The posting
Our client based in Shropshire is seeking an experienced Social Worker to join their Hospital Discharge Team. This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated practitioner to support adults with complex care and support needs, ensuring safe, effective, and timely discharges from acute hospital settings.
The successful candidate will manage a varied caseload of adults requiring assessment, intervention, and discharge planning. You will undertake Care Act Assessments, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests decisions, and coordinate Pathway 3 placements where long-term care and support arrangements are required. Working collaboratively with individuals, families, health professionals, and partner agencies, you will facilitate person-centred discharge planning that promotes independence, wellbeing, and positive outcomes.
This role requires strong assessment, risk management, and multi-agency working skills, alongside the ability to work effectively within a fast-paced hospital environment.
What will your responsibilities be?
As a Social Worker within the Hospital Discharge Team, you will:
- Manage a caseload of adults requiring assessment, care planning, and support to facilitate safe and timely hospital discharges.
- Respond to referrals and undertake strengths-based Care Act Assessments to identify eligible care and support needs.
- Complete Mental Capacity Assessments in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and support decision-making processes.
- Undertake Best Interests decisions where individuals are assessed as lacking capacity to make specific decisions regarding their care and support.
- Coordinate and arrange Pathway 3 placements where long-term residential or nursing care is required following discharge from hospital.
- Develop person-centred care and support plans that promote independence, recovery, safety, and wellbeing.
- Work closely with individuals, families, carers, advocates, health professionals, and partner agencies to ensure appropriate support is in place upon discharge.
- Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and discharge planning discussions to ensure coordinated and effective service delivery.
- Assess and manage risk, ensuring that appropriate interventions and support arrangements are implemented to maintain safety and wellbeing.
- Undertake safeguarding enquiries and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns in accordance with the Care Act 2014 and local safeguarding procedures.
- Support individuals with complex needs, ensuring timely decision-making and reducing avoidable delays in discharge arrangements.
- Arrange, commission, and review care and support services to meet assessed needs and achieve positive outcomes.
- Prepare clear, accurate, and comprehensive assessments, reports, support plans, and case recordings in line with statutory and organisational requirements.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records to support high-quality social work practice and effective discharge planning.
Qualifications and Experience
To be successful in this role, you will have:
- A recognised Social Work qualification (MA, BA, BSc in Social Work, Diploma in Social Work, or CQSW).
- Current registration with Social Work England.
- Significant post-qualified experience within Adult Social Care, preferably in Hospital Discharge, Acute Hospital, or Community Social Work settings.
- Experience facilitating complex hospital discharges and coordinating long-term care arrangements.
- Strong knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Adult Safeguarding legislation, Human Rights Act, and associated statutory guidance.
- Proven ability to undertake Care Act Assessments, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests decisions, risk assessments, and support planning.
- Experience coordinating Pathway 3 discharges and arranging long-term residential or nursing placements.
- Experience identifying, managing, and responding to safeguarding concerns involving vulnerable adults.
- Excellent multi-agency working skills with NHS colleagues, discharge coordinators, care providers, families, carers, and partner agencies.
- Strong communication, report-writing, organisational, analytical, and decision-making abilities.
- The ability to prioritise competing demands and work effectively within a busy hospital discharge environment.
- A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is desirable.
How to Apply
If you are interested in this role, click Apply Now or contact us for further information.
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.
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