Job summary
St Margaret's Hospice Care has a fantastic opportunity for a Social Worker with substantial safeguarding knowledge to join our Supportive care team. You will join us on a permanent basis and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £37,338 - £40,888 per annum.
This role is based in Taunton and Yeovil and involves travel throughout Somerset to undertake community work, home visits, and meetings.
This is a full time role (37.5 hours) with a working pattern of 5 days a week. The post is hospice based with possibility of working at home one or two days a week.
Main duties of the job
You will be joining an established and super supportive team with a collaborative working culture.
As our Social Worker, you will autonomously manage a complex case load of patients with a palliative, life limiting diagnosis. You will also support their families and carers.
Under the guidance of the Supportive Care Lead, your day-to-day work will include:
- Working with the clinical teams to ensure the social and supportive care needs of all patients and families are assessed and where possible met.
- Using your safeguarding knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance.
- Providing expert safeguarding support to clinical staff, patients, families, and carers, ensuring the welfare of vulnerable adults and children.
- Managing safeguarding concerns and promoting best practices.
- Training and developing colleagues, including line managing the Social Work Assistant.
- Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate, patient-centred care
About us
Be part of a welcoming, community minded charity. Our mission is to provide excellent specialist palliative care for patients and support to their families. Everyone here contributes and has a part to play towards our goal. If you speak to any of our staff or volunteers, they will tell you how the patient is at the heart of everything they do. So, if you're looking for a role where you can really make a difference, we could be a perfect match.
Holiday entitlement
- 33 days holiday inc bank holidays rising to 35 days after 1 year, and increasing with length of service (pro-rata if p/t)
- Recognise continuous service for clinical staff paid at band 5+ who join directly from the NHS or another hospice
- Ability to buy and sell annual leave
Pension scheme
- NHS employees eligible to continue with their NHS pension scheme*
- Non-NHS employees will receive 5% employer and 5% employee contribution.
Award-winning EAP for you and your family offering:
- Vitality & wellbeing health portal for non-emergency care
- Unlimited access to 24/7 online GP Consultations as well as Expert Case Management
- Confidential and free 24-hour Employee Assistance
- Counselling and support
- Legal, financial, and medical information and advice
And more
- Life assurance cover 2x salary
- Health Cash Plans
- Blue Light Discount Card
- Enhanced parental leave*
- Learning and development opportunities
- Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
- Volunteering and fundraising opportunities
*Eligibility criteria applies
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose
- The Social Worker at St. Margarets is a specialist practitioner with extensive knowledge, skills and
competency to manage a complex caseload of patients with advanced, progressive life limiting disease.
- They will undertake the holistic assessment, planning and delivery of a consistently high standard of
specialist palliative and supportive care in accordance with the hospice policy, procedures and
standards.
- To work with the clinical teams, under the guidance of the supportive care lead, to ensure, the social
and supportive care needs of all patients and families using the service are assessed and where possible
met.
- To support all clinical staff in relation to safeguarding knowledge and expertise. The main objective is to
provide expert safeguarding support to all clinical staff, patients, families, and carers within a hospice
setting, ensuring the welfare of vulnerable adults and children. This includes managing safeguarding
concerns, promoting best practices, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver
compassionate, patient-centred care.
- The post-holder will be working as an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team in the Hospice
and in the community.
- They will establish effective working relationships with all external organisations from Adult Social Care,
Primary and Secondary Health Care teams, and act as a resource for professionals and non-professionals involved in palliative care within the community.
- They will take responsibility for own clinical caseload of complex clients working as an autonomous
practitioner, without direct supervision.
- They will be instrumental in the training and development of more junior and support staff, including
the oversight of the social work assistant and multi-disciplinary assistants social care work
Clinical:
- Responsible for a caseload of varying complexity, commensurate with ability and qualifications,
receiving and responding to referrals from various sources.
- To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients and carers including those with diverse or
complex presentations/multi-pathologies using advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment
techniques.
- Follow the integrated care programme approach and risk assessment to protect the safety of individuals.
- Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service
professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care.
- Maintain client records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures.
- Plan and agree service responses, resources, needs and support and develop realistic care plans to meet
identified individual needs/circumstances.
- Recognise the importance of Preferred Priorities of Care at end of life for patient and their families and
aim to facilitate patient choice.
- Promote peoples equality, diversity and rights and develop, maintain and evaluate systems and
structures in an anti-discriminatory way.
- Maintain IT systems relating to client information and input.
- Develop knowledge and practice and contribute to the development of policy and practice. Participate
in agreed Post Qualifying training and professional development programmes.
- Supervise the work of unqualified, vocationally qualified staff or students as agreed.
- Provide specialist advice and act as a resource for the multi-disciplinary team.
- Administer corporate appointee ships and consider the need to make applications to the Court of
Protection for patients who lack capacity.
- Protect the property, including animals, belonging to people who are admitted into hospital/hospice.
- To be professionally accountable for all aspects of own work.
- To identify health and social care problems requiring assessment/intervention from other agencies and
with the consent of the patient action those referrals.
- To assess patients capacity and ability to consent to options and understanding of associated risks, working within the relevant legislations and policy/procedures.
