Forensic Inpatient Social Worker - Oxford - Development post

Job overview

The Thames Valley Forensic Mental Health in-patient wards include Medium-secure Acute wards, Medium-secure Rehab wards, Low secure Units, and a Pre-discharge Unit, and are spread across three sites – Littlemore, Oxford; Milton Keynes; and Aylesbury, Bucks.

We are looking for a highly motivated and resourceful, qualified and registered Social Work professional who is keen to utilise their skills, and experience, to bring the social care perspective into the forensic mental health In-patient setting, to support service users in their recovery journey.

The post will suit experienced candidates who are resilient, enjoy working as part of an MDT, and sensitive to the recovery goals and needs of service users moving out of an in-patient unit.

The role will be ward-based, covering our Pre-Discharge Unit at Littlemore, and will input into other wards when required. The job location will require flexibility to hot-desk. An additional Forensic Allowance of £1446 p.a. applies to this post.

Main duties of the job

You will work within an inpatient ward as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT). You will contribute to pre-admission assessments, particularly focusing on identifying any social issues that are relevant to the person's recovery, and general circumstances.

You will identify any potential barriers to discharge at the earliest possible stage, and work with others to help overcome these.

We'll need you to provide support to the wider ward team in regard to both children’s and adult safeguarding responsibilities.

You will contribute to the ongoing care planning for in-patients, and work with partner organisations and the wider MDT to ensure risk is managed effectively.  You'll be linking with relevant colleagues, Responsible Local Authorities and Integrated Care Boards to ensure that patients are assessed under the Care Act 2014 and that their 'Section 117' needs are determined in a timely manner,  to facilitate effective discharge, in collaboration with the patient and their family.

You will contribute to various statutory forums including Mental Health Tribunals and Mental Health Act Hospital Managers’ Hearings. You will demonstrate the skills to maintain their Social Work professional identity and ability to assert the social perspective when working within an inpatient environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To contribute to pre-admission assessments of patients referred to the Service. This will include ascertaining Local Authority section 117 responsibility, and where applicable, identifying any family, carer, or child protection issues, as well as any other relevant agencies involved.
• Following admission, to identify social care issues and ensure there is ongoing liaison with relevant agencies , so that any issues regarding property and tenancy are dealt with at an early stage.
• To have a working knowledge of relevant legislation such as the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Care Act and to contribute to assessments of needs under the Care Act 2014 and Section 117 Aftercare needs, working with Responsible Local Authority and ICB partners to ensure arrangements are made for  effective discharge planning.
• To function effectively across a variety of environments (e.g. wards of varying levels of security, service users’ homes, inter-agency settings, etc.) including contributing to home risk assessments.
• To work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team to assert the social perspective and assess, plan, and implement patient-centred programmes of care/interventions within the Care Programme Approach, contributing to the continuous assessment of patients to help meet their needs. This includes working in partnership with service users to assess progress against identified goals.
• To maintain contact with families and carers where appropriate, to identify needs including referring for Carers Assessments when required.
• To compile both non-statutory and statutory reports including CPA Reports, Social History and Needs Reports, Social Circumstances Reports for Mental Health Tribunals and Mental Health Act Hospital Managers’ Hearings, and present at the Hearings, and meetings.
• To lead on Safeguarding issues, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) referrals and to attend MAPPA meetings where required to present cases and discuss patients.