West Sussex County Council • Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5LF
About this role
About Us
Working at West Sussex County Council means making a real, positive difference to the lives of the people we serve. The Forensic Outreach and Liaison Service is seeking a full-time Senior Social Work Practitioner with demonstrable post-qualifying experience to join our team.
This is an exciting opportunity to further develop your skills within a busy Forensic Mental Health Service, supporting individuals who have been, or continue to be, involved with the Criminal Justice System. Our practice is grounded in a strengths-based, community-led approach, building on the assets and strengths of individuals, families, and local communities.
Together, we focus on prevention, enablement, reablement, and safety, promoting wellbeing and independence while ensuring that residents, families, and communities receive the right support at the right time.
We offer a supportive working environment that values high-quality professional supervision and provides the right balance of challenge and support. Innovation and evidence-based practice underpin our work, creating a culture where social workers are encouraged to develop, progress, and thrive in their careers.
If you have the talent, commitment, and ambition to achieve the best outcomes for the people we serve, we will support your ongoing professional development throughout your social work career.
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we'd love to hear from you.
About The Job
Salary
£48,226 to £51,356 per annum
Working Pattern
Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract Type
Permanent
Location
Arun Civic Centre office base - countywide travel required
Interview Date
w/b 1st June
You will work as part of a multi‑agency, specialist forensic mental health team, delivering a targeted statutory social work service to individuals with severe and/or enduring mental health needs who fall within the team's admission criteria. This includes working with people in specialist hospitals, prisons, secure units, rehabilitation services, and community settings, many of whom have had, or continue to have, contact with the criminal justice system.
As a Senior Social Work Practitioner, you will act as a lead professional, holding responsibility for delivering high‑quality statutory social work interventions. This includes undertaking and overseeing assessment, care planning, implementation, and review, ensuring practice is lawful, person‑centred, and outcomes‑focused.
You will take a leading role within a specialist area of service delivery, staying informed of key developments and ensuring that changes in policy, legislation, or practice are effectively communicated and embedded across the team. You will manage a complex and challenging caseload, providing expert advice, professional guidance, and supervision to colleagues to support consistent, high‑quality practice.
What You'll Need to Succeed
You will bring advanced knowledge of social work theory and practice, alongside a detailed understanding of relevant legislation, organisational policies, and statutory frameworks. You will be confident in applying this knowledge within complex forensic and mental health contexts.
You will be able to undertake Mental Health Act assessments and statutory duties, including participation in the West Sussex AMHP duty rota and forensic AMHP rota. You will also take on the role of Social Supervisor for individuals subject to sections 37/41 of the Mental Health Act, demonstrating sound professional judgement and risk management.
Strong IT and recording skills are essential, as is the ability to work autonomously, flexibly, and confidently within a demanding and fast‑paced environment. You will be an effective communicator, able to build strong working relationships across agencies while maintaining a clear social work perspective.
There will also be a requirement for you to work flexibly to support customers, carers and families, sometimes out of normal office hours. You will be required to travel county wide, including to locations that are not always easily accessible by public transport so it is desirable for you to have a driving licence.
Experience and Skills
Qualifications and/or experience
* Degree in relevant professional or equivalent qualification e.g. Certificate of Qualification in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work.
* Completion of relevant post qualifying training.
* Registration with the relevant professional registration body and responsibility for maintaining registration with that body.
* Practice Educators Award. Desirable (or the expectation is to undertake the training)
* Approved Mental Health Professional. Desirable (or the expectation is to undertake the training)
* Valid, full driving licence. Desirable
* Experience of working with individuals with severe and enduring mental illness including, schizophrenia, Autism, Asperger's and Learning Disability, dual diagnosis.
* Experience of acting in the role of Social Supervisor Desirable or willing to undertake formal training to undertake the role.
* Experience of mental health social work, including an in-depth knowledge of Part III Mental Health Act, the interface between Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and DoLS, and the role of Social Supervisor.
* Experience of undertaking specialist risk assessments HCR 20 (Managing violence and aggression).
Please read the job description and take note of the key skills section as they will be used alongside the qualification and experience listed above, as short listing criteria.
Further Information
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme (if you meet all the essential criteria), this can be found on our application help page.