspective.
* Willingness to work flexibly to support customers, carers and families, sometimes out of normal office hours. Driving licence is desirable due to county-wide travel.
Experience and Skills
* Qualifications and/or experience: Degree in relevant professional or equivalent qualification (e.g., Certificate of Qualification in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work).
* Completion of relevant post qualifying training.
* Registration with the relevant professional registration body and responsibility for maintaining registration with that body.
* Practice Educators Award. Desirable (or the expectation is to undertake the training).
* Approved Mental Health Professional. Desirable (or the expectation is to undertake the training).
* Valid, full driving licence. Desirable.
* Experience of working with individuals with severe and enduring mental illness including, schizophrenia, Autism, Asperger’s and Learning Disability, dual diagnosis.
* Experience of acting in the role of Social Supervisor. Desirable or willingness to undertake formal training to undertake the role.
* Experience of mental health social work, including knowledge of Part III Mental Health Act, the interface between Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and DoLS, and the role of Social Supervisor.
* Experience of undertaking specialist risk assessments HCR 20 (Managing violence and aggression).
* Please read the job description and take note of the key skills section as they will be used alongside the qualification and experience listed above, as short listing criteria.
Rewards and Benefits
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06315.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Nicky Keen (Service Manager Mental Health) at the organisation. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.
To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We\'ll be in touch directly if we need you!
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