Senior Social Worker

Job overview

As a Senior Social Worker in our Acute Frailty Assessment Unit (AFAU), you'll play a crucial role in providing high-quality, compassionate care to our elderly and frail patients. You will work as part of a team of x2 social workers who lead in overseeing transfer of care arrangements for patients require short admissions in our AFAU.

AFAU is a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service which is a 12 patient assessment space. We offer rapid assessment and care for older adults within a safe and dementia friendly environment. Patients will remain in the unit for no longer than 10 hours and thereafter discharged home with a plan of care or transferred to the relevant ward for further treatment.

You'll be part of a dynamic multidisciplinary team, using your clinical skills and knowledge to assess, plan, and deliver person-centred care. This challenging yet rewarding position offers opportunities for professional growth and the chance to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable patients. Join us in our commitment to excellence in frailty care and help shape the future of elderly patient services.

Main duties of the job

To develop and implement personalized transfer of care plans for frail elderly patients.

To collaborate with doctors, therapists, and nurses to provide holistic care.

To advocate for patients' needs and preferences, promoting dignity and independence.

Provide education and support to patients and their families about care and treatment, particularly through imparting advice and information in respect of community care and preventative approaches to social care

Lead in discharge planning to ensure safe transitions of care.

To Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records.

To Adhere to infection control protocols and safety standards.

To Mentor and support junior staff and students in the unit and to support the delivery of social work education initiatives across the trust wide social work department

To actively engage with the trust social work department as a member of the AFAU

To Engage in continuous professional development to enhance skills in frailty care and maintain registration as a qualified Social Worker

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient Care and Communication: Provide compassionate, person-centred care that promotes dignity, independence, and well-being Communicate effectively with patients, families, and carers, providing education and support about transfer of care and advocate for patients' needs and preferences within the multidisciplinary team. Participate in family meetings as required

Teamwork and Collaboration: Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, including doctors, therapists, nurses and other healthcare professionals Contribute to effective handovers and ensure continuity of care Participate in team meetings and quality improvement initiatives Mentor and support junior staff, students, and newly qualified nurses

Safeguarding: To work in partnership with trust safeguarding functions to ensure timely reviews occur in respect of adult's identified at risk of abuse. Ensuring that the MDT is sighted on latest practice developments around MCA/Safeguarding and DoLS

Quality and Safety: Adhere to all relevant NHS and Trust policies, procedures, and guidelines Participate in clinical governance activities and contribute to maintaining high standards of care Report concerns and incidents promptly, contributing to a culture of openness and learning Support the implementation of evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives.

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.