Social Worker (Band 6)

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity for qualified Social Workers interested in working with women with complex mental health needs.

The post holder will join the multidisciplinary team on Melrose Ward, a Level 2 specialist mental health rehabilitation inpatient service for women, based at The Orchard Unit on the St Bernard’s Hospital campus. The ward provides trauma-informed, gender-sensitive care for women whose recovery has not been supported in previous placements.

The team delivers holistic, biopsychosocial care, with a focus on psychological therapies, occupational engagement, and community reintegration, supporting service users to build life skills and move towards independent living.

Melrose Ward offers a unique opportunity to contribute to an innovative, recovery-focused model of care across Local Services and West London Forensic Services.

You will manage a ward-based caseload alongside structured learning, development opportunities, and regular supervision, within a supportive Social Work team.

Experience in inpatient or complex needs settings is desirable but not essential, provided transferable skills can be demonstrated.

Main duties of the job

West London NHS Trust delivers a Social Work service across all working-age adult wards at St Bernard’s Hospital. With the exception of Melrose Ward, these are forensic settings, although not all patients are restricted or detained under forensic sections of the Mental Health Act. Social Workers are embedded within well-resourced multidisciplinary teams and contribute to risk assessment and care planning from admission through to discharge.

The service focuses on meeting the social care needs of patients and operates in line with the Forensic Mental Health Social Work Capabilities Framework (2016), offering opportunities to work across a range of specialist areas.

As a frontline Social Worker, you will manage a balanced caseload alongside structured learning and development opportunities. You will build skills in risk assessment and management, effective multidisciplinary working, and the application of legal frameworks relating to mental health detention and mental capacity.

The role includes direct patient work, completing statutory assessments, preparing formal reports, and identifying and implementing safeguarding processes. You will also work closely with families and carers and collaborate with partner agencies, including MAPPA, the Probation Service, the Victim Contact Scheme, and Adult and Children’s Social Work colleagues within local authorities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.