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Job summary

Main area
Forensic Services York
Grade
7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
173-45226-FOR
Employer
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Forensic Services
Town
York
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 pa
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
05/10/2026 23:59
Interview date
21/10/2026

Employer heading

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Social Worker

7

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Social Worker to join our Forensic Services team at Clifton House. As a key member of the multidisciplinary leadership team, you will provide professional social work leadership, act as the safeguarding lead for the service, and support service users with complex mental health needs through their care and recovery journey. The role involves working across inpatient and community forensic pathways, supporting safe transitions and discharges, providing specialist advice to colleagues and partner agencies, and contributing to the ongoing development of forensic services.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will provide specialist social work assessment, care coordination and intervention for service users with complex forensic mental health needs. You will lead on safeguarding practice within the service, contribute to risk assessment and management, support discharge and transition planning, and work closely with local authorities, housing providers and other partner organisations. The role also includes providing professional leadership and supervision to staff, supporting students and junior colleagues, chairing and participating in multidisciplinary meetings, preparing statutory reports, and contributing to service development, quality improvement and audit activities across Forensic Services.

Working for our organisation

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.

We also have a bank department, offering variety of roles in nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support worker and administration clerical. Permanent employees are automatically added to bank. 

Applicants should be aware that individuals requiring a visa to work in the UK, the Trust only provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles (this does not include Healthcare Support Workers). This is an essential requirement, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you do not meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We recruit people based on their values and qualifications (where required) and believe that their lived experience is an advantage, this means that together we are as diverse as the communities we care for. Simply put, when we employ caring people who act with integrity and have the right skills, we can give those with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity high-quality care and support to live fulfilling lives, and make our staff feel purposeful, happy and valued.
All our information is available in accessible formats. Please contact the Recruitment team [email protected] 
Attached to this advert is our candidates guide to values-based recruitment and supporting guidance on how to make a successful application. 
If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team or see the attached candidate guide to reasonable adjustments. 
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. 

So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Guide to Values Based Recruitment. This document provides you with information to help you apply.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Social Worker with relevant professional registration and a minimum of 2 years post-registration experience.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with individuals with complex needs, including assessment, care coordination and risk management.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working collaboratively with partner agencies and multidisciplinary teams to support service users and manage risk.
  • Experience of providing professional leadership, supervision, training or support to colleagues within a team environment.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and best practice, including safeguarding, the Mental Health Act and contemporary social work practice.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyWhite RibbonAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardDisability confident employer

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sarah Hickey
Job title
Clinical Operations Manager
Email address
[email protected]
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