The posting
Our client based in Devon, is seeking an experienced Adult Social Worker to join their county-wide Specialist Placement Team.
This specialist role involves working with adults aged 18 and over who are placed out of county, including individuals with complex needs, learning disabilities, mental health needs and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 in hospitals across England and Wales. The team also supports young people transitioning into Adult Services from the age of 17, working closely with Children's Services to ensure a smooth transition into adulthood.
The successful candidate will manage a complex caseload and undertake comprehensive Care Act Assessments, reviews and support planning, ensuring a strengths-based and person-centred approach is embedded throughout practice. You will be expected to demonstrate excellent knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental Health Act 1983 and Deprivation of Liberty legislation, promoting independence, choice and least restrictive practice at all times.
Working within a multi-disciplinary environment, you will collaborate with health professionals, care providers, families, advocates and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes for adults with complex needs. The role requires regular travel to placements across the country to undertake assessments, reviews and attend Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs), Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings and other statutory reviews.
What will your responsibilities be?
- Managing a complex caseload of adults placed out of county
- Undertaking Care Act Assessments, reviews and support planning in accordance with statutory requirements
- Completing Mental Capacity Assessments and applying Best Interest principles in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Undertaking Community Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessments and associated work where required
- Completing Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Checklists and contributing to Decision Support Tool (DST) assessments
- Supporting adults to maximise independence through strengths-based and least restrictive practice
- Working with young people transitioning from Children's Services into Adult Social Care
- Undertaking safeguarding enquiries and coordinating appropriate interventions to protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect
- Gathering, analysing and evaluating complex information to inform decision-making, risk management and support planning
- Developing outcome-focused and person-centred care plans that promote choice, control and wellbeing
- Supporting Social Care Assessors and providing guidance on complex cases and decision-making
- Effectively prioritising day-to-day case management responsibilities to meet competing demands and statutory timescales
- Working collaboratively with health professionals, providers, voluntary organisations and partner agencies within a multi-disciplinary framework
- Attending and contributing to Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs), Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings and other statutory reviews
- Supporting individuals who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, ensuring statutory responsibilities are fulfilled
- Identifying enablement, reablement and community-based support opportunities that maximise individual strengths and reduce reliance on formal services
- Maintaining accurate, timely and high-quality case records, assessments and reports
- Chairing and contributing to multi-agency meetings where appropriate
- Providing professional challenge, advocacy and leadership to ensure the best outcomes for service users
- Contributing to service development and sharing knowledge, experience and best practice with colleagues and partner agencies
Qualifications and Experience:
To be successful in this role you must have;
Professional Qualification:
- MA, BA or BSc in Social Work, Diploma in Social Work or CQSW
Registration:
- Must be registered with Social Work England
Experience:
- Significant post-qualified experience within Adult Social Care
- Experience undertaking Care Act Assessments, reviews and support planning
- Experience completing Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interest decisions
- Experience undertaking safeguarding enquiries and managing risk
- Experience completing CHC Checklists and contributing to DST assessments
- Experience working with adults with complex needs, learning disabilities and mental health needs
- Experience working within a multi-disciplinary environment alongside health and social care professionals
- Experience supporting service users through complex placement and discharge pathways
- Experience mentoring, supporting or providing professional guidance to colleagues
- Experience managing a complex caseload and working autonomously within statutory services
Legislation Knowledge:
Strong working knowledge of:
- Care Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Mental Health Act 1983
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
- Court of Protection processes
- Continuing Healthcare Framework
- Adult Safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures
- Strengths-Based Practice and Personalisation Principles
- Transition legislation and guidance relating to Children's and Adult Services
Skills
- Strong assessment, analytical and decision-making skills
- Excellent risk assessment and safeguarding practice
- Ability to manage complex cases and competing priorities effectively
- Strong understanding of strengths-based and least restrictive practice
- Excellent partnership-working and multi-agency collaboration skills
- Ability to negotiate, challenge and manage conflict appropriately
- High level written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to build positive relationships with service users, families and professionals
- Strong organisational and time management skills
- Ability to work independently and exercise professional judgement
- Good ICT skills and experience maintaining accurate electronic case records
- Ability to support and develop less experienced colleagues through advice, mentoring and professional guidance
Why Liquid Personnel?
- Free DBS and compliance service
- Twice weekly payroll and ‘Faster Pay’ service, getting you paid more quickly
- Access to exclusive roles that aren’t available from other agencies
- Free access to Liquid’s exclusive social work training and CPD portal
- Your own dedicated consultant with extensive social work knowledge
- Access to a wide selection of social work positions across the UK
- “Refer a Friend” bonus – get £500 for each social worker you refer who we successfully place*
- “Find your own job” bonus – get £250 for bringing your own position to us *
Liquid Personnel is an equal opportunities employer. Liquid Personnel Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. * Terms and conditions apply to our bonus schemes.
Reasonable Adjustments:
If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity by contacting our team. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement. We are unable to support or accept applications from candidates who are residents within the Red or Amber list of the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Workforce Support and Safeguard List.
BH - 201171 GH - 35706
