Social Worker
Closing date: 04 January 2026
Wathwood is an award‑winning Forensic Mental Health Hospital that provides the highest quality of care in a secure setting to our patients. We offer exciting opportunities in our unique Medium Secure setting. Whether you are newly qualified or looking for a new challenge, we have a role to suit everyone.
We are recruiting a Band 6 Social Worker to join our multidisciplinary teams within the hospital and provide assessment, risk management, care and treatment to aid recovery and advance the patient journey.
Interviews for this vacancy will be held on the 13 January 2026.
Responsibilities
* Have excellent interpersonal skills.
* Work effectively as part of a multi‑disciplinary team.
* Commit to providing the highest standards of care.
* Promote and maintain high standards of care through excellent communication, motivation, supervision and role‑modeling.
* Support staff to reach their full potential with a strong health and well‑being team.
* Report to the Social Work Manager and work closely within consultant‑led multidisciplinary teams.
* Provide high‑quality social work support to patients detained in a secure healthcare setting.
* Contribute to initial assessments, risk assessments and care planning for a defined caseload.
* Work with internal and external services to manage risk and ensure through‑care support is available.
* Support patients and their families directly.
* Take a lead role for safeguarding adults and children within our service.
* Provide social work reports to Mental Health Tribunals and to Care Programme Approach meetings on a regular basis.
* Carry a caseload of patients and present essential reports in a timely manner.
* Attend all relevant clinical meetings including MRTs, CPAs, Ward Rounds, 117 meetings, MAPPPs, Manager Reviews etc.
* Work within the legislative framework and adhere to all Trust and Directorate policies and procedures.
* Engage and liaise effectively with patients, families/carers and external agencies.
* Lead on child and adult safeguarding in the MDT.
* Oversee the child visiting procedure and ensure supervision and contact visits are conducted in accordance with national procedures.
* Ensure all necessary clinical and environmental risk assessments are carried out and management plans are developed in liaison with the Social Work Team Manager.
* Adhere to all Social Work and MSU standards.
* Provide a Social Work service to a defined patient caseload.
* Participate in regular managerial supervision with the Team Manager.
* Engage in clinical supervision as requested.
* Undertake other Social Work tasks as required by the Team Manager.
* Pay for the DBS check; costs will be deducted from salary over the first two months. Annual DBS update fee of £16 applies.
About Us
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.
We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire’s biggest employers, hosting national and regional services such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee‑led staff networks, including EDI groups, Green Champions, Freedom to Speak Up, Health and Wellbeing Champions, and Menopause Champions, supporting diversity and inclusion.
Our health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority, supported by in‑house occupational health and staff counselling services.
We are committed to reducing carbon emissions with an Energy and Environmental team ensuring compliance and achieving a net‑zero commitment.
Person Specification
Physical Characteristics
* Ability to travel to and from work in wide geographical locations.
* Ability to undertake all essential training.
Further Training
* Awareness of professional boundaries and ability to positively role‑model appropriate behaviour.
* Detailed knowledge of current Social Work practice.
* Detailed knowledge of all standards relevant to Social Work.
* Good understanding of Clinical Governance.
* Post‑Qualifying Training.
* Safeguarding Training.
* Multi‑Agency working.
Work Experience
* Extensive knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Code of Practice, Criminal Justice Legislation, Community Care Legislation and CPA, risk assessment and management methods.
* Experience carrying a caseload of forensic/mental health patients.
* Other experience in Social Care, Probation or Voluntary Sector work in a secure setting.
* Effective communication at all levels.
* Risk assessment and management skills.
* Effective organisation and prioritisation.
* Writing focused analytical reports to deadlines.
* Multi‑disciplinary teamwork.
* Ability to work with extreme histories of abuse or other behaviour.
* Ability to effectively present information.
Contractual Requirements
* Willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of the organisation.
Qualifications – Academic/Professional
* Professional qualifications in Social Work at Diploma level (e.g. Dip, DipSW, CQSW).
Dispositional Attributes
* Empathy.
* Ability to work with conflict.
* Effective working under pressure.
* Negotiation.
* Working with some autonomy.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous convictions.
Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year (pro rata for part time).
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