Patient Flow Social Worker - Community Access Service

We are looking for two Patient Flow Social Workers to join our Community Access Service teams in Kensington & Chelsea and Brent.

We are looking for someone who is motivated, can work under pressure and is able to demonstrate the benefit of having social work within an acute mental health setting supporting discharge.

Ideally we would want the candidate to have expert knowledge in discharge and mental health settings.

You will be part of the local inpatient team and the trust wide Community Access Service.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

You will work in a targeted way to achieve the discharge plan for inpatients, maximising independence and choice for the individual, and working in a solution focussed way to ensure that there are no barriers in place to an effective discharge.

You will work with individuals identified at admission and also through attendance and participation at daily whiteboard meetings, weekly Bed Management and Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC) meetings, who have social care related barriers to discharge.

You will work with individuals, families and carers, community services, housing departments, third sector organisations, and other relevant parties to ensure smooth transition to the community from hospital.

You will focus on all KPI’s linked to length of stay and out of area placement elimination.

You will sit organisationally within the Jameson Urgent Care Service as part of the Community Access service; but operationally you will be part of the Inpatient Service team and be present on the inpatient wards within a defined geographical area working with an identified caseload to enable effective discharge planning.

Interview date: TBC

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts and wellbeing intiatives for staff.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

The post holder must be adept at prioritising the activities that will most rapidly lead to effective discharge and have strong legal literacy to ensure that there are no legal barriers to discharge. This includes expert knowledge of housing legislation, Care Act, No Recourse to Public Funds, Mental Health Act (s117) and the Mental Capacity Act including Court of Protection.

1. JOB PURPOSE:

• To provide strong and effective leadership for the local Borough Community Access (CAS) service.
• To work with the CAS team, discharge workers and the inpatient staff to identify barriers to discharge at the earliest opportunity following admission and to manage and resolve these.
• To work in a targeted way to achieve the best pathway for inpatients on discharge, maximising independence and choice for the individual and working in a solution focussed way to ensure that once ready, there are no barriers in place to an effective discharge.
• To work with individuals, families and carers, community services, housing departments, third sector organisations, and other relevant parties to ensure smooth transition to the community from hospital.
• To work with individuals identified on admission, and also at daily whiteboard meetings, weekly Bed Management and Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC) meetings; to ensure a complete picture of the acute care pathway and patient flow, and any barriers to discharge.
• To be able to prioritise activities that will lead to effective discharge.
• To be able to apply professional knowledge and have strong legal literacy to ensure that there are no legal barriers to discharge. This includes expert knowledge of housing legislation, Care Act, No Recourse to Public Funds, Mental Health Act (s117) and the Mental Capacity Act including Court of Protection.
• To focus on KPIs linked to length of stay and out of area placement elimination.
• To sit organisationally within the Inpatient Services and be present on the inpatient wards within a defined geographical area working with an identified caseload to enable effective discharge planning.