- To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.
- To work within St Margarets Hospice clinical guidelines, the social work Professional Standards, have a
good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice
as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose
- The Social Worker at St. Margarets is a specialist practitioner with extensive knowledge, skills and
competency to manage a complex caseload of patients with advanced, progressive life limiting disease.
- They will undertake the holistic assessment, planning and delivery of a consistently high standard of
specialist palliative and supportive care in accordance with the hospice policy, procedures and
standards.
- To work with the clinical teams, under the guidance of the supportive care lead, to ensure, the social
and supportive care needs of all patients and families using the service are assessed and where possible
met.
- To support all clinical staff in relation to safeguarding knowledge and expertise. The main objective is to
provide expert safeguarding support to all clinical staff, patients, families, and carers within a hospice
setting, ensuring the welfare of vulnerable adults and children. This includes managing safeguarding
concerns, promoting best practices, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver
compassionate, patient-centred care.
- The post-holder will be working as an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team in the Hospice
and in the community.
- They will establish effective working relationships with all external organisations from Adult Social Care,
Primary and Secondary Health Care teams, and act as a resource for professionals and non-professionals involved in palliative care within the community.
- They will take responsibility for own clinical caseload of complex clients working as an autonomous
practitioner, without direct supervision.
- They will be instrumental in the training and development of more junior and support staff, including
the oversight of the social work assistant and multi-disciplinary assistants social care work
Clinical:
- Responsible for a caseload of varying complexity, commensurate with ability and qualifications,
receiving and responding to referrals from various sources.
- To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients and carers including those with diverse or
complex presentations/multi-pathologies using advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment
techniques.
- Follow the integrated care programme approach and risk assessment to protect the safety of individuals.
- Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service
professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care.
- Maintain client records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures.
- Plan and agree service responses, resources, needs and support and develop realistic care plans to meet
identified individual needs/circumstances.
- Recognise the importance of Preferred Priorities of Care at end of life for patient and their families and
aim to facilitate patient choice.
- Promote peoples equality, diversity and rights and develop, maintain and evaluate systems and
structures in an anti-discriminatory way.
- Maintain IT systems relating to client information and input.
- Develop knowledge and practice and contribute to the development of policy and practice. Participate
in agreed Post Qualifying training and professional development programmes.
- Supervise the work of unqualified, vocationally qualified staff or students as agreed.
- Provide specialist advice and act as a resource for the multi-disciplinary team.
- Administer corporate appointee ships and consider the need to make applications to the Court of
Protection for patients who lack capacity.
- Protect the property, including animals, belonging to people who are admitted into hospital/hospice.
- To be professionally accountable for all aspects of own work.
- To identify health and social care problems requiring assessment/intervention from other agencies and
with the consent of the patient action those referrals.
- To assess patients capacity and ability to consent to options and understanding of associated risks, working within the relevant legislations and policy/procedures.
- To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.
- To work within St Margarets Hospice clinical guidelines, the social work Professional Standards, have a
good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice
as appropriate.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or Master's in Social work (or equivalent).
- Registration with Social Work England.
- Full driving licence and access to a car to undertake community work.
Desirable
- Previous experience of working with health professionals
Self Awareness
Essential
- Compassion and understanding of the needs of patients at the end of life.
- Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
- Resilience in handling emotionally challenging cases.
- Ability to adapt to changing or conflicting priorities.
Desirable
Working with others
Essential
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with patients, families, and professionals.
- Ability to manage complex and sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
Desirable
- Ability to supervise junior staff and facilitate their development.
- A variety of experiences working with relevant client groups.
Outcome and Results
Essential
- Excellent risk assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to demonstrate sound clinical decision making in the assessment of patients/families/carers and the implementation and evaluation of care plans.
- To be computer literate.
- Ability to demonstrate effective caseload and workload management.
Leading in your area
Essential
- Experience in safeguarding vulnerable adults and/or children within a health, hospice, or social care setting.
- Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and guidance, including the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989/2004, and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Desirable
- Knowledge of palliative care, end-of-life care, or related health and social care fields
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or Master's in Social work (or equivalent).
- Registration with Social Work England.
- Full driving licence and access to a car to undertake community work.
Desirable
- Previous experience of working with health professionals
Self Awareness
Essential
- Compassion and understanding of the needs of patients at the end of life.
- Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
- Resilience in handling emotionally challenging cases.
- Ability to adapt to changing or conflicting priorities.
Desirable
Working with others
Essential
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with patients, families, and professionals.
- Ability to manage complex and sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
Desirable
- Ability to supervise junior staff and facilitate their development.
- A variety of experiences working with relevant client groups.
Outcome and Results
Essential
- Excellent risk assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to demonstrate sound clinical decision making in the assessment of patients/families/carers and the implementation and evaluation of care plans.
- To be computer literate.
- Ability to demonstrate effective caseload and workload management.
Leading in your area
Essential
- Experience in safeguarding vulnerable adults and/or children within a health, hospice, or social care setting.
- Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and guidance, including the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989/2004, and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Desirable
- Knowledge of palliative care, end-of-life care, or related health and social care fields
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
