[ref. d16873720] NHS - Dual Diagnosis Social Worker
About Us
EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:
- We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.
EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values- We Care
- We Learn
- We Empower
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
- Mental Health Services
- Community Health Services
- Learning Disabilities Services
- Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.
Job overview
You will work as a Senior Social Worker based in the community teams in either Mid, North East, South or West Essex and work with the Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership (excluding Southend and Thurrock) a minimum of one day a week, and community mental health services leading on the delivery and provision of an integrated service for people with co-existing substance misuse and mental health problems.This will require joint assessments with Crisis teams, Community Mental Health Services, Criminal Justice, Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership which includes third sector agencies to ensure that service users with multiple needs are not passed from one service to another.
Integral to your role will be whole family working and a multi-agency ethos, underpinned by a non-judgmental attitude and approach. You will be expected to lead on the collaboration with key partner organisations, service users, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary services providing a flexible approach to meet the needs of service users and their families.Evening working may be required to meet the needs of service users and families and meeting in non–stigmatising environments.
Main duties of the job
You will take a role in the development of service delivery and social work practice, consultancy and raise awareness to local staff working in mental health and substance misuse services. You will also actively practice as an AMHP, undertaking Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments and other allocated work in relation to service users with a range of mental health problems and engaging with their carers so that, within the legislation, appropriate action is taken.This includes attending and supporting the QAF Quality Assurance Forum.
You will be responsible for communicating with both service users and their families, trust staff, advocates and other agencies internal and external. This will include (but is not limited to) Essex County Council, Commissioners, Third Sector, Police and HM Prisons.In delivering your duties you are expected to display behaviours that are aligned with the Trust values and as required in accordance with the NHS Constitution at all times.
The dual diagnosis worker is expected to be proactively present in the mental health teams and drug and alcohol partnership offices, where they can then discuss cases, signpost and hold a transient caseload of dually diagnosed patients if required.
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;- Season Ticket Loans
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Day One Flexible Employer
The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note that this role outline serves to provide an illustrative example of the duties and responsibilities you may be expected to undertake during the course of your normal duties. It is not an exhaustive list and you will therefore be required to undertake other responsibilities and duties that are considered to be commensurate with the band.
Core Clinical Support- To support engagement with the community mental health services, Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership staff and criminal justice staff in their assessment and interventions where co-existing problems exist.
- To co-work and support cases where there are co-existing problems and/or a need for services from multiple departments/agencies both within and outside the organisation.
- To lead on raising awareness and promoting better understanding amongst substance misuse and mental health staff and the wider partnership of the issues and risks associated with co-existing problems and what interventions work in order to improve practice.
- To implement and maintain processes, in agreement with senior colleagues, that promotes effective communication and joint working between substance misuse and mental health services.
- To implement innovative service development and delivery in what can be a contentious and conflicting agenda.
- To lead the work with colleagues (community mental health services, Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership and criminal justice) to achieve service objectives.
- To offer expert clinical support, informed by evidenced based practice, to achieve skilled intervention where co-existing problems are a feature.
- To be the key link on the provision to all services and to deliver consultation and support to all of the mental health services, and Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership and criminal justice.
- To provide short term interventions with service users and families using motivational interviewing techniques, looking at being solution focused. For up to 8 weeks.
- To ensure consistent attendance at key partnership and local meetings. Including: Joint Clinical Meeting; High Intensity User Group Forum and local Community Mental Health Team Meetings (join for section on Dual Diagnosis).
- Collect data on activity, demographics and outcomes as agreed with senior management, analyse trends and implement changes as required in practice.
- To participate in workshops and training sessions in the relevant area for other staff in areas of practice development and skill enhancement. To be done in conjunction with the Clinical Leads for Dual Diagnosis.
- To work with the Area Managers across the Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership areas to ensure that their staff are able to access the specialist support and advice required to guarantee the effective management of risk in cases within their areas.
- To ensure that all people presenting with co-existing mental health and substance misuse problems receive a service that reflects the organisation’s commitment to improving health outcomes.
- To work within accepted standards of customer care and to provide a respectful and sensitive service at all times.
- To work in a manner that recognises the diversity of the population and that particularly responds to the needs of women, people from minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.
- To keep up to date and cascade research findings and new thinking within the relevant field.
- To identify training needs and to be aware of self-development needs.
- Able to robustly assess holistically.
- Undertake risk assessments and support developing risk management plans. Able to support positive risk taking.
- Establish appropriate professional relationships with service users, their families and other professionals to enable effective partnerships in the provision of services.
- Where appropriate to act as a lead for the team in areas of social care for example knowledge around the MHA and develop knowledge and skills locally.
- Practice as an AMHP as required, responding effectively to referrals and enquiries. When operating as an AMHP you must be able to work in accordance with the relevant legislation, (including the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards 2009 and related Codes, the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010 and local policy. You must also fully comply with the Mental Health AMHP Regulations 2008.
- To work with the consultant social worker within the area to ensure effective delivery of s75 performance objectives.
- Prepare and present clear, assessment and other reports as necessary to set out the basis of decisions made in respect of service users. Maintain all records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures. Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care. Provide specialist reports to Mental Health Review Tribunals and Home Office for service users subject to the Mental Health Act.
- To be responsive to the development of new EPUT, commissioner and tertiary sector services, and to ensure understanding and development of new services and their delivery.
- Be able to work flexibly across areas and teams as required by the service.
- To supervise allocated supervisees who may be either staff or students.
- Build upon existing knowledge and practice with research and training to develop individual skills and new approaches for improvement in service provision.
- Be proficient with IT and be able to use Trust systems to accurately record in line with Trust policy/Use IT systems relating to client information, complying with practice requirements, legislation and local policy relating to data protection.
- Be a Theseus representative.
- To use all relevant recording systems effectively and appropriately such as Theseus, Paris, Mobius and HIE.
- Develop own knowledge and practice and contribute to the development of policy and evidence based practice.
- To link in with the local audit groups to facilitate and undertake local audits to ensure delivery of excellent service.
- Actively support social work development forums and encourage social work staff within the team to attend
- To participate in providing informal and formal training to staff.
- Contribute to multi-disciplinary team working, and participate in team meetings
- Act as link worker advising other professionals relating to specific areas of expertise
- Build upon existing knowledge and practice with research and training to develop individual skills and new approaches for improvement in service provision.
Person specification
Registration
Essential criteria- Registered Social Worker with Social Work England
- Approved Mental Health Professional
Work Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working in both community mental health teams and drug and alcohol services
Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Important Professional References
Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.
Equal Opportunities Employer
Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply.If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.
The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Covid Vaccination
Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.
If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing [email protected].