Senior Social Worker – Older Adults Mental Health

at  Essex County Council

SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER - OLDER ADULTS MENTAL HEALTH

Permanent, Full Time
£43,477 to £52,302 per annum
Location: Chelmsford, Braintree & Maldon
Working Style: Community-based worker
With us, you can achieve more – for yourself as well as the vulnerable adults you work to support. We’re always looking for new ways to deliver even better services, Senior Social Workers play an integral role in our preventative approach to Social Care. We encourage our multi-disciplinary teams to share their ideas and experience. We work together to get things done. Bring your positive, proactive attitude, and we’ll empower you to make the most of your experience within Essex County Council (ECC) Adult Social Care services.
The Team
We work with adults aged 65 years plus and their carers diagnosed with a functional or organic mental illness such as dementia, both in the community and developing discharge pathways from inpatient wards, in accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983 and Care Act 2014 principles. Our team works closely with mental health inpatient wards, Severe Dementia and Frailty Services and Social Care neighbourhood teams, managing the complexities of ongoing support and reablement for people who live with mental health needs. This is a dynamic role promoting innovative person centred and partnership working with adults, their informal carers and in collaboration with other statutory, and non-statutory services to support and promote their mental health, well-being and outcomes. An essential part of the role is to challenge stigma, discrimination and consider least restrictive approaches for adults and their situations through holistic assessments and considering positive risk management to promote outcomes and recovery.
About the role
Managing your own complex caseload, as well as supporting colleagues with theirs, you’ll be a source of specialist advice and enable the mitigation of high levels of risk. You’ll also bring your professional expertise to contribute to the development of practice standards and our four key principles of prevention, early intervention, enablement and safeguarding.

Your responsibilities will also include:

• Working collaboratively across the Council, with partners and statutory and voluntary agencies, to ensure a joined-up approach.
• Taking part in a range of case conferences, court attendance, meetings and statutory reviews, pro-actively taking the lead when a social care perspective is required.
• Developing a high level of expertise in particular areas of practice, and leading on those areas

About Us
At Essex County Council Adult Services our mission is clear. We want to make the best and most sustainable use of all resources available to the adult, their families, and carers. To ensure they have access to information and tools to enable them to live healthily and independently for as long as possible, and to exercise choice and control over their lives. And to ensure the safety, dignity, and quality of life for all the adults we work with. To make sure we achieve our goals, we’ve transformed our service to be far more proactive. Moving from focusing on long-term care and support, our new model is centred on four key principles - prevention, early intervention, enablement, and safeguarding. We’re very proud of our service and the work we’re doing with all our partners to build community capacity and resilience.
To find out more about ECC’s Adult Social Care services visit our brochure.
About you
To apply, you should be a qualified social worker with current Social Work England registration and be post-qualified 2 years with an in-depth knowledge of complex cases and The Care Act. You will be AMHP, BIA or PE qualified, or have secured intention to complete these qualifications.
We require a proactive worker who has a proven record of working complex cases and supporting other staff members. A worker who wants to develop and become part of the management Team.
You’ll bring significant experience of social work, modelling good practice and providing advice and guidance in complex situations. We’re also looking for your ability to mentor both newly-qualified and experienced team members. As, as a subject matter expert in relevant professional practice, you should have a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations and guidance.
With experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers and other multi-agency professionals, we’re looking for your ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework for vulnerable adults.

You’ll also bring:

• Evidence of continuing professional development and capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards.
• An in-depth understanding of the financial implications of commissioned care packages.
• The ability to make clear decisions, to highlight and limit potential risks associated with intervention.

This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service .
What We Offer In Return

We’ll support you to be your best…

• Training and development to empower you from our award-winning Essex Social Care Academy.
• With us you can make your career work for you with flexible working options
• With us you can get the support you need with employee wellbeing and counselling
• Lease Car scheme
• Up to £8000 for relocation *
• With us you can have peace of mind with life assurance of three times annual salary
• Payment of professional fees for approved professions
• Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ’s about the LGPS.
• Volunteering leave
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service

Whatever you want to achieve in your social care career, you can do it here.

• T&Cs Apply.

For more information visit our Adult Social Care Brochure or contact Abbie.Mollison@essex.gov.uk
Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment .
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.
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Your responsibilities will also include:

• Working collaboratively across the Council, with partners and statutory and voluntary agencies, to ensure a joined-up approach.
• Taking part in a range of case conferences, court attendance, meetings and statutory reviews, pro-actively taking the lead when a social care perspective is required.
• Developing a high level of expertise in particular areas of practice, and leading on those area