About this role
Job summary
Join our Assertive Outreach Team as a Band 6 Mental Health Social Worker and Care Co-ordinator, working with adults with complex and severe mental health needs who may experience barriers to engaging with traditional services. This is a new team and we are looking for a Care Co-ordinator to support both our Cambridge and Peterborough teams. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified Social Worker to apply and develop specialist skills within secondary mental health services, using a personalised, strengths-based and recovery-focused approach.
You will practice as an autonomous professional Social Worker, taking statutory responsibility for care coordination under the Care Programme Approach, and applying key legislation including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and safeguarding frameworks. Working within a multi-disciplinary community team, you will build meaningful relationships with service users, families and carers, advocating for individuals and promoting dignity, empowerment and social inclusion.
This role is well suited to an enthusiastic and motivated Social Worker who is passionate about addressing inequality, managing complexity and risk, and delivering person-centred care. You will also contribute to service development, reflective practice and occasionally deputise for the Team Manager, supporting leadership and supervision within the team.
Main duties of the job
As a Social Worker and Care Co-ordinator within the Assertive Outreach Team, you will hold responsibility for a caseload of adults with complex mental health and social care needs. You will undertake comprehensive assessments, coordinate care planning, and ensure timely review of care and risk management plans in line with CPA and statutory requirements.
You will apply social work values and professional judgement to safeguard individuals, promote wellbeing, and support recovery, working creatively with people who may be reluctant to engage. This includes working in partnership with carers, families and a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies.
The role requires confident application of legislation, including the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and Human Rights legislation, ensuring practice is lawful, proportionate and evidence-based. You will provide professional leadership within the MDT, act as a role model for social work practice, supervise and support colleagues where required, and contribute to quality improvement, service evaluation and learning across the team. Participation in the out-of-hours rota is required.
About us
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.
Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.
For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk
Job description Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
Acting as Care Coordinator for adults with complex mental health needs within secondary care. Undertaking statutory social work assessments, including Care Act assessments, capacity assessments and safeguarding enquiries. Developing, implementing and reviewing personcentred care and support plans in line with CPA and recovery principles. Applying the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and related legislation in accordance with codes of practice and Trust policy. Managing and mitigating risk, responding appropriately to crisis and safeguarding concerns. Maintaining accurate, highquality social care and clinical records. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team to ensure coordinated and effective care delivery. Providing professional supervision, mentorship and leadership to colleagues and students as required. Contributing to service development, quality improvement and reflective practice. Upholding professional standards and Social Work registration requirements at all times.
Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.
*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website
Person Specification
Education/ Qualifications Essential
Registered Social Worker Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable
Post Graduate qualification related to specialism Additional qualification for specialism
Experience Essential
Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team Basic Training in Mental Capacity Act Experience dealing with service users with complex mental health needs
Desirable
Previous experience of undertaking continuing care assessments Experience relating to community specialism
Skills & Abilities Essential
Ability to offer in-service training to junior colleagues Enthusiastic and has ability to participate in full rotational shifts Ability to calmly manage complex and stressful situations, prioritising own work and work of others
Knowledge & Understanding Essential
Knowledge of physical healthcare needs Awareness of safeguarding issues and responsibilities under relevant legislation
Other Essential
Ability to travel independently around the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area meeting required timescales. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship 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).
Employer details Employer name Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Address Union House
Cambridge
CB4 1PR
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)