About this role
Job summary
Are you passionate about people, purpose, and progress? We're seeking an enthusiastic and skilled RMN, Social Worker or OT to join our remarkable Community Perinatal Mental Health Team, where compassion, innovation, and inclusivity are at the heart of everything we do. We are a dynamic and multidisciplinary team providing specialist perinatal mental health support to women, birthing people, partners, and families. Our work is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and holistic care--and we're proud to serve a richly diverse community.
We strongly believe that diverse teams create stronger services, and we actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. Your perspective matters, and we're committed to creating a team where every voice is valued.
You'll bring strong mental health experience, ideally in adult care.
In return, we offer flexible working arrangements, perinatal training, opportunities for personal and professional development, and a supportive, forward-thinking workplace where you can make a lasting impact.
Main duties of the job
The Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Team is a multi-disciplinary service supporting women and birthing parents who experience moderate to severe mental health difficulties, or who are at high risk of relapse during pregnancy and the postnatal period.
We provide:
Specialist assessment, treatment, and psychological interventions to address mental ill health.
Support to strengthen the parent-infant relationship, recognising that a baby's wellbeing and development are closely linked to their parent's mental health.
Multi-agency training, consultation, and advice for professionals working with families in the perinatal period.
Our team works across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire, following a shared-care ethos. We collaborate closely with primary care, maternity services, adult mental health teams, early years' services, and independent sector organisations to ensure families have access to specialist support, risk assessment, and care planning.
About us
We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
We aim to provide High Quality, Compassionate Care everywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.
Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200miles, to more than 1.8million people.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job description Job responsibilities
To undertake roles and responsibilities identified in the job description and key local information documents.
This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with trust policy, all newly qualified social workers will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding. All NQSWs are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be agreed to extend this for a further 2 years.On successful completion of the ASYE, for which you will be given full support of an experienced Social Worker as well as Divisional Social Work Lead, and peer support from other ASYE candidates, you will then be eligible to progress to a Band 6 position.If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy.
Person Specification
Professionally registered Essential
Degree in Social Work/Occupational Therapy and current registration with Health and Care Professions Council OR Registered as a mental health nurse RMA (parts 3 or 13 of NMC register)
Experience Essential
Experience of working with women experiencing perinatal mental health needs and / or knowledge of demographic risk factors for this client group Demonstrates experience as a Care co-ordinator or equivalent role of complex cases. Significant post-qualifying clinical experience obtained in a variety of settings in mental health
Desirable
Experience of delivering teaching/training
Statutory awareness Essential
Able to articulate an advanced and detailed understanding of the relevant legal Frameworks / legislation including CPA process, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding both children and adults. Demonstrates a clear knowledge and understanding of the issues and statutory processes involved in caring for vulnerable people.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Address Callington Road Hospital
Marmalade Lane, Brislington
Bristol
BS4 5BJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)