About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 3 Social Work Assistant to join our Forensic Social Work Team at Wathwood Hospital which is part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
You will be part of a dynamic team supporting and contributing to the delivery of an excellent Social Work Service to a male forensic patient population at Wathwood Medium Secure Hospital.
You will work alongside Social Workers within a supportive team structure and have opportunities to access training . You will have regular supervision and also gain knowledge and enhance skills from the expertise of other members of the team.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £20.00 (standard) or £41.00 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking to recruit individuals who are confident, compassionate and committed to supporting the team in providing a high quality, person centred social care service to our patients and their families/carers.
The role will require an individual to work effectively under the direction and leadership of a registered Social Worker in contributing to the patient's overall care, treatment and recovery. The role involves working directly with patients on wards and supporting and involving families/carers.
The role will also involve undertaking administrative tasks and gathering information to inform the social work assessments.
About us
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.
We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.
The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment
Job description
Job responsibilities
Building therapeutic relationships with patients, families and carers to undertake social care tasks, under the direction of the allocated Social Worker. Attending and contributing to clinical meetings. Providing administrative support to Social Workers. Support in the gathering of information to inform Social Work Assessments / Reports. Communication with own service, other colleagues and other agencies; use of the telephone, MS Teams, email. Use of IT systems such as Outlook, MS Teams, Word & Excel. Organisation and administration of patients files and electronic records. Supporting and liaising with family and Carers and undertaking home visits where required. Successfully time manage and prioritise areas of responsibility.
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and may be changed in line with service needs in conjunction with the post holder.
A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Person Specification
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Ability to undertake essential training, particularly Breakaway training
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Health & Social Care or experience of working in a Health or Social Care setting
- A good standard of education including GCSE in Maths and English or equivalent
Desirable
- Qualification in Health and/or Social Care
Training
Essential
- Microsoft Office programs i.e. Database, Excel, Word, PowerPoint
Desirable
- Mental Health Awareness
Experience
Essential
- Relevant work experience (paid or voluntary) in health or social care setting
- Evidence of working in a collaborative manner with other professionals
- Experience of working with people in emotional distress and presenting with social care needs
- Ability to work autonomously within the boundaries of the role
- Experience of working with a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with a mental health, learning disability and /or personality disorders
- Experience of working within the NHS
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of Adult & Child Safeguarding
- Knowledge of mental health, learning disability and/or personality disorders
- Knowledge of confidentiality and data protection
- Awareness of the principles underpinning diversity, equal opportunity and anti-oppressive practice
- Awareness of Carers rights and needs
- Confidentiality and data protection
Desirable
- Triangle of Care
- Knowledge of legislation including Care Act 2014, Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and/or Mental Capacity Act 2005
Skills
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal/communication skills
- Competent user of IT, including experience of various software packages including patient record systems and Microsoft
- Understanding of professional boundaries and confidentiality
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Wathwood Hospital
Gipsy Green Lane, Wath upon Dearne
ROTHERHAM
S63 7TQ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)