Forensic Social Worker

Job overview

We are looking for a Forensic Social worker to join our team to provide a specialist social care service to an agreed caseload of clients and their carers. The service works across all areas of the Directorate including the Bracton Centre & Memorial Hospital, community and specialist aftercare hostel.

Working as part of the inpatient team you will provide advice to multi-disciplinary colleagues regarding social care in the inpatient setting and also be part of the Forensic Community Services.

As part of your role you may be involved in student Social Worker supervision.

Main duties of the job

• Work as part of the multi-disciplinary in-patient team with clients and carers to meet social care needs within a range of highly complex situations that arise from offending behaviour and mental health needs. Engage in a therapeutic process to assist recovery and, if required, undertaking family work.
• Take a lead role within the team to safeguard Adults and Children in line with safeguarding policies
• Identify and establish links with the Responsible Local Authority for each client to ensure good liaison and care planning and timely discharge from hospital
• Identify and obtain funding for appropriate care packages from the Responsible Local Authority
• Undertake role in the aftercare of clients as care co-ordinator under CPA in agreed cases
• Undertake Social Supervision of a mixed caseload of the Forensic Community Service patients subject to conditional discharge in agreed cases
• Take a lead role in the multi-disciplinary context in enabling clients and carers to exercise their rights and promote their equality and diversity including liaison with advocacy services to challenge oppressive practice
• Manage work to ensure own personal safety and the security of self and others, contributing to the development of a safe working environment
• Develop own knowledge and practice and provide evidence of continued professional development by means of a professional portfolio as outlined by SW England.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Leadership

• Contribute to the development of knowledge and practice of any student social workers placed within the social work team, including by acting as practice teacher as agreed with line manager
• Undertake other relevant training as agreed with line manager

Clinical

• Gather information for assessment and risk analysis from the clients, carers and others such as family members. Use this information which is often highly complex and sensitive to provide appropriate reports within deadlines
• Ensure that all clients who are in-patients have a social history completed to inform the post-admission assessment process
• Undertake assessment and analysis of risk to the public and staff or others of re-offending. Develop with multi-disciplinary teams risk management strategies and care plans for the treatment and rehabilitation of clients, taking a lead in relation to their individual social care needs
• Co-ordinate care for clients using knowledge of different legislation such as MHA 1983 and 2007, NHS and Community Care Act, Children Act, MCA 2005, within a multi-disciplinary context.

Research

• Maintain professional practice by keeping up to date on social work research, literature and practice development. If appropriate, undertake or contribute to research.

Communication

• Engage with clients’ families and carers to ensure that they are aware of their legal rights
• Provide social circumstances reports within specific time periods for legal settings such as Mental Health Tribunals, which reflect the needs of the individual clients and issues of risk, and conform to the standards for such reports
• Attend Mental Health Tribunals to represent social care view as contained in own report and be cross-examined on content of report by expert panel and client’s legal representative
• Maintain records in timely and accurate manner in accordance with Oxleas policies and social work standards.