Job summary
Are you a registered Social Worker? Do you want to join an established, collaborative, and super supportive team?
St Margaret's Hospice Care has a fantastic opportunity for a Social Worker to be part of our multi-disciplinary palliative care team.
Salary: £18,669 - £20,444 (equivalent to a full-time salary of £37,338 - £40,888)
Working hours: Part Time (18.75 per week)
Location: Taunton
Contract: Permanent
Providing vital support to patients with a palliative, life limiting diagnosis as well as their families and carers, you will really be able to make a difference in this rewarding role.
In return, we offer a supportive working environment, the opportunity to develop new skills, and the satisfaction of helping the St. Margaret's team to make each day count for individuals and families in Somerset.
If you want to meet the Supportive Care team or see where we work, we'd love to hear from you. Just reach out to us to arrange a chat or visit!
Main duties of the job
We support palliative patients at all stages of their journey, from diagnosis to end stage disease, offering preventative, restorative, and supportive care.
As our Social Worker, you will play a key part in this by helping patients to identify what is important to them and achieve their goals. This might include support with financial, housing or other social issues, helping them to plan for their future or arranging support for their care needs.
Under the guidance of the Supportive Care Lead,your role will involve:
- Using your knowledge and expertise to provide really useful advice and guidance.
- Working with the clinical teams to ensure the social and supportive care needs of all patients and families are assessed and where possible met.
- 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.
This is a Hospice based post and will involve some travel in Taunton and the West Somerset area to undertake community work, home visits, and meetings.
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. 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, including bank holidays, rising to 35 days after 1 year, and increasing with length of service (pro-rata if part-time)
- 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 5.5% employer and 5% employee contribution.
Award-winning Employee Assistance Programme 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
- Health Cash Plans
- Blue Light Discount Card
- Enhanced parental leave*
- Excellent learning and development opportunities
- Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
- Volunteering and fundraising opportunities
*Eligibility criteria applies
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Social Worker at St. Margaret's is a specialist practitioner with extensive knowledge, skills and competency to manage a complex caseload of patients with advanced, progressive life limiting disease.
You 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Work as an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team in the Hospice and in the community.
- Establish effective working relationships with all external organisations from Adult Social Care, Primary and Secondary Health Care teams.
- Act as a resource for professionals and non-professionals involved in palliative care within the community.
- Work as an autonomous practitioner, without direct supervision, managing a clinical caseload of complex clients .
- 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Social Worker at St. Margaret's is a specialist practitioner with extensive knowledge, skills and competency to manage a complex caseload of patients with advanced, progressive life limiting disease.
You 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Work as an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team in the Hospice and in the community.
- Establish effective working relationships with all external organisations from Adult Social Care, Primary and Secondary Health Care teams.
- Act as a resource for professionals and non-professionals involved in palliative care within the community.
- Work as an autonomous practitioner, without direct supervision, managing a clinical caseload of complex clients .
- 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.
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).
