Social Worker - Inpatients
Bradford District Care Trust is an award-winning Trust that provides a range of innovative services that have been recognised as best practice nationally. As a provider of care for people of all ages who have mental and/or community health needs we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service, close to where people live and as much as possible tailored to an individual’s needs.
As a provider of care for people of all ages who have mental and/or community health needs we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service, close to where people live and as much as possible tailored to an individual’s needs.
Job overview
Are you a passionate & motivated Social Worker who wants to make a real difference at a critical point in people’s lives? We are excited to welcome Band 6 Social Workers to our supportive Mental Health Inpatient Services, working across Lynfield Mount Hospital &Airedale Centre for Mental Health.
In this rewarding role, you’ll be at the heart of the inpatient journey, supporting safe, timely & empowering transfers of care. Working closely with multidisciplinary inpatient & community teams, patients, families, carers & partner agencies, you’ll help remove barriers to discharge & ensure people are supported to move forward with confidence.
You’ll provide skilled social work input, including Care Act assessments & expert advice on the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act & safeguarding legislation. You will champion rights-based, strengths-focused & trauma‑informed practice, offering practical social interventions during admission & contributing meaningfully to care planning & biopsychosocial formulation.
We’re looking for SW England registered Social Workers with post‑qualifying mental health experience, strong professional judgement & excellent communication skills. In return, we offer high-quality supervision, genuine opportunities for development, and the chance to work in a team that truly values social work.
Closing Date: 17th May 26Shortlisting Date: 19th May 26
Provisional Interview Date: 29th May 26 & 1st June 26 (may be subject to change)
Main duties of the job- Provide high-quality social work input within mental health inpatient wards, supporting safe, timely and person‑centred transfers of care.
- Undertake Care Act assessments, support Care Coordinators with eligibility decisions, and contribute to funding processes including Section 117 and CHC.
- Offer expert advice and legal literacy relating to the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act, safeguarding and housing legislation.
- Work closely with inpatient and community multidisciplinary teams, the Trust’s Flow Management Team, and partner agencies to identify and remove barriers to discharge.
- Engage effectively with patients, families and carers, using strengths‑based, rights‑focused and trauma‑informed practice.
- Assess and manage risk, contributing to robust care planning and biopsychosocial formulation.
- Support brief social interventions during admission to address social, housing and safeguarding concerns.
- Maintain accurate, timely documentation in line with Trust, Local Authority and GDPR requirements.
- Promote anti‑discriminatory, anti‑oppressive and inclusive practice at all times.
- Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audits and supervision as required.
Working for our organisation
Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -
We Care - We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference
We Listen - We understand people’s views and respond to their individual needs
We Deliver - We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners
We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :
Increase mileage rates for > 4500
A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
Plus many more.
We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.
Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trust’s eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust.It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Social Work Qualification and Professional Registration with Social Work England.
- Post Graduate Certificate in Practice Education Stages 1 & 2 or working towards.
Experience
Essential criteria- Post qualifying Social Work experience within a multi-disciplinary team in mental health pathways.
- Ability to work with diverse groups of people and multi- ethnic environments and ensure a culturally competent environment.
- Experience and knowledge of working in partnership with Housing, Homelessness, Asylum and Immigration and Supported Accommodation and Residential/Nursing providers.
- To have experience of working with people in an inpatient setting
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidates best interest to apply as soon as possible.
In view of Home Office Immigration Regulations all applicants must state their current immigration status, including expiry dates.
Bradford District Care Trust is an award-winning Trust that provides a range of innovative services that have been recognised as best practice nationally. As a provider of care for people of all ages who have mental and/or community health needs we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service, close to where people live and as much as possible tailored to an individual’s needs.
The Trust’s purpose is to create connected communities and help people to feel as healthy as they can be at every point in their lives and our vision is to connect people to the best quality care, when and where they need it and be a national role model as an employer and provide our staff with the best place to work.
Bradford has been awarded the coveted status of UK City of Culture 2025. The year is set to deliver more than 1000 new performances and events including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals as well as exciting national and international collaborations.Its themes will be rooted in the unique heritage and character of Bradford and will reveal the magic of the district that is held in its people, its ambition, and above all, its potential.
We would welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health and care needs.
We welcome people from all backgrounds and in particular Bradford District Care Trust is keen to reflect the population we serve, we are currently underrepresented in terms of black and minority ethnic staff. Applications are encouraged from these groups, but it must be stressed that selection will be solely on merit and in accordance with the Trust recruitment policy.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.