Social Worker-Mental Health Social Work Discharge Team

About Us

Working for us at West Sussex County Council is all about making a positive difference to the people of West Sussex. This is a great opportunity for you to join us as a qualified social worker.

This is an innovative pilot scheme for the Mental Health Social Work Discharge Team (MHSWDT), which will form an integral part of a new model of discharge, being implemented in partnership with our colleagues in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT).

The team will work alongside a Discharge Hub, led by SPFT, and will be responsible for managing the discharges for all complex social care discharges from acute and community mental health hospitals.

If this sounds like an interesting opportunity for you, why not join us and let's make a difference to our communities together!

About the job

Salary: £35,235 to £41,511 per annum
Working Pattern: Full time,37 hours per week
Contract Length: Permanent
Location: Bridge House, Worthing

As a Social Worker, you will be working with people with severe and enduring mental health challenges and coordinating their discharge from hospital. You will work in partnership with our health colleagues and directly link into the wards to support a fast-paced discharge, which adheres to all statutory requirements.

You will manage a caseload, collaborating with people and family or friend carers, undertake strengths-based assessments and reviews, identifying eligible needs and personalised outcomes.

Act as a professional representative for the service, focusing on the safe and effective delivery of services to individuals with complex mental disorders. Uphold integrity, professionalism, and respect for the organisation, prioritising the needs of both individuals and the business.

Your office based will be in Worthing, with opportunities to work hybrid from home part of the week. You will need to take an organised approach whilst exercising your expertise with knowledge of policies and legislations to support those in need.

There will also be a requirement for you to work flexibly to support customers, carers and families, sometimes out of normal office hours. You will be required to travel county wide, including to locations that are not always easily accessible by public transport so it is desirable for you to have a driving licence.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills & Qualifications (please cover with examples within your application as these are the short-listing criteria):

1. Ability to analyse and interpret people related information and data in order to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
2. Ability to undertake direct work with those who access or need the service in order to support individuals.
3. Ability to work in partnership with carers, colleagues and a variety of external agencies in order to deliver the most effective service.
4. Ability to work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate
   assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and
5. Ability to remain up to date with key legislation and apply legislative requirements within social work practice.
   
   
6. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and oral format including the ability to explain complicated information to a wide range of people and negotiate and persuade others to adopt a particular course of action.
7. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
   
   Qualifications and/or experience:
   Degree in relevant professional or equivalent qualification e.g. Certificate of Qualification in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work.
   * Registration with the relevant professional registration body and
   responsibility for maintaining registration with that body.
   * Approved Mental Health Practitioner (it is a requirement to have AMHP
   qualification or to be working towards the qualification to be complete within 2 years of appointment and to maintain level of knowledge).
   * Full, valid driving licence.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

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 CAFHE05703

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Rifat Khan (Service Manager Working Age Mental Health)

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact .

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 right to work within the UK, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.