Social Worker - Mental Health Team

Southglos; Kingswood; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in Kingswood is seeking a Social Worker to provide effective interventions for individuals with severe mental health needs. You will assess, plan, and deliver support while ensuring compliance with legal frameworks. Candidates must hold a degree in social work, have relevant experience, and possess excellent communication skills. This full-time role offers competitive salary bands and requires a DBS check. A strong commitment to continuing professional development is essential.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Employee wellbeing support

Staff discounts on various services

Qualifications

• Degree in social work with relevant registration to practice.
• Demonstrable post-qualification experience, ideally in mental health services.
• Detailed understanding of the Mental Health Act and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan, and evaluate services for individuals with serious mental health needs.
• Deliver strengths-based support focused on recovery.
• Prepare social circumstances reports for tribunal hearings.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Active listening skills

Understanding of recovery principles

Education

Degree in social work

Current registration with Social Work England

Job description

How you'll make a difference

As a Social Worker in an integrated mental health team, you will provide appropriate and effective interventions for people with severe and enduring mental health needs, as well as those in their networks. Enabling and assisting them to meet daily health, social care and well being needs, you will help them towards their personal recovery goals.

What you will be doing

• Reporting to the Team Manager within Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) Trust, you will assess, plan and where appropriate provide and evaluate services for either the carers of or individuals who have serious mental health needs.
• Acting as a key worker for service users, you will ensure the co-ordination and implementation of support which promotes independence that meets the requirements of the Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, departmental policy and other locally agreed procedures.
• You will work with other agencies and services within an integrated Health and Social Care model, always under the overarching framework of 'Your team Your Conversation Your Plan'.
• To ensure independence is maintained and outcomes are clear, monitored and reviewed, you will be working with people who may require social care services, their families and carers.
• It will be key for you to deliver genuine, people-centred, strengths-based support, with a focus on what those we work with tell us will make the biggest difference to them, using your creativity to deliver the best outcomes for local people.
• Part of the role may require you to prepare social circumstances reports for the Mental Health Review tribunals and attend tribunal hearings.
• It will be your responsibility to keep other relevant records and client record systems up-to-date.
• If required, you may undertake student supervision for social work students.

What we need from you

• You must hold a degree in social work with relevant registration to practice and current relevant registration with Social Work England and a commitment to CPD.
• It is desirable that you have demonstrable, substantial post-qualification experience, ideally working in mental health services. You must have a detailed understanding of the relevant legal frameworks/legislation in the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and safeguarding.
• You must be able to demonstrate a developed understanding of the recovery principles and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care, with experience of undertaking carers’ assessments, assessing risk and developing risk management strategies.
• Given the nature of the role, you will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be able to engage effectively with people at all levels, even when a more assertive approach is needed, as well as highly developed active listening skills, which allows for reframing and testing of understanding.
• It is desirable that you have familiarity with 'Your Team Your Conversation Your Plan’ process, although training will be provided.

What you need to know

• It would be expected that you undertake Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) training, including any pre AMHP training requirements, within a reasonable timeframe of employment. On qualification of an AMHP, you will be expected to participate on the AMHP rota.
• To be considered for the Advanced Social Worker position, your evidence must be clearly detailed in your application. The salary is offered at points within these bands depending on experience:
  • Social worker: £37,280 - £39,152
  • Advanced Social worker: £40,777- £44,075
• Your salary is pro-rata to hours worked.
• Predominantly you will be required to work in the office or within the community, with occasional days working at home.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so must have a full valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative appropriate means of travel.

Interviews will be held at Kingswood Civic Centre on 19th January 2026.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• We invest in the careers of our people and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
• As part of our benefits package you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
• We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
• We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We’re making a difference, be part of it!