Senior Social Worker – Adult Community Mental Health Service (ACMHS), North West Hertfordshire
We have a vacancy for an Senior Social Worker to join the Adult Community Mental Health Service (ACMHS) in North West Hertfordshire. This role covers the St. Albans community mental health team.
All applicants must hold a full, valid driving license and have access to a car for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
We welcome diversity in our workforce and encourage applicants from people of all ages and backgrounds, including those with lived experience of mental health difficulties.
Closing date: 29 May 2026
Main duties of the job
* Promote and lead the social care agenda, acting in accordance with the principles of personalisation, working to promote wellbeing, and enabling individuals’ rights to choice and control.
* Carry out complex assessments of need, plan and deliver services, and review outcomes with the individual, their support networks and providers.
* Ensure practice within the team is responsive, inclusive and community‑based with a clear focus on outcomes and apply professional expertise to complex cases.
* Supervise the social care staff within the team and support the wider team with social care.
* Manage the provision of assessments under the Care Act 2014 and the reviews of packages of care.
* Work collaboratively with community partners to ensure individuals and families are supported and their needs are met.
* Act as a champion and leader of social care within the locality/quadrant.
* Be professionally registered with Social Work England.
In return, we can offer you:
* Leadership and management training opportunities.
* 5 % on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (subject to a minimum and a maximum payment pro rata).
* 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays (pro rata where applicable).
* One of the UK’s best pension schemes.
* Comprehensive health and wellbeing services.
* Special leave for family and personal reasons.
* NHS Car Lease Scheme.
* Employee Assistance Programme.
Job responsibilities
Senior Social Workers are a key part of the senior management team and focus on promoting, leading and acting in accordance with the principles of personalisation. They carry out complex assessments of need, plan and deliver services, and review outcomes with the individual, their support networks and providers.
Senior Social Workers lead the team’s social care agenda, supervise staff, and act as a champion and leader of social care within a locality/quadrant. They provide robust, expert social care practice advice and reinforce the need to deliver high‑quality, cost‑effective services. With a small caseload of the most complex cases, they manage the provision of assessments and reviews of social care interventions.
Partnership working is a key component of the post, both within and outside the Trust. They innovate to ensure a range of appropriate services locally. They work with community partners to address complex social issues and think innovatively to support individual recovery journeys.
They work in partnership with service users and carers to empower them and improve services through feedback.
All Senior Social Workers must be registered with Social Work England.
Qualifications and Knowledge
* Registered mental health professional (nursing, OT, SW) appropriate to the role.
* Evidence of continuous professional development.
* Completion of mentorship/preceptorship course or intention to complete.
* Experience working with vulnerable adults and/or children within a health and social care setting.
* Involvement in multi‑agency work.
* Experience of student supervision.
* Applied use of Social Care & Health Care legislation.
* Safeguarding processes and investigations.
* Applied use of at least one of the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, care management, continuing health care, or Care Programme Approach.
* Experience of staff supervision and development planning.
Skills and Abilities
* Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
* Strong IT skills; reporting, recording, written.
* Ability to assess and record eligible and non‑eligible needs, drawing on evidence‑based practice.
* Self‑directed, proactive approach to identify and develop opportunities, ideas and innovation.
* Ability to remain calm and focussed under pressure.
* Mentor, coach, support and supervise other social work staff.
* Analytical interpretation of research, audits, case law presented in an accessible way.
* Develop team members’ capabilities in line with service objectives and professional standards.
* Knowledge of adult social care and legislation, strategies and guidance relevant to the post.
* Safeguarding statutory responsibilities, including Making Safeguarding Personal.
* Risk management and positive risk‐taking.
* Human rights legislation and how these laws protect adult rights.
* Working as part of a multi‑disciplinary/multi‑agency team.
* Applying the personalisation agenda and creative problem‑solving to maximise independence.
* Working within a scheme of delegated authority.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous convictions.
£51,657 to £58,785 a year pro rata (inclusive of 5 % HCAS).
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