Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Head of Social Work, Social Care, Safeguarding Adults & MCA
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Job Overview
This senior management post is critical for CNWL FT to achieve its ambitious social work and social care agenda, in line with Care Act 2014, within mental health, specialist and community health services. The post holder will lead the Social Work profession in CNWL. Additionally, they will lead the significant social care programmes and ensure that the Trust is in a position to work effectively across health and social care. The post is the lead for safeguarding adults/MCA and is the strategic lead for partnership working with the Police.
Main duties of the job
Social Work
This post is Principal Social Worker role for CNWL and will provide professional and visible leadership for social work and be responsible for the management of good relationships with the Principal Social Workers in each Local Authority.
- The post holder will provide expert professional leadership on social work across the Trust, including consultancy, supervision, guidance, and performance management.
- They will also be the primary link with Higher Education Institutions in relation to social work programmes and may provide guest lecturing, when required.
- The post holder will promote research and innovation in social work and social care throughout the Trust, ensuring that social work is evidence based and outcome orientated.
- The role will support person-centred, strengths-based approaches and ensure that personalisation, choice and control is embedded as an approach into all frontline services.
Working for our organisation
The Head of Social Work (SW) post includes the role of the Principal SW, providing professional visible leadership for SW, maintaining good relationships with the Principal SW in each Local Authority, providing expert professional leadership on SW, be the SW link with Higher Education Institutions and may provide guest lecturing. Research and innovation in SW/social care will be promoted, ensuring it's evidence based and outcome orientated, supporting person-centred, strengths-based approaches and ensure that personalisation, choice and control is embedded as an approach into all frontline services.
- Professionally leading Social Care, managing good relationships with Director/Assistant Directors in each Local Authority, including active participation in key Forums and feeding back, they will ensure effective multi-agency liaison, lead on partnership working with the Police, working closely with AMHP leads and the Mental Health Law Department.
- They will actively engage in service redesign/transformation, embedding social care in proposed changes. This post will support Borough and corporate services understand and support the duties and functions of partnership arrangements.
- They will lead Safeguarding Adults (SA) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA), supporting compliance with CQC / LA requirements, working closely with the Head of Safeguarding Children over integrated safeguarding issues, delivering the Safeguarding Strategy, overseeing the training offer and compliance.
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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Social Work
Act as the Principal Social Worker, as defined by the Care Act (2014), for the Trust by:
- Leading and oversee excellent social work practice
- Supporting and developing arrangements for excellent social work practice
- Leading the development of excellent social workers
- Supporting effective social work supervision and decision making
- Oversee quality assurance and improvement in social work practice
- Leading the planning and implementation of professional policies and procedures
Lead on the implementation and review of the Social Work Continuous Professional Development Strategy for the Trust, in partnership with the Local Authority Principal Social Workers. This strategy will include involvement in graduate fast track social work training schemes (for example Think Ahead ), Apprenticeships and the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW), career progression routes using the Professional Capabilities Framework and to have oversight of the registration and re-registration of Trust social workers.
Social Care
- Ensure support is delivered to all Partnership Meetings and that support is given to Divisions to deliver place-based local health and social care, irrespective of the structure of the partnership arrangements.
- Keep the Trust updated of legal changes impacting on practice regarding social care and safeguarding adults/MCA.
Police
- Hold strategic responsibility for partnership working with the Police and the development of interface arrangements at strategic, operational and frontline levels, attending relevant meetings as required.
- Support the implementation of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act, including leading on implementation of new legislations or changes to the codes of practice.
- Ensure that the Trust’s Mental Health Law Department and Central Flow Hub Manager and team are appropriately linked with the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Leads in each borough, promoting a whole system approach.
Safeguarding Adult/MCA Lead
- Be responsible for the Trust’s compliance with national guidance relating to safeguarding adults /MCA, ensuring the Trust meets the requirements of the Care Quality Commission, NHS Assurance Framework and the relevant Local Safeguarding Adults Boards.
Person specification
Education And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Social Worker
- Diploma in social work/master’s degree
- Evidence of ongoing professional development at a senior management level
Desirable criteria
- Approved MH Professional – current practice or previously trained
- Post Graduate degree in Management or Leadership Development Programme PhD or Masters in research-based knowledge
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Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of Senior Management role in either Health or Social Care setting.
- Experience of providing direct support to local authority partners
- Experience of representing a Trust/Local Authority at different fora e.g. Police / CCG/ NHS England
- Track record of forging and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders
- Significant experience of managing major change process e.g. integration /disaggregation
- Experience of presenting an agenda that is relevant and of interest to different professional groups and Senior Leaders incl Board Level
- Evidence of experience of professional leadership incl CPD development for social work and social care staff
- Significant experience as a Social Work Leader
- Experience of working with SA at Senior Level
- Experience of delivering teaching sessions in an HEI on Social Work Programmes
- Experience of working across whole systems
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of delivering significant change to the user and carer experience of safeguarding
- Senior management experience in a Mental Health Trust
- Experience in Section 75 Agreements and/or Memorandum of Understanding
- Current or previous of being an AMHP
- Experience of working within the NHS
- Experience of working in with HEI’s
Skills and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and work constructively. to create confidence within the Trust & with local authority partners
- Knowledge of the Social Work regulatory frameworks
- Ability to influence and shape local and regional policy.
- Ability to negotiate complex issues with the Integrated Care System, Commissioning Care Group, the Local Authority and Police.
- Ability to effectively communicate in writing and verbally to a range of key stakeholders i.e. service users, Local Authority officials
- The ability to champion the safeguarding adult, and Mental Capacity Act agenda
- Ability to manage complex and changing priorities
- Ability to manage pressure & work to deadlines
- Excellent presentational skills
- Ability to negotiate, influence & motivate others
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and organisational development
- Knowledge of performance indicators within adult social care
- Ability to demonstrate leadership and vision in a changing environment
- Ability to prioritise own work and work of others
Desirable criteria
- Care Act, MHA including MC S117, MCA, HRA
- An understanding of SW theories and interventions promoting strengths-based approaches.
- Good understanding of Safeguarding Adults and legal & regulated requirements for health and social care
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