Social Work Assistant

• Job ref: PA04-1619
• Directorate: People Adults
• Hours of work: Full time, 37 hours pw
• Contract: Permanent
• Salary: £24,948 – £30,151 per annum. Plus a Local Weighting Allowance of £1002 per annum is also payable.
• Location: Slough CMHT, New Horizons.
• An Enhanced DBS is required for this role

The closing date for applications is: 31 March 2023.

How to apply

Please apply online by completing the employment application form, quoting the above job reference number and the specific role you are applying for. Please refer to the job description below.

• Employment application form.
• Job Description & Person Specification (PDF 303kB) - This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
  Please email recruitment@slough.gov.uk if you have any queries or need this document in an alternative format – our accessibility statement has more information.

An exciting time to join!

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated professional to join a small team within the adults mental health service in Slough. You will be a valued member of our Mental Health specialist team delivering the key strategic aims of the organisation and to ensure that people have access to a high quality service through effective practice and case management of complex caseloads, providing a broad range of support to residents or their carers (appropriate to level of qualifications) who have physical or mental health problems, learning difficulties, dependencies or who are elderly and infirm, to help to develop and/or maintain independence.

What you'll be doing

You will be a key in supporting to service users to remain in the community by means of practical and emotional support as part of an agreed care package, responding appropriately and in a timely manner to customer and public enquiries. You will be within a multi-disciplinary team using your experience to assess, care and support planning and reviewing activity with service users as required, ensuring risks have been identified and addressed in order to provide a safe personalised strengths-based care and support plan to meet specific needs and interests of the residents.

You will need to have

• To understand the key concepts of the knowledge base relevant to Social Work.
• To have a working knowledge of the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Continuing Health Care and Safeguarding practice and how to apply these duties according to this role.
• Basic knowledge of community services, e.g. voluntary sector, council, independent sector provision, leisure services and community centres.
• Awareness of safeguarding policies and procedures and action to be taken when concerns are raised.
• Ability to work with staff and managers at all levels
• Ability to use IT packages, including Word and Excel
• Ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English.
• Educated to A level standard or equivalent e.g. NVQ level 3 or 4 in Social Care or commitment to achieving this OR able to demonstrate the appropriate values to undertake the role.
• Full UK driving licence and daily use of a car.

What we offer

In addition to a competitive salary and generous local government pension scheme, we offer a range of great benefits including:

• 25 days holiday annual leave (not including Bank Holidays) rising to 29 days after 2 years’ service, and 32 days after 5 years’ service.
• tax - free childcare and childcare services
• discounted car parking
• season loan ticket
• wellbeing initiatives including cycle rides and sports tournaments
• our commitment to equality and diversity through a range of employee networks
• cycle to work scheme and car and bike pools.

Further information

For an informal discussion about the post please contact Humaira Latif, Service Manager on 01753 690950.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Applicants should be aware that the post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check that will include a criminal record check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• all unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• all spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).

Please refer to Criminal Record Support Service | Help and Advice | Nacro and the guidance about the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Ministry of Justice), (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We recognise the contribution that people with criminal records can make as employees and volunteers and welcome applications from them. A person’s criminal record will not, in itself, debar that person from being appointed to this post. Any information given will be treated in the strictest confidence. Suitable applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying.

All cases will be examined on an individual basis and will take the following into consideration.

• Whether the conviction is relevant to the position applied for.
• The seriousness of any offence revealed.
• Your age at the time of the offence(s).
• The length of time since the offence(s) occurred.
• Whether the applicant has a pattern of offending behaviour.
• The circumstances surrounding the offence(s), and the explanation(s) provided.
• Whether your circumstances have changed since the offending behaviour.

It is important that applicants understand that deliberate attempts to conceal the information requested in this form could result in disciplinary proceedings or dismissal. Further advice and guidance on disclosing criminal records can be obtained from Nacro’s Criminal Record Support Service.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Candidates as they are currently under-represented in leadership positions. We value diversity.