Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Social Worker to join Secure & SPLD Division within Mersey Care. We are looking to recruit a dynamic and skilled Social Worker into a band 6 forensic social work post at Maghull health park, Liverpool. The post will initially be based covering Maplewood Low Secure Hospital Learning Disability service at Whalley Lancashire.
PLEASE NOTE - In September of 2023 the service will relocate Aspen Wood, a state of the art, purpose built Low Secure unit at Maghull Health Park, Merseyside.
This is a fantastic professional development opportunity for a progressive social worker wanting to consider a career in forensic services and develop new skills. Newly qualified Social Workers would also be encouraged to apply, and would be enrolled on the ASYE programme.
Maplewood LSU is a secure inpatient service for adults with learning disabilities. The social work service is a well established and supportive team environment to work in and a full induction plan will be given to the successful candidate to assist them transitioning into forensic social work practice.
Applicants must be qualified Social Workers, have relevant experience with current Social Work England registration.
Main duties of the job
Maplewood provides care and treatment to patients detained under the Mental Health Act who require their care to be delivered within conditions of low security. Patients at Maplewood routinely have complex needs associated with a learning disability and/ or severe and enduring mental illness or a diagnosis of personality disorder. Patients may also present a risk of offending or challenging behavioural needs which may be associated with significant risk.
The successful candidate will be required to work closely with colleagues from other disciplines to assess needs and risks within a population of forensic service users and their families. We are looking for someone with the ability to work collaboratively whilst maintaining professional independence. The successful applicant will be based in Maplewood LSU but may be asked to work in any part of the Secure & Specialist Learning Disability Division in order to meet service need.
The permanent base for this post will be Maghull Health Park, Parkbourn, Liverpool L31 1HW.
The post holder will however be initially based at Mersey Care Whalley, Mitton Road, Whalley BB7 9PE until the transition of the Low Secure Unit has been facilitated in September 2023.
Mileage will be paid from Maghull Health Park to Mersey Care Whalley during this transitional phase.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 11 million people.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be an active member of a multi-disciplinary team and will bring the social care perspective to service planning meetings and individualised care planning. The role involves providing case management to a defined caseload within the CPA and CTR framework and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues to assess needs and risks within a forensic patient population. You will provide a professional social work service to patients, their families and carers and routinely liaise with external stakeholders from the point of admission to discharge.
The successful candidate will have the ability to deliver an efficient and high quality social care service, have well developed assessment and analytical skills alongside effective interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
You must have good knowledge of the key relevant Health & Social Care and Criminal Justice legislation to work in a forensic setting as well as a good knowledge around safeguarding frameworks. You should have well developed report writing skills as routinely you will be required to complete mental health legislation reports for Managers Hearings and Tribunals alongside assessment reports for admission and discharge.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be an active member of a multi-disciplinary team and will bring the social care perspective to service planning meetings and individualised care planning. The role involves providing case management to a defined caseload within the CPA and CTR framework and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues to assess needs and risks within a forensic patient population. You will provide a professional social work service to patients, their families and carers and routinely liaise with external stakeholders from the point of admission to discharge.
The successful candidate will have the ability to deliver an efficient and high quality social care service, have well developed assessment and analytical skills alongside effective interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
You must have good knowledge of the key relevant Health & Social Care and Criminal Justice legislation to work in a forensic setting as well as a good knowledge around safeguarding frameworks. You should have well developed report writing skills as routinely you will be required to complete mental health legislation reports for Managers Hearings and Tribunals alongside assessment reports for admission and discharge.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration and professional relevant qualification recognised for the purposes of HCPC registration i.e. Dip SW, CSS, CQSW and Degree in Social Work.
Desirable
- AMHP
- Practice teaching award
- PQ/AASW
- Forensic behavioural science
- Best Interest Assessor
Knowledge
Essential
- Legislative Framework
- Health & Social Care Act. National Service Frameworks, Mental Capacity Act (2006), Mental Health Act 2007
- Underpinning Knowledge and Understanding Requirements of relevant legislation, Child care legislation and criminal justice system, Care Programme Approach, Social work models in forensic work, Conditions of secure mental health, Drugs, alcohol and substance misuse, Interaction between mental disorder and offending behaviour within a family and social context
- National and local policies
- Models of risk assessment and risk factors and management, Financing of community care
- Housing and welfare provision, roles, responsibilities of other agencies, Learning from enquiries' reports, Role of Mental Health Review Tribunals, Victims.
- Theoretical models of forensic social work/forensic psychiatry/forensic psychology
- Mental Health Social Work
- (Community Mental Health Team, Continuing Care Team, Hospital Social Work Team, Emergency Duty Team, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Team, Probation Service)
- 2 years Post Qualification or 1 year Post Qualification plus 1 year pre qualification in settings above
- Professional Capabilities Framework Knowledge.
- Learning Disability
- CTR Framework
Desirable
- Putting People First (DH 2006)
- New Horizons (DH 2009)
- Revised NHS Operating Framework 2010/11 (June 2010)
- Research methodologies
- Forensic Mental Health
- Approved Social Work
- Multi-Disciplinary Work
- Offence related work
- Group work
- Appropriate adult
Skills
Essential
- A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary setting
- Ability to apply social work practice in the framework of a non medical model
- Complex Risk Assessment & Complex Risk Management skills
- Recording and preparing reports
Desirable
- Offence related work
- Victim work
- Advocacy work
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration and professional relevant qualification recognised for the purposes of HCPC registration i.e. Dip SW, CSS, CQSW and Degree in Social Work.
Desirable
- AMHP
- Practice teaching award
- PQ/AASW
- Forensic behavioural science
- Best Interest Assessor
Knowledge
Essential
- Legislative Framework
- Health & Social Care Act. National Service Frameworks, Mental Capacity Act (2006), Mental Health Act 2007
- Underpinning Knowledge and Understanding Requirements of relevant legislation, Child care legislation and criminal justice system, Care Programme Approach, Social work models in forensic work, Conditions of secure mental health, Drugs, alcohol and substance misuse, Interaction between mental disorder and offending behaviour within a family and social context
- National and local policies
- Models of risk assessment and risk factors and management, Financing of community care
- Housing and welfare provision, roles, responsibilities of other agencies, Learning from enquiries' reports, Role of Mental Health Review Tribunals, Victims.
- Theoretical models of forensic social work/forensic psychiatry/forensic psychology
- Mental Health Social Work
- (Community Mental Health Team, Continuing Care Team, Hospital Social Work Team, Emergency Duty Team, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Team, Probation Service)
- 2 years Post Qualification or 1 year Post Qualification plus 1 year pre qualification in settings above
- Professional Capabilities Framework Knowledge.
- Learning Disability
- CTR Framework
Desirable
- Putting People First (DH 2006)
- New Horizons (DH 2009)
- Revised NHS Operating Framework 2010/11 (June 2010)
- Research methodologies
- Forensic Mental Health
- Approved Social Work
- Multi-Disciplinary Work
- Offence related work
- Group work
- Appropriate adult
Skills
Essential
- A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary setting
- Ability to apply social work practice in the framework of a non medical model
- Complex Risk Assessment & Complex Risk Management skills
- Recording and preparing reports
Desirable
- Offence related work
- Victim work
- Advocacy work
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
