Specialist Practice Educator-Social Work (Think Ahead)

Job summary

For the second year, CFT are partnering with Think Ahead - a charity that works with NHS and Local Authority mental health services to train exceptional social workers. We'll be taking on four trainee social workers (participants) who will join the organisation. This is a great opportunity for you to take up the role of Specialist Practice Educator in Social Work with our Think Ahead cohort.

In this role you will:

• Join a network of leaders across the country promoting and strengthening mental health social work in the NHS.
• Lead and develop four talented participants, who are passionate about mental health and social work.
• Develop your skills in practice, supervision, and education.
• Get fully funded CPD training, including a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work from Middlesex University.

Role

In this full-time fixed term / secondment position, you'll manage a "unit" of four participants who are placed in an adult mental health service. This role is open to job share. You retain a frontline role, share a service user caseload, and act as their leader and role model. You will provide practice education of outstanding quality. You'll work with an academic tutor and assess participants' ability to put social work theories, interventions, and legislation into practice.

Main duties of the job

Think Ahead is a charity working in partnership with NHS and Local Authority community mental health services to provide a fast track route into adult mental health social work for highly motivated graduates and career changers.

The Specialist Practice Educator (sometimes referred to as a Consultant Social Worker /CSW) will be employed by Cornwall NHS Foundation Trust to lead and supervise a unit of four Think Ahead participants who are placed in Restormel CMHT . Specialist Practice Educators provide an outstanding practice learning experience, acting as role models for participants, whilst operating at senior social work level in a multi-disciplinary team.

Management of the Think Ahead unit: Responsible for all cases allocated to the Think Ahead unit - ensuring that effective social work support is provided in each case in accordance with relevant legislation and local/national policy. Acting as a role-model for outstanding evidence-based social work practice to Think Ahead participants.

General: To operate at senior social work level within a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring the delivery and development of effective and best quality services in accordance with the service operational policy and quality performance targets. To investigate and manage risk, undertake complex assessments, undertake appropriate onward planning of care, providing specialist mental health advice, support and interventions to staff, carers and patients and other agencies.

About us

We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.