Social Work Officer (One Permanent Role One Fixed term/secondment opportunity for 12 months)

Job Purpose

Carry out Social Work Officer responsibilities to support the Commission in achieving its strategic aims and objectives.

Dimensions

This post has a Scotland wide remit. This includes influencing and negotiating with key people within, NHS bodies, local authorities, health and social care partnerships, Scottish Government and other stakeholders to influence change in services to better ensure the protection of people with mental illness, learning disability and related conditions.

A key role is direct contact with individuals, their relatives and carers as well as other members of the public in respect of their concerns about either their mental health and the care and treatment they receive or that of others. Much of the Commission’s work is at the complex interface between the individual’s rights, the law and ethics and the care the person is receiving. The Commission works across the continuum of health and social care.

Role of the Mental Welfare Commission

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body. We protect and promote the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia and related conditions.

We do this through visiting, monitoring, investigation and influencing policy and practice. Our work is grounded in the principles of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, alongside wider human rights frameworks

We protect and promote the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia, and related conditions.

We do this by:

· Checking if individual care and treatment is lawful and in line with good practice.

· Empowering individuals and their carers through advice, guidance, and information.

· Promoting best practice in applying mental health and incapacity law.

· Influencing legislation, policy, and service development.

Key result areas

Co-ordinate Commission activity in a specified region of Scotland. This includes planning, coordinating and reporting on the visiting programme, ensuring visits are organised according to procedures and that follow up action and reports are dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner; planning and participating in formal annual meetings and other meetings with NHS boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and local authorities; being the point of contact for professionals and individuals; managing correspondence and casework and holding primary responsibility for defining key issues arising; identifying and prioritising issues, determining what response should be made or further action taken and taking that forward.

Identify the need for and carry out informal investigations and inquiries and deal with all correspondence from a specified region of Scotland. This casework can involve legal and welfare issues, liaison with other agencies to resolve welfare issues and ensuring that relevant issues are brought to the attention of the Commission, ensuring that relevant issues are brought to the attention of Executive Directors, including identifying possible deficiencies in care and escalating as appropriate within the Commission. Participate in formal investigations as part of an inquiry team and contribute expert professional input to all forms of investigatory work.

Interview and review the care and treatment of individuals; and to interview their relatives, guardians or employees in hospital or the community as necessary; to report on their care and treatment, ensure that this is being delivered to a high standard and, where applicable, within the appropriate legal framework. Promote best practice in relation to operation of the Mental Health Acts and Adults with Incapacity Act. Take forward concerns raised by individuals as appropriate.

Contribute to the Commission’s national reports, good practice guidance and internal advice and guidance, and to undertake a lead role in producing these where appropriate. Contribute to the Commission’s role in influencing the national agenda on issues pertaining to the rights of individuals and ethics in professional practice.

Provide advice, guidance and consultation to all stakeholders on a wide range of legislative, practice and individual matters through a variety of forums. This includes participation in MWC’s telephone advice service, when advice must be provided in response to potentially very complex clinical, ethical and legal questions. Represent the Commission at and contribute to training events and conferences on relevant subject matters.

Provide expert professional nursing or social work advice across the Commission. Report to appropriate governance and management committees. Participate in MWC speciality working groups and project groups, and chair if requested.

Undertake individual continuing professional development to maintain and update skills and knowledge (particularly in relation to legislation and individuals’ rights/welfare). Represent the Commission at professional meetings, network and establish and maintain contacts. This provides an opportunity for clinical colleagues to seek informal advice and to promote best practice.

Key result areas - Planning & Organising

Within agreed performance objectives, the post holder has a high degree of autonomy in organising, managing and prioritising own work.

Review of performance in the role is conducted by a formal appraisal on an annual basis; this also has regular reviews throughout the year.

Key Results areas - Performance

Within agreed performance objectives, the post holder has a high degree of autonomy in organising, managing and prioritising their own work.

Review of performance in the post is conducted by formal appraisal on an annual basis and regular review of progress and development throughout the year.

Key Results areas - Internal and External Relationships

Internal

In addition to the internal working relationship with the Senior Manager, the following are key working relationships:

All MWC employees - to discuss common areas of concern and to develop multidisciplinary and team working relationships.

External contacts

Senior and other employees of the NHS bodies, local authorities, health and social care partnerships, other statutory bodies, Scottish Government, professional, voluntary and advocacy organisations by influencing policy and agendas and raise issues of concern about the protection of individuals and to follow up on individual cases. Strong negotiating and influencing skills to improve the care and treatment delivered to people.

Users and Carers – to raise awareness of the role and function of the Commission and to follow up on individual cases arising from visits, correspondence or telephone duty.

Key Results areas – Organisational Contribution

Contribute to the Commission’s wider work, including monitoring and policy development where relevant

Support the integration of learning from investigations into national monitoring activity, including restrictive practices work

Participate in internal governance processes as required