Senior Social Worker – Safeguarding and Tier 4 lead: Sponsorship Available

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

As a Senior Social Worker, you will act as the champion and leader of social care and safeguarding in both the Bedford and Dunstable addictions Hub

You will be expected to give robust, consistent, and expert social care practice advice in partnership with specialist senior social care and health colleagues. You will promote high quality, recovery-focused and cost-effective social care services to service users and their carers, focused on the principles of choice, control and independence, as well as ensuring safety.

The Social worker will work alongside the Social Care Lead to ensure delivery of the Local Authority delegated functions and statutory responsibilities within the section 75 Partnership Agreement, and in line with the Care Act, 2014 and other relevant legislation.

The Social worker will work alongside and support the P2R Social Care Lead and other key stakeholders. You will be the lead within the Safeguarding team which works across directorates bringing together best practice, supporting Social Care which is place-based, personalised and community focused

The post holder will lead on the investigation of Care Act Enquiries and plan Tier 4 (detox rehad) process within the Specialist Addictions service and support in planning and providing one-to-one and group interventions for substance misuse.

Main duties of the job

Lead across all aspects of Adult and Children’s Safeguarding, leading Care Act Enquiries, assessing and managing risk, working with the Social Care Lead to ensure the service is delivered safely and effectively

To be a champion of social care with a comprehensive understanding of legislation and statutory guidance

Assess service users for suitability and eligibility for detoxification and residential rehabilitation (Tier 4)

Lead the Specialist Intervention Team, directly managing up to 6 members of staff

Co-ordinate the delivery of one-to-one and group interventions for substance misuse

Assess service users, identifying strengths and recovery capital and deliver interventions which support and empower the service user to make changes to their substance use

Work collaboratively with everyone involved in the service user’s care and support

To maintain regular links and attend meetings with the corporate Social Work Learning and Development Team, and Safeguarding Team, and keep up to date with accurate, consistent, and robust social care, legal and practice advice, and support to locality staff.

To undertake the most complex assessments and reviews, for people who may present with a high risk, or those with significant interpersonal, social, legal and/or environmental complexities, ensuring people are assessed appropriately against social care eligibility criteria as defined by The Care Act 2014.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Professional Qualification in Social Work
  • Substance Misuse Training
  • Care Act Training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in Health or Social Care
  • Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Experience of care planning and risk assessment

Knowledge

Essential

  • Ability to empower service users to draw from their strengths and assets, and identify solutions
  • Understanding and commitment to the values and principles of Recovery and ability to apply them

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: 30 August 2026

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