An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated individual to be considered for the role of Head of Forensic Social Work.
The role involves providing operational leadership and management to the East London Forensic Social Work Team, which provides a full social care service to users in secure inpatient and community settings, and their carers/families.
You will be an experienced Social Worker with a proven track record of effective and transformational leadership who can enthuse others to provide the very best, individualised care.
You need not necessarily have experience of working in secure inpatient settings but will need to demonstrate the ability to work effectively, from a social care perspective, with service users who have committed serious criminal offences and who may be experiencing severe and/or enduring mental health issues, including learning disability and autism.
You will need to demonstrate extensive knowledge of relevant legislation.
You will be expected to work as a member of the Directorate Management Team in terms of various delegated responsibilities.
You would be working in a service and Trust rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission.
Main duties of the jobThe John Howard Centre is a purpose-built psychiatric medium secure unit in Hackney, East London. The unit opened in 1995 and provides a comprehensive regional forensic service to the whole of East London and the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest. The service also provides specialist services for personality disordered offenders, women, and forensic learning disability.
Wolfson House is a low secure unit and comprises 5 rehabilitation wards for men.
The service meets the specialist needs of mentally disordered offenders, the majority of whom are admitted via the criminal justice system. The Forensic Directorate is part of the East London Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The Forensic Directorate service is divided into five clinical specialisms: Acute, Rehabilitation, Women's Service, and Learning Disability & Autism Service. The service also operates a number of community services.
The Head of Social Work is responsible for the operational and financial management of the Forensic Social Work Service. The Forensic Social Work team provides a full social care service to users in inpatient and community settings, and their carers/families.
About usOur mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job responsibilitiesFor more information, please contact:
Lawford Clough, Service Director 07970 984832
Mary Brazier, Director of Social Work
Person SpecificationEducation/ Qualification/ TrainingoCQSW, DipSW or equivalent social work qualificationoAMHP status.ExperienceoDemonstrable record of strong and effective leadership with proven ability to provide vision and direction to social work staff and/or social care servicesoPrevious experience of clinical and managerial supervision of social care staff. Experience of carrying out rigorous staff appraisals and development of effective Professional Development Plans in conjunction with staffoDemonstrable record of developing and delivering social care services within a performance management cultureoPrevious experience of managing new service delivery initiatives from inception to implementation within set budget and agreed timescalesKnowledge and SkillsoAbility to work from a social care perspective with patients who have committed serious criminal offences and who may be experiencing severe and/or enduring mental health problems, including those with a diagnosed learning disability or autismoExtensive knowledge of theory, legislation, and good practice guidance in relation to mental health care, particularly those aspects which relate specifically to mentally disordered offenders. Comprehensive working knowledge of other relevant social care legislation including the Mental Capacity Act and Human Rights ActoKnowledge of key principles underpinning the Government Health and Social Care Bill and the Transformation of Adult Social Care and the 'Valuing People' agendas. Familiarity with the NHS and social care modernisation agenda and key drivers for structural changeoFamiliarity with the criminal justice system and roles and responsibilities of key stakeholdersoGood working knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, and guidance in relation to the protection of vulnerable adults and of victimsoGood working knowledge of 'safeguarding children' legislation, Pan London Child Protection Procedures, and other good practice guidanceoGood working knowledge of relevant legislation and good practice guidance in relation to the needs and statutory rights of carersoFamiliarity with practising in an ethnically diverse community and working with interpreters. Ability and willingness to operate within an explicit qualities frameworkoAbility to work effectively with patient advocate groups and legal representativesoTo be able and willing to travel on a national basis in order to represent the social work service or Forensic DirectorateoExcellent IT skills. Ability to prepare and format own reports and documents. Experience of using standard computing software in a work setting (e.g., Windows, Excel, PowerPoint)oAbility, with training, to use local authority and NHS computing software for data input and extraction as requiredDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
£70,387 to £80,465 a year per annum inc HCA
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