Mental Health Social Worker

Mental Health Practitioner B6 - Mental Health Social Worker

Only those with Social Work England registration, and can evidence at least 2 years of practice or experience AFTER completion of ASYE.

This role will involve a number of elements which will support people with mental health conditions in the new integrated mental health teams. These roles will be key in providing professional nursing support to the new primary care network based teams and will provide mental and physical health support helping people to engage with their local communities and benefit from all the supports available locally. The post holder will be part of a multi-disciplinary team which will cover a Primary Care Network or locality and will work across networks to form a truly innovative and ground- breaking support structure.

The objectives of the services are:

To consider an individual's needs holistically - mental and physical health as well as social needs

To reduce the need for repeated long assessments and story telling

To provide early advice and guidance with signposting to the relevant services where appropriate therefore supporting individuals to make full use of community resources available

To bridge the gaps that can appear between community mental health care and primary care, acute care, social services and support.

To ensure easier access to the right level of care such as group programmes, therapy etc.

Job description

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Professional qualification in mental health - Mental Health Nursing (RMN) with current NMC registration

Desirable

• Educated to degree or Diploma level with other courses relevant to primary care mental health services e.g. CBT, Brief Solution Focussed Therapy etc.
• RGN/physical health qualification
• Evidence of recent and on-going relevant further professional development

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of post qualifying work in psychiatry.
• Experience of supervising junior staff within own and/or other disciplines

Desirable

• Evidence of experience in a Band 6 position or equivalent
• Other relevant post registration experience
• Audit and research experience
• Experience of teaching/training in a formal or informal setting
• Experience of working in a primary care setting/ social care/ voluntary sector

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of counselling skills/cognitive behavioural skills, psychosocial interventions
• Knowledge of recovery approaches as used with those with mental health conditions
• Ability to interpret research and apply to practice
• Specialist knowledge of mental health conditions as well as their relationship to physical disorders
• Assessment and treatment of Deliberate Self Harm
• Risk assessment/management and crisis intervention skills
• Use of psychosocial assessment methods
• Higher level communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de-escalation techniques effectively
• Sufficient clinical knowledge to be able to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems and judgement about available options, with senior clinical support/supervision
• Team/self management and organisation skills that enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
• Computer literate

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to frequently work under pressure and maintain intense concentration, particularly in unpredictable situations where there will be exposure to highly distressed and/or disturbed patients, often exhibiting challenging behaviours and the risk of physical violence
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Commitment to equal opportunities
• Self-motivated, able to work autonomously and independently with confidence when required
• Willing to use peer and group supervision creatively

About the employer

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.