[ref. z07567022] Mental Health Specialist Social Worker
About the Borough
This special place in South West London between the capital and the country has been a Royal borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned.
Today it is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a long history and strong cultural and community heritage. Kingston's riverside location, fantastic retail offer, historic market place and church, parks and gardens all make Kingston town centre the vibrant space it is, and each of our district town centres (Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington) have something unique to offer.
Situated in Zone 6, Kingston is among the best-connected town centres in London – with direct train links from Kingston and Surbiton stations to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and Tramlink.
Kingston’s people are innovative and entrepreneurial, and have a strong sense of community pride. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival and Kingston University, which boasts more new graduate business start-ups than any other.
We have seen tremendous generosity and compassion within our communities, particularly in response to COVID-19, which is a demonstration of Kingston’s key strength. The council offers a strong level of support to vulnerable groups and those who need additional support, which has also increased significantly as a result of the pandemic.Like most places, the average age of our population is rising as more people are living longer, so we are working closely with residents to help them maintain their independence and further improve the cost effectiveness of our service to meet the ongoing rise in demand.
Kingston is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds, which helps to create the rich sense of community shared across the borough. In particular, Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is home to more people from Korea than any other part of the UK.
About the Role and our Ideal Candidate
This role focuses on promoting the well-being of Kingston residents and supporting the team to achieve high performance while assisting vulnerable residents in accordance with relevant legislation. Key responsibilities include:
Working with the team manager and senior practitioners to maintain team performance and allocate cases.Managing budget responsibilities and approving care plans, Care Act Assessments, care reviews, and Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interest Meetings.
Conducting regular supervision with qualified/unqualified staff and support staff.
Maintaining staff motivation and contributing to staff retention.
Managing a complex caseload in adherence to the Care Act and Mental Capacity Act.
About You
Sound knowledge and relevant work experience on the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and other relevant legislation.Demonstrable understanding of the principles and application of excellent adult social care
Managing competing demands and complex caseload and support team leader and other senior practitioners in running the team
Demonstrable experience of creating effective working relationships with internal and external customers
Strong literacy, numeracy, interpersonal and IT skills
Liaison with legal and attendance to Court of Protection Hearing if needed
Candidate will work alongside the manager and other seniors in doing case allocation
Candidate to liaise with Mental Health services to discuss joint approaches
Candidate to be able to work in the office twice a week as per the team's charter
Ideally the candidate would have experience of supervising staff members and budget responsibility
About UsThe Kingston Hub is dedicated to supporting vulnerable residents who require assistance under the Care Act 2014.
Our high-performing team consists of 15 qualified and unqualified members, senior practitioners, and a team manager. We all uphold the STAR Values, striving to be Supportive, Transparent, Appreciative, and Respectful in our daily work.
Our staff responsibilities include conducting Care Act Assessments, care reviews, Mental Capacity Assessments, and Best Interest Meetings. We also collaborate with colleagues in other teams/departments to implement care services.
We work closely with GP practices and health colleagues to provide an integrated service, participating in Proactive Anticipatory Care meetings and facilitating hospital discharges for Kingston residents under Discharge to Assess pathways.
Additionally, our team addresses Safeguarding enquiries and promotes residents' wellbeing. We conduct enquiries to protect vulnerable adults who are experiencing or at risk of abuse and neglect, ensuring they receive appropriate support, information, and advice.
Our social workers also complete CHC Checklists, attend DSTs, and work with colleagues in the ICB.
We are committed to providing information, advice, and signposting to external agencies whenever necessary.