Employer: East London NHS Foundation Trust
Job Title: Social Worker
Location: United Kingdom
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year
Job Type: Full-time
Closing Date: 16 June 2026

Job Summary

A fantastic position has become available in the Early Intervention in psychosis service for a Band 5 Newly qualified social worker.

The Countywide Early Intervention in Psychosis service is currently expanding. The service provides a focussed and specific community provision for the population of Bedfordshire & Luton, in response to the needs of individuals and their families experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

The team works across CAMH services and Adult Mental Health Services with an age range starting at 14 years. Skilled and well-motivated mental health social workers are being sought to join both the North Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire teams.

East London NHS Foundation Trust and local borough councils offer training opportunities to support Social Workers to maintain their professional registration with Social Work England. The natural progression for a Social Worker within Mental Health Services is considered to be completion of Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) training.

The role also offers the opportunity to be trained in Behavioural Family Therapy, CAARMs Assessment tool and psychosocial interventions. In addition, the team holds monthly team development days to support continuous professional development.

Psychosis is considered treatable and recovery is expected.

Main Duties of the Job

The post is suitable for a newly qualified (or soon to be qualified) registered social worker who would value the opportunity to participate in an ASYE (assessed and supported year in employment) training program.

During this year, supported by a dedicated senior mental health social worker, the successful candidate will undertake a number of activities to support the development of core competencies necessary for a social worker specialising in Mental Health.

The post holder will hold a caseload of clients with oversight from an allocated senior mental health practitioner. Working flexibly to deliver packages of care under CPA, a good knowledge of risk management and psychosis will be essential.

The post holder will be required to deliver statutory duties under the Care Act 2014, including assessment of need and safeguarding, ensuring that all are undertaken within the principles of personalisation.

Social workers are at the heart of achieving the aspirations of the service users and carers they work with, providing the opportunity to focus on people’s assets and strengths and to consider holistic, creative solutions to support the individual.

The post holder will be required to hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a car for business purposes.

Job Responsibilities

• To participate in the ASYE training programme.
• To coordinate care for a defined caseload of service users with the guidance and support of your nominated supervisor.
• To endorse and act in accordance with the principles of personalisation within The Care Act 2014 to ensure that care and support is person centred and as far as possible places people in control of their own lives. In doing so they will carry out assessments of need in accordance with The Care Act, plan and deliver services and review outcomes with the individual, their personal networks and support providers.
• To work in partnership with service users and carers, identifying and utilising strengths and working closely with other agencies and voluntary groups to ensure good outcomes which, as far as possible, maintain independence.
• To maintain a good working knowledge of The Care Act, Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act/DOLS and other social care legislation to inform a social perspective to their work and promote social care issues within the team.

About East London NHS Foundation Trust

Social workers in East London NHS Foundation Trust work across a range of settings including Adult and Older Persons Mental Health, Forensic, Crisis and CAMHs Services and increasingly in Primary Care settings.

There are social workers in various management posts across East London NHS Foundation Trust including a Director of Social Work and a Learning and Development Lead for Social Work.

Wherever the base, East London NHS Foundation Trust values the skills and contribution of social workers and encourages them to maintain the requirements of their professional registration and will uphold the values and practice of Social Work across the organisation.

East London NHS Foundation Trust aims for social workers to feel valued and supported and to promote and support social work as a profession.

East London NHS Foundation Trust offers:

• Training and development opportunities specific to social work including ASYE, AMHP training and PE training.
• Social work professional supervision.
• Social work forums and seminars.
• A voice in the organisation and recognition of the skills and values social workers bring.
• The opportunity to progress through the organisation as a social worker in a senior role.

Please contact East London NHS Foundation Trust if you would like to know more about working as a social worker within the organisation.

Person Specification

Education / Qualification / Training

Essential

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.

Desirable

• Educated to Degree Level.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary environment/community experience.
• Experience of working within an NHS/Local Authority environment and an understanding of the issues/policies/practice within these environments.
• Experience of working within mental health services.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Understanding a range of models of mental disorder and the treatment options.
• Comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of mental illness and interventions to support recovery.
• An understanding of the principles of early intervention in psychosis.
• Working knowledge of The Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and other social care & mental health legislation, policy & guidance.
• Good report writing skills and ability to compile complex case recording and report presentation, including legal documents i.e. social circumstances reports, court reports etc.
• Assessment skills and the ability to compile care plans in partnership with service users, carers and others.

Desirable

• Assertiveness and engagement with other professionals, able to make reasoned arguments and represent own professional views and perspectives.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Car driver essential and be able to travel between Trust sites throughout the County.
• Full clean driving licence.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

How to Apply

If this opportunity interests you, head to the company’s official website for full details — click here to submit your application.