Job summary
- Main area
- Social work
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 070-PST025-0926
- Employer
- Powys Teaching Health Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bronllys Hospital
- Town
- Brecon
- Salary
- £58,379 - £65,723 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/09/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Professional Lead for Social Work
Band 8a
Be part of a 'Healthy Caring Powys' and help us transform the way we provide health and care, so our communities can Start Well, Live Well and Age Well.
Job overview
Powys Teaching Health Board’s Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and CAMHS Services are an ambitious, values-led services committed to delivering outstanding, person-centred care across a diverse and beautiful rural community. Serving people of all ages across Mid Wales, our multi-disciplinary workforce is united by a shared commitment to compassion, inclusion, recovery and continuous improvement.
We are seeking an exceptional and inspiring social work leader to join our Senior Management Team as Professional Lead for Social Work. This is a unique opportunity to shape, champion and strengthen the social work profession within health services, ensuring the highest standards of professional leadership, governance and practice in line with the vision and values of Social Care Wales.
Social work brings a distinctive and essential perspective to health care. Grounded in human rights, social justice and strengths-based practice, the profession understands the social, relational and environmental factors that shape people’s lives and wellbeing. Social workers play a pivotal role in delivering person-centred, biopsychosocial assessment and care planning, supporting early intervention, prevention, recovery and the achievement of meaningful outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a highly motivated and accomplished candidate who can provide visible professional leadership and expert advice across the organisation. You will be a passionate advocate for social work, committed to tackling health inequalities, addressing the impact of societal disadvantage and ensuring that the voices, rights and experiences of individuals and families remain at the heart of everything we do.
If you are an innovative leader with a commitment to excellence, professional integrity and social justice, and are ready to shape the future of social work within Powys, we would love to hear from you.
Key improvements:
- Stronger opening that sells Powys and the service.
- Positions the role as a strategic leadership opportunity, not merely a governance function.
- Emphasises human rights, social justice and reducing inequalities.
- Highlights social work's distinctive contribution to health services.
Working for our organisation
Being the smallest Heath Board in Wales means that you won’t get lost in the crowd. Everybody at Powys Teaching Health Board is valued for the contribution they make to our varied and diverse portfolio of community-based services. Together, we can continue to make a real difference to our patients and build on our unrivalled reputation.
As a supportive and progressive employer, we actively encourage you to carve out a career with us, through a range of development pathways. We’re also lucky enough to be situated in one of the most beautiful rural counties in Britain, let alone Wales! Achieving a healthy ’life work’ balance is essential, and something we recognise by prioritising your well-being.
To start your journey with us, and to learn more about what we can offer you please visit: https://pthb.nhs.wales/working-for-us/. There you will find information about our benefits and values, read staff experiences and more about what our beautiful county has to offer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
We would particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers; but even if you don’t speak any Welsh, or want to develop your skills, don’t worry: the health board will support you with training.
Person specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Professional Social Work qualification: CQSW; Dip. SW; Social Work Degree
- Current registration with Social Care Wales or equivalent Social Work body. Be prepared to register with Social Care Wales as a legal requirement if appointed
- Evidence of Post qualifying training and Learning (PTRL) such as Practice Educator Award for Social Work
- MSc Social Work or equivalent relevant subject level of study or equivalent experience
- Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP) award
Desirable criteria
- Management or Leadership qualification: CMS, DMS; ILM or equivalent experience
- Have a basic knowledge of project management processes and techniques
Experience
Essential criteria
- Mental health practice at a senior level; case load supervision, staff recruitment, education, development and appraisal; management of conduct and capability concerns; service development projects; practice improvement initiatives
- Managing electronic record keeping platforms, clinical applications and collaborative digital working tools
- Reflect on and critically appraise own and others performance and use information to develop new methods of working
- Practice experience of the Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP) role
- Significant applied knowledge of the application of the Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2009), Mental Health (Wales) Measure (2010) and the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act, (2016) to support practitioners and leaders to maintain and develop the relevant legal literacy in their service area
Desirable criteria
- Experience of staffing and decision-making on an Out of Hours/On-call basis in a health or social care service context
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate situations where effective, compassionate leadership and management skills have been used
- Demonstrate tact and diplomacy when working with challenging situations
- Evidence of undertaking presentations to groups
- Formulate and analyse professional and ethical issues
- Detailed knowledge and application of principles of governance
- Application of Health, Safety, and Risk Management policies and processes
Desirable criteria
- Some ability to speak, read and/or write Welsh, or an eagerness to learn
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel independently within geographical area
- Able to work hours flexibly
- Proficient keyboard skills and the practical application of a range of system such as Microsoft Word, Teams etc
- Ability to work under pressure
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.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Paul Hanna
- Job title
- Head of Mental Health Nursing
- Email address
- [email protected]
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