Deputy Lead Social Worker - Secure Mental Health Service

We are recruiting confidentially for a Deputy Lead Social Worker to join a specialist mental health hospital based in Thatcham, Berkshire. This is an excellent opportunity to play a key leadership role within a secure mental health setting, supporting service users on their recovery journey while helping to shape high-quality social work practice across the hospital.

Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, you will manage and support a caseload of individuals with mental health conditions and complex needs. Your responsibilities will include completing assessments, CPA reports, Mental Health Tribunals, and Managers' Hearings, as well as supervising and supporting junior members of the social work team. As Deputy Lead, you will promote strong safeguarding practice, empower recovery-focused care, and encourage service users to engage meaningfully with their care plans to achieve positive outcomes.

You will deputise for the Lead Social Worker in quality assurance meetings and support the delivery of safeguarding induction and update training across the hospital. You will also lead multidisciplinary discussions on non-medical mental capacity issues and best interest decisions, deliver high-quality supervision and appraisals to both junior and senior social workers, and liaise with a range of external agencies to support statutory duties.

This includes working collaboratively with Local Authority Social Services, CMHTs, MAPPA, Police, Probation, and other partner organisations. Supporting carers and families of detained patients will also be an important part of the role.

The hospital provides a combination of medium secure and low secure units alongside rehabilitation flats, delivering a seamless internal care pathway. The service supports males with mental illness, complex care needs, and personality disorders, some of whom may have a history of offending or previous placement breakdowns. You will be part of a well-established multidisciplinary team offering personalised assessment and treatment programmes in a structured, recovery-focused environment.

To be successful in this role, you will hold a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. You will have strong working knowledge of relevant legislation and at least four years' experience working in a similar mental health or secure setting. Leadership capability, confidence in safeguarding practice, and the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines are essential.

The role offers a salary of £48,000 to £50,000 per annum, along with 33 days annual leave including bank holidays plus your birthday off. Additional benefits include career development and access to training, wellbeing support, rewards and discounts, life assurance, pension contribution, 24/7 GP access and second medical opinion services, enhanced maternity benefits, financial wellbeing support, free or subsidised meals, and onsite or local free parking.

If you are looking for a confidential opportunity where you can progress your career while making a meaningful impact within secure mental health services, I would welcome a confidential discussion. Please reply to this email or contact me directly to find out more.