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Social Worker
The closing date is 05 August 2025
We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Social Worker to join us in delivering high-quality community mental health care for individuals over 65 years old in the Northwest area of Hertfordshire. The applicant must be registered with Social Work England and have experience working in a community-based setting. You will be responsible for providing care to an assigned caseload of clients living in the community who are experiencing or recovering from mental health difficulties. A successful applicant will offer direct support and advice to service users and their carers within a recovery framework, respecting each individual's right to choice and control. You will ensure that appropriate health and social care services are commissioned as needed. Additionally, you will assess, identify, and evaluate clients' needs through comprehensive assessments, reviews, and care planning in collaboration with other professionals. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and engage with a variety of stakeholders both inside and outside of the Trust. This position offers excellent career development and training opportunities through Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. While the NHS is currently facing challenges, this is an exciting time to join HPFT. We are on a "great together" journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform, and provide the highest standards of care to the service users and communities we serve.
Main duties of the job
As a Social Worker, you will be part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing high-quality social care services to older adults experiencing mental health issues. Your main responsibilities will include assessing needs, planning care, and coordinating services from a social perspective for older individuals accessing our support. You will deliver recovery-focused care and support to both service users and their caregivers, in line with The Care Act 2014.
Your role will involve actively addressing the needs of older adults at risk of social exclusion and assisting them in navigating various challenging circumstances. Championing equality and diversity is essential, and you will be expected to challenge discrimination in all its forms as part of your responsibilities. You will manage a caseload of older adults with diverse mental health and social care needs. You must engage in ongoing reflection and development of your practice, ensuring that your continuing professional development aligns with the standards set by the professional regulator, Social Work England.
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.
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provides health and social care for over 400,000 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. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services, including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout.
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like to work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Job responsibilities
1. To be a champion of social care with a comprehensive understanding of legislation and statutory guidance.
2. To take a lead in the promotion of adult safeguarding practice, undertake safeguarding enquiries, and contribute to care plans that protect Functional older Adults from abuse.
3. To undertake comprehensive assessments and reviews for people who may present with high risk or complex social, legal, and environmental needs, ensuring appropriate assessment against social care eligibility criteria as defined by The Care Act 2014.
4. To offer direct support to service users and their carers, and to colleagues, through information and advice, ensuring those not meeting social care eligibility are appropriately signposted and supported.
5. 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 processes for charges by the local authority, if applicable.
6. To ensure commissioned services allow choice and focus on community living with appropriate support and universal access.
7. To undertake regular risk assessments and ensure safety of vulnerable people.
8. To undertake carer assessments, identify contingency plans, and provide support.
9. To develop and facilitate recovery-focused community services, promoting best practice within the locality.
10. To involve service users and carers to learn from their experiences and improve service delivery.
11. To maintain accurate, up-to-date computer records of all work undertaken.
12. To undertake post-qualifying training to maintain high standards and registration with Social Work England.
13. To provide reflective supervision to newly qualified social workers and unregistered staff.
14. To support newly qualified social workers through the ASYE program, with opportunities to train as an ASYE assessor.
15. To participate in regular supervision and reflect on your practice.
16. To undertake other delegated social care responsibilities as agreed with the Trust and Hertfordshire County Council.
17. To adhere to Trust policies and procedures.
18. To undertake additional training as required.
19. To perform any other duties as assigned by your line manager.
Person Specification
KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
* An appropriate professional social work qualification
* Registration with Social Work England
* Training in outcomes-focused assessments and personalization principles
* Relevant post-qualifying training for social workers
* Training and experience in Safeguarding
* Approved Mental Health Professional/Best Interests Assessment training
AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
* Knowledge of legislation, policy, and theory related to care for older adults
* Experience in assessments, care planning, and personalisation
* Understanding of personal budgets and direct payments
* Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams
* Experience in partnership working with service users and carers, demonstrating dignity and respect
* Experience as an Approved Mental Health Professional and/or Best Interests Assessor
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
* Excellent communication skills with diverse stakeholders, verbally and in writing
* Ability to manage sensitive information appropriately
* Experience with electronic recording systems and producing accurate reports
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
* Ability to analyze service user and carer information effectively
* Experience in conducting small audits and surveys
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, to ensure suitability for working with vulnerable adults.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
£40,617 to £48,778 per year, inclusive of 5% HCAS.
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