Mental Health Social Worker – North and Mid Devon

The successful candidate will be placed in an experienced social care team with a stable workforce who make a real difference to the lives of individuals with mental health conditions.

We have fully implemented an exciting transformation programme in the way that Social Care is delivered within Devon Partnership Trust.

There are now more Assigned Social Workers in Devon Partnership Trust than ever before delivering the statutory functions of the Local Authority.

We are looking for enthusiastic Social Work professionals across Devon who can evidence a commitment to strengths‐based practice, a real pride in their profession and passion for delivering a social care pathway to individuals accessing secondary mental health services.

Does the job role include personal care?: No

TBC

• Delivering a social care pathway in line with the requirements of the Care Act 2014;
• A strong focus on offering a personalised and person‑centred approach to assessment, support planning, safeguarding and review;
• Strong, effective communication skills as you will be working in partnership with other statutory and voluntary sector organisations;
• Commitment to involving service users and carers in the delivery of a high quality and equitable service

• An experienced and qualified Social Worker (CQSW, DipSW, BA Hons, MA or equivalent) who is registered to practice with Social Work England (previously HCPC).
• You will have completed the Assessed First Year in (post‑qualifying) Social Work practice, if appropriate, and can demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Bringing a comprehensive working knowledge of the issues currently impacting on social care delivery, you will be up‑to‑date with policy and practice development.
• The role requires travelling significant distances, sometimes in urgent situations and without prior notice, in a rural environment where public transport may not be available.
• You will need to hold a current full driving licence and have access to a vehicle.

We have implemented the first phase of a new Social Worker Career Pathway within our Adults Services, with our vacancies available at the Social Worker (Grade

F) or Experienced Social Worker (Grade G) levels. Our Social Worker and Experienced Social Worker roles align with the national Professional Capability Framework (PCF) for Social Workers, which provides a robust structure for all local authorities to use as a way of standardising professional capabilities and provides a clear career pathway.

This is a fantastic opportunity to provide you with an achievable, clear pathway for your career; to enable you as a practitioner to reflect and identify your own practice and development on the PCF pathway.

If successful in being shortlisted for interview, your experience, skills and knowledge will be assessed against the PCF domains and, if found appointable, this will determine your appointment to either the Social Worker (Grade

F) or Experienced Social Worker (Grade G) level.

With ongoing learning and support from your line manager, those appointed as a Social Worker will be able to evidence incremental learning and submit an application in due course for progression to the Experienced Social Worker (Grade G) via a portfolio of supporting evidence against the PCF framework.

Adults with mental health diagnoses and substance misuse problems are often stigmatised and marginalised. I came in to social work to challenge some of those attitudes. Mental health social work can be both complex and challenging. The North and Mid Devon social care team is experienced, compassionate and have great camaraderie. We work hard together to make a difference to individuals who live with mental health diagnoses.

Sarah, Mental Health Social Worker

I joined the team in January 2024, from a background in children’s social care. We are a busy team, working in complex situations, supporting people who are facing the challenges of daily life while navigating their mental health condition. The team are passionate, supportive and always willing to help and share ideas and…