Job summary
- Main area
- Social Work
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent: 9-5 weekdays only
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (working from home a day a week possible)
- Job ref
- 267-OA7125148-3A
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Warneford Hospital
- Town
- Oxford
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum/pro-rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Inpatient Social Worker
Band 6
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
Are you an experienced Social Worker looking for a new challenge?
We are a friendly and dynamic Inpatient Social Work Team in the beautiful City of Oxford is looking for a mental health Social Worker to work in partnership with people who use mental health services. You will work alongside the multi-disciplinary team on the ward and wider adult mental health team to provide targeted support to people who live with severe mental health conditions.
Sometimes the work is fast paced, and you may be working with situations that have high levels of complexity, risk, or vulnerability. You will be well supported by your colleagues and you will have monthly supervision. You will be a very important part of the mental health social work group and you will be invited to attend the monthly social work forum is where our energetic collective meet to share ideas and talk about the messy stuff.
We understand the importance of work life balance so if you have other interests that you want to develop then let’s have a chat to see how we can help you achieve a balance that works for you. Our diverse community would love to have you join the team so get in touch for an informal chat.
Main duties of the job
The responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:
- To provide support and give time to an allocated group of service users in order to promote their recovery and maintain them in a community environment helping them to build their own support network.
- To provide regular and practical support to service users in developing and managing independence and maintaining dignity and self-respect.
- To support service users to identify their needs and to assist the mental health social worker to assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual care and support plans.
- To have the individual service user’s needs at the fore at all times and use agreed values and skills to underpin their day to day work
- To provide support with daily living including self-care and home management e.g. budgeting, cooking, cleaning and shopping in line with the person agreed eligible needs.
The post holder will work within a designated inpatient area, supporting the adult inpatient wards within that area.
You will have to demonstrate the skills to maintain their Social Work professional identity when working within an inpatient environment.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
- Professional Qualification (Degree or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
- Post graduate education specifically relating to client group (Post basic qualification in community care/ research awareness/ management)
Experience
Essential criteria
- To have appropriate experience which should include community and working with mental health.
Desirable criteria
- To have appropriate experience of working with mental health.
Skills
Essential criteria
- To be IT literate
Desirable criteria
- To be willing to learn new IT systems
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- To be able to manage in a stressful working environment and with emotional or aggressive patients/or carers
Desirable criteria
- Able to work within a multi disciplinary team
Other requirements
Essential criteria
- To comprehend and work within the Trust policies of data protection, equal opportunities, Health & Safety and to meet the diverse needs of patients
Desirable criteria
- Car Driver
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
- Shabnam Akhter
- Job title
- Social Work Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07884 996920
- Additional information
At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.
Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application.
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