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Senior Social Worker - Mental Health Social Care Team
| Posting date: | 04 March 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £44,708 to £50,710 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 30 March 2025 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Fixed term for 12 months - Full Time
We are seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our Mental Health Social Care Team, focusing on individuals experiencing self-neglect and hoarding behaviours. This role requires a compassionate and collaborative approach to working with individuals in complex situations, ensuring they receive the necessary support and intervention to improve their well-being.
About the role:
The role will be working with complex mental health / hoarding disorder cases, considering if action is needed to safeguard people / minimising risk / assessing capacity and considering any legal action needed. It involves developing partner working and building he new service. The applicant will need a sound knowledge of working considering the Mental Capacity Act, the Care Act and the Mental Health Act. Training can also be given.
In Reading we use the Conversation Counts model and the team offer the full range of social care interventions for the client group, from advice and signposting, adult safeguarding, discharges from the psychiatric hospital, to initial assessments under the Care Act and commissioning of services to meet eligible needs or mental health aftercare needs under S117 Mental Health Act 1989 and onward reviews.
Key Responsibilities:
Hold a small caseload of individuals living in hoarded environments and at risk of self-neglect.
Use a collaborative and strength-based approach to engage and support individuals who hoard.
Conduct home visits to assess and monitor individuals' needs and progress.
Complete Care Act assessments and Mental Capacity assessments to determine appropriate support.
Lead and contribute to safeguarding investigations and strategy meetings where necessary.
Build and maintain effective partnerships with key stakeholders, including health professionals, care providers, the Fire Service, housing providers, Environmental Health teams, and other social care teams.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
About you
Good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act is pivotal to the role and experience of court work and Community DOLS is required. The team takes a strengths-based approach and aims to help individuals tap into support available in their local network where possible with an aim of preventing needs arising and promoting independence in their own home.
You will need to have:
A degree or equivalent in Social Work
Registration with Social Work England
Understanding of the Care Act 2014 and relevant legislation that guides Adult Social Care.
Understanding and experience in working with the MHA 1983 (as amended 2007) and the MCA 2005)
Significant understanding and experience in working with adults with serious mental illness.
We offer excellent support, supervision and induction. You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop. There are opportunities for training as an Approved Mental Health Professional, BIA or practice educator.
We work closely with our colleagues within Reading Borough Council, Health Professionals, Voluntary and Charity colleagues to facilitate the best possible outcomes for those people we support.
This role offers Agile/Hybrid Working – you have the opportunity to work from home and the Civic Offices in Reading but also you will need to attend face to face visits within the Reading Borough.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Penny Conroy, Mental health Social Care Team Manager, on 07580 539 875 or Penelope.Conroy@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed upon submission
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received.
Visit: www.moretoreading.co.uk to find out more about Reading’s Community & Adult Social Care Services. It’s a chance to hear from the people who already work here and why they have chosen Reading as their professional destination.
We are seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our Mental Health Social Care Team, focusing on individuals experiencing self-neglect and hoarding behaviours. This role requires a compassionate and collaborative approach to working with individuals in complex situations, ensuring they receive the necessary support and intervention to improve their well-being.
About the role:
The role will be working with complex mental health / hoarding disorder cases, considering if action is needed to safeguard people / minimising risk / assessing capacity and considering any legal action needed. It involves developing partner working and building he new service. The applicant will need a sound knowledge of working considering the Mental Capacity Act, the Care Act and the Mental Health Act. Training can also be given.
In Reading we use the Conversation Counts model and the team offer the full range of social care interventions for the client group, from advice and signposting, adult safeguarding, discharges from the psychiatric hospital, to initial assessments under the Care Act and commissioning of services to meet eligible needs or mental health aftercare needs under S117 Mental Health Act 1989 and onward reviews.
Key Responsibilities:
Hold a small caseload of individuals living in hoarded environments and at risk of self-neglect.
Use a collaborative and strength-based approach to engage and support individuals who hoard.
Conduct home visits to assess and monitor individuals' needs and progress.
Complete Care Act assessments and Mental Capacity assessments to determine appropriate support.
Lead and contribute to safeguarding investigations and strategy meetings where necessary.
Build and maintain effective partnerships with key stakeholders, including health professionals, care providers, the Fire Service, housing providers, Environmental Health teams, and other social care teams.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
About you
Good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act is pivotal to the role and experience of court work and Community DOLS is required. The team takes a strengths-based approach and aims to help individuals tap into support available in their local network where possible with an aim of preventing needs arising and promoting independence in their own home.
You will need to have:
A degree or equivalent in Social Work
Registration with Social Work England
Understanding of the Care Act 2014 and relevant legislation that guides Adult Social Care.
Understanding and experience in working with the MHA 1983 (as amended 2007) and the MCA 2005)
Significant understanding and experience in working with adults with serious mental illness.
We offer excellent support, supervision and induction. You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop. There are opportunities for training as an Approved Mental Health Professional, BIA or practice educator.
We work closely with our colleagues within Reading Borough Council, Health Professionals, Voluntary and Charity colleagues to facilitate the best possible outcomes for those people we support.
This role offers Agile/Hybrid Working – you have the opportunity to work from home and the Civic Offices in Reading but also you will need to attend face to face visits within the Reading Borough.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Penny Conroy, Mental health Social Care Team Manager, on 07580 539 875 or Penelope.Conroy@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed upon submission
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received.
Visit: www.moretoreading.co.uk to find out more about Reading’s Community & Adult Social Care Services. It’s a chance to hear from the people who already work here and why they have chosen Reading as their professional destination.
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