Job Purpose

ECC Adult Social Care, through effective practice, is moving towards a transformational shift from a focus on long-term care support, to a model with four key principles: - prevention; early intervention; enablement and safeguarding. This will enable people, their families and carers to access information and tools, live healthily and independently and for our function an opportunity to respond pro-actively to growing service demand in a sustainable way, within the financial constraints of the Council.

The Approved Mental Health Practitioner Service has a unique position in ensuring compliance with the statutory functions imposed upon the Local Authority by the Mental Health Act. The service will be responsible for composing and delivering the AMHP rota. The service will undertake statutory assessments and initial enquiries in line with statutory duties. This is a full time front line Approved Mental Health Professional position operating in a large County Wide dedicated AMHP Service.

Senior social workers are passionate in demonstrating expert and effective practice ability in complex situations often in pressurized environments. Managing workload and supporting colleagues with complex cases, with an ability to mitigate high levels of risk. Working collaboratively with statutory and non-statutory/voluntary agencies ensuring a joined up approach.

Significant experience of social work, modelling good practice, triaging assessments, prioritizing responses, direction to others and providing expert advice and guidance is essential in this role.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for providing supervision, specialist advice and professional expertise for AMHPs and Social Workers, contributing to the development of practice standards and the four key principles.
• Accountable for assessment of complex social care needs and provision of support for vulnerable adults to ensure they are safe and have good outcomes to promote independence.
• Accountable for working within the statutory legal framework, policy and guidance and determining when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached in line with legislative and organisational standards within the Care Act 2015 (e.g MCA/DoLS/CHC assessments etc). Specifically to carry out and manage the process of MHA assessments, identifying least restrictive options and acting as an autonomous professional consistent with legal and statutory obligations.
• Responsible for managing a complex workload, maintaining accurate and timely data, reports and presentations as required.
• Responsible for carrying out, coordinating and managing the process of Mental Health Act assessments, consistent with legal and statutory obligations working flexibly and at times outside the core operating hours of the team in accordance with demand.
• Responsible for participating in a range of case conferences, court attendance, meetings and statutory reviews, pro-actively taking the lead when a social care perspective is required.
• Accountable for conducting assessments under the Mental Health Act 1983 and plan responses which safeguard vulnerable adults, including intervention as required that may be beyond normal operating hours.
• Builds strong effective working relationships across the Council, with partners and members of voluntary agencies.
• Delivers a high level of expertise in particular areas of practice and leads on those areas, contributing to the development of a prevention and early intervention service.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to degree level (i.e. Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS) or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards eg professional capability framework, knowledge and skills statement. Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a registered social worker.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation including~: Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and its interface with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Care Act 2014, Human Rights Act 1998 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Case law and relevant codes of practice. The ability to interpret this legislation and apply it to practice while adhering to the Local Authority's statutory responsibilities.
• Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulations and guidance with post qualifying experience of working as an AMHP.
• Experience of mentoring both newly qualified and experienced staff and being a subject matter expert in professional practice.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• Developing strong relationships with partners for the effective delivery of the AMHP.
• Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention, with an understanding of the financial implications of care packages commissioned.