Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-FH-20624
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Firs
- Town
- Hellingly
- Salary
- £66,582 - £77,368 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/06/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Social Work Professional Lead for Forensics and Learning Disabilities
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Social Work Lead to provide senior professional leadership across Forensic Health Service (FHS) and Learning Disabilities (LD) within the Specialist Division. This is a key leadership role, responsible for driving high‑quality, lawful and person‑centred social work practice, supporting a skilled workforce, and influencing service development across the Trust. You will need experience and knowledge of relevant legislation including Part 3 of the Mental Health Act, safeguarding frameworks and professional standards. Experience of delivering supervision, workforce development and multidisciplinary collaboration as well as ability to provide highly specialist advice and consultation is required.
The post holder will work closely with the Director of Social Work and Associate Clinical Directors, and internal and external partners to ensure excellence in safeguarding, professional standards, workforce development and service user experience.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is responsible for the Forensic Health Service (FHS) and Learning Disabilities (LD) Social Work team within the Specialist Division.
To facilitate social workers to become involved in service planning and decision making.
To ensure effective professional supervision of FHS Practitioners and all LD social workers across the Division and complete their appraisals with their line manager.
Lead of safeguarding adults at risk across FHS and LD including SAR audit with the LA.
Lead on delivery of carer strategy across FHS/LD.
To be a member of FHS funding panel.
Undertake other roles and tasks as required by the Service Director.
Working for our organisation
We provide NHS care and treatment to children, young people, adults and older people who have mental health problems, learning disabilities or neurodiversity needs.
We employ about 5,700 staff. Many of our services are provided in partnership with other organisations. We provide care in people’s homes, in specialist clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries.
As well as being a provider of services across Sussex we also commission specialist beds. Working with NHS and independent sector healthcare organisations across the South-East we are the lead provider in three Provider Collaboratives. These cover adult eating disorders, secure care and children and young people inpatient services.
Sussex Partnership was formed in April 2006 as an NHS Trust and established as an NHS Foundation Trust with teaching trust status in August 2008. We work closely with Brighton and Sussex Medical School, a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. In 2015, we became a member of the Association of UK University Hospitals, the representative body for university hospitals with major teaching and research interests across the UK and internationally.
Our services are rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission and 'outstanding' for caring. We work closely with other health and care partners to provide the best possible care to our local populations. We have strengths in innovation, including our work in the field of research and development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To independently prescribe care and make decisions about the direction and type of care the service user receives.
To work autonomously, within professional and Trust guidelines and to exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of professional practice of Social Workers, nonregistered social work staff and, where appropriate, other staff and to ensure that appropriate training, consultation and supervision structures are in place and consistent with national and Trust guidelines.
To work directly with multi-professional teams to assist in the management of risk, facilitation of complex case reviews and immediate crisis management, Provide expert care group Social Work opinion and advice within other areas of the trust.
To propose and lead on policy and service changes that impact both on the service area and throughout the Trust.
Provide expert clinical supervision and mentoring for staff working within the care group through formal clinical supervision, supervised clinical practice, case conferences and skills modelling.
Establish and maintain standards, guidelines and protocols that advance Social Work and multi-professional practice and promote and implement these within the care group and influence the implementation in other services.
To establish and develop proactive and positive relationships with professional leads across care groups and clinical teams.
To provide expert mental health Social Work advice within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and with other agencies as appropriate including social services, Primary Care Trusts, User/ Carer representative groups and voluntary agencies.
To influence Social Work at a Trust wide level, leading on major developmental projects that impact Trust wide.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration appropriate to the job role
- Evidence of master's level education in related area or equivalent
- Evidence of significant relevant professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience as a Forensic SW Practitioner
- Professional forensic social work competence with thorough MHA understanding and social supervision with a focus on Part 3 MHA
- Thorough understanding of relevant legislation
- Extensive clinical experience and practice in the care group in a range of settings.
- Expert knowledge of Social Work practice and multidisciplinary team working
- Evidence of inter-professional collaboration
- Advanced decision-making skills that reflect a patient/carer focus
- Evidence of publication experience
- Evidence of implementing innovative practice
- Evidence of conducting audit/research
- Evidence of ability to drive change forwards through
- excellent leadership and the ability to create strategic vision
- Able to demonstrate expert advice within the field of Forensic Mental Health and Learning Disability for the care group
- Able to demonstrate lateral thinking and generate novel solutions to meet the needs of this client group
- Promotion of best practice through clinical governance mechanisms
- Demonstrate evidence of successful change management within complex teams
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ros Green
- Job title
- Associate Clinical Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07341737674
- Additional information
Debbie Barrington-Smith
0300 304 262
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