Forensic Social Worker – Community Senior Practitioner

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker who is experienced in, or has an interest in, Forensic Social Work.

East London NHS Foundation Trust provides the regional forensic mental health service covering the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The Community Forensic team covers all of those boroughs and you will be expected to travel at times across different boroughs. There are office spaces you can work from in each of the boroughs.

The service meets the specialist needs of mentally disordered offenders, the majority of whom were admitted via the criminal justice system. The Community Forensic Social Work Team provides social supervision to service users who have been conditionally discharged, as well as renewal of CTO’s within the team and a comprehensive social care service.

Applications from experienced mental health social workers and from those with transferable skills will be considered.

Main duties of the job

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing a comprehensive social work service to the inpatients on your caseload.

You will actively contribute the social care perspective to forensic risk assessment and care planning.

You will carry out statutory functions such as preparing reports for the ministry of justice, social circumstance reports, attending tribunals, and will lead on safeguarding concerns.

Person Specification

Essential

Essential

  • Current SWE registration
  • Substantial post-qualifying experience of working with people with severe and enduring mental health problems
  • CQSW, DipSW or equivalent social work qualification
  • Qualified AMHP

Desirable

  • Experience of line management of junior staff
  • Experience of service development

Essential

Essential

  • Qualified AMHP

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.

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).

Closing Date: 26 July 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.