Job Description

How you'll make a difference:

As a Senior Practitioner in an integrated Mental Health Team, you will improve the quality of services provided to adults of working age in the community. You will have a pivotal role in ensuring performance and quality standards across the Recovery Team are met and delivered to vulnerable adults in our community.


What you will be doing:
Reporting to the Team Manager within Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) Trust, you will take a proactive role in the day-to-day management of the team, including screening and allocating referrals, providing advice and support to staff and members of the public. You will supervise social workers in line with the council's supervision policy. In addition, you may undertake student supervision for social work students and assist newly qualified social workers with their ASYE course. It will be your responsibility to maintain and promote effective partnerships with relevant agencies including housing, in-patient units, the courts, supported accommodation and the police to achieve best outcomes for service users. This may involve assisting in developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures. Supporting staff with managing complex cases, together you will take account of levels of risk, safeguarding and issues of mental capacity and DOLS as required. You may also hold a case load to ensure that your skills are current and to enable you to support with the running of the team. You will have experience in completing assessments under the Care Act and will support both health and social care colleagues in the completion of these assessments to ensure compliance with this legislation. Part of the role may require you to prepare social circumstances reports for the Mental Health Review tribunal and attend tribunal hearings. It will be key that you ensure effective prioritisation and allocation of work including managing waiting lists.

What we need from you:
It is essential you hold a relevant professional qualification in social work and be registered with Social Work England (SWE). We require you to have relevant post qualifying experience in a social care setting and experience of dealing with complex cases. Ideally you will have experience in social work with adults of working age You'll be able to provide evidence of on-going continuous professional development, knowledge of current legislation and practice relating to social care with the ability to be able to assess and manage risk. It is crucial you must have a detailed understanding and experience in Mental Capacity Act and Care Act assessments to the level that you can tutor others in relation to what is required for such assessments. You will have an understanding of S117 aftercare eligibility. You will have experience in providing supervision to social care workers and assisting them to promote social care values within a primarily medical model of mental illness.

What you need to know:
Ordinarily, we would expect you undertake Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) training, including any pre AMHP training requirements, within a reasonable timeframe of employment. On qualification as an AMHP you will be expected to participate on the AMHP rota. We could also consider offering this as an internal 12 month secondment opportunity, you should first seek your line managers permission before applying. This role is hybrid, predominantly you will be required to work in the office or within the community, with occasional days working at home. You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so must have a full valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have alternative appropriate means of travel. You will on occasion be required to travel to other parts of the country to complete reviews. Business insurance will need to be added to your insurance policy. You can claim back mileage expenses. Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.

Interviews anticipated week commencing 22/09/2025.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different:
We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our

training and development

offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work. What's special here is the strength of the

team ethos

. We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have

manageable caseloads

and have effective supervision so feel supported to make decisions which are right for the people you are working with. We are

committed to safeguarding

and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect. As part of our benefits package you will receive

generous annual leave

(pro rata), employee

wellbeing support

and you will have access to a range of

staff discounts

, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities We recognise that our

diverse team

of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.


Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.



We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.


We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We're making a difference, be part of it!

To view the full job description, please click this link: Senior Practitioner SW - job description.