Social Worker: Mental Health & Substance… at The City of… · Edinburgh

Hours: 36 per week Salary: £40,501 - £47,639

Social Worker: Mental Health and Substance Use Westerhailes Healthy Living Centre

Hours: 36 per week Salary: £40,501 - £47,639

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within the Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Service, whose main aim is to support and achieve positive outcomes with individuals and their families who experience issues and barriers to living healthy lives in relation to substance use and/ or mental health. Working in partnership with a variety of agencies both internal and external and undertaking a wide range of tasks, both statutory and non-statutory, the people we work with are placed firmly at the centre of everything we do. We adopt a trauma-informed approach in addition to understanding how import it is to quickly form strong working relationships with others, and recognising how these relationships can impact and affect outcomes.

We welcome applications from both experienced or newly qualified social workers, and especially those who are passionate about working with people experiencing mental health or addiction issues, while acknowledging – and who are willing to appropriately challenge - the stigma and discrimination often faced by these client groups.

If you are interested in joining a passionate and supportive team or would like to have a general discussion about the role, please contact Gemma Kapusciak, Social Work Team Leader at gemma.kapusciak@edinburgh.gov.uk

Edinburgh is an exciting city and excellent opportunities exist to join us and contribute towards helping all our citizens flourish.

Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership is on a journey to transform the way in which Social Work delivers support and services to ensure that we support adults with multiple and complex needs, and increasing levels of frailty, to live as independently as possible.

We work effectively with our health colleagues and a broad range of partners to ensure that the most vulnerable within our city get the right service in the right place at the right time. We have a key priority to shift the balance of care and promote effective early intervention and preventative supports.

We are looking for qualified Social Workers, who are committed to making a real difference to people’s lives, who are energetic, imaginative, creative, and resilient. Ideally, we are seeking experienced social workers who can join our team as council officers. Trauma informed, relationships and strengths based social work is at the heart of our practice. Adhering to the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 to provide a range of choices to people for how they are provided with the support they need.

You will undertake a range of statutory tasks including assessments and support planning, risk assessment and risk management and Carers’ assessments. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and will support adults, their families, and carers, to balance the complex areas of risk and need with choice and rights. You will also be able to provide advice, support, guidance and, if necessary, interventions, should an adult be at risk of harm