Job summary
- Main area
- Social Work
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 363-FOR7305907
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- John Howard Centre
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £56,276 - £63,176 per annum Inc HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Practitioner Forensic Social Work
Band 7
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving 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 overview
East London NHS Foundation Trust provides the regional forensic mental health service covering the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The inpatient units consist of the John Howard Centre (medium secure) in Hackney, and Wolfson House (low secure) in the Finsbury Park area.
The service meets the specialist needs of mentally disordered offenders, the majority of whom are admitted via the criminal justice system. The Forensic Social Work Team provides a comprehensive social care service to inpatients and community patients, working closely with families and other carers.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will provide managerial and clinical supervision to band 6 forensic social work staff.
The post holder will also carry a patient caseload which they will manage to a level consistent with the job description of Forensic Social Worker.
With the agreement of the Head of Social Work the postholder will represent the forensic social work service in various health and social care forums and undertake other delegated management functions on behalf of the service.
Working for our organisation
Social workers in ELFT work across a range of settings including Adult and Older Person’s Mental Health, Forensic, Crisis and CAMH’s Services and increasingly in Primary Care settings.
There are social workers in various management posts across ELFT including a Director of Social Work and a Learning and Development Lead for Social Work.
Wherever the base, ELFT values the skills and contribution of social workers and encourages them to maintain the requirements of their professional registration and will uphold the values and practice of Social Work across the organisation.
We want social workers to feel valued and supported in ELFT and to promote and support social work as a profession.
We will offer you:
- Training and development opportunities specific to social work including ASYE, AMHP training and PE training
- Social work professional supervision
- Social work forums and seminars
- A voice in the organisation and recognition of the skills and values you bring
- The opportunity to progress through the organisation as a social worker in a senior role
If you would like to know more about working in ELFT as a social worker, please contact Denis Thompson, Head of Forensic Social Work, at [email protected].
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person specification
Education/Qualification/Training
Essential criteria
- CQSW, DipSW or equivalent social work qualification.
- Current Social Work England registration
- High level of competence in written and spoken English. High level presentation skills in formal settings
Desirable criteria
- Management qualification at post-graduate level
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable record of developing and delivering social care services within a performance management culture.
- Familiarity with NHS and social care modernisation agenda and key drivers for structural change.
- Previous experience of clinical and managerial supervision of social care staff
- Experience of advancement of human rights and promotion social justice and economic well-being
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience of managing a budget or delegated cost centre
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability 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 personality disorder.
- Extensive knowledge of theory, legislation and good practice guidance in relation to mental health care, particularly those aspects which relate specifically to mentally disordered offenders.
- Able to take responsibility for the professional learning and development of others through supervision, mentoring, assessing, research, teaching, leadership and management
- Identify and behave as a professional Social Worker, committed to professional development
- Able to recognise diversity and apply anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in practice
- Able to use judgement and authority to intervene with individuals, families and communities to promote independence, provide support and prevent harm, neglect and abuse
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Denis Thompson
- Job title
- Head of Forensic Social Work
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 8510 2110
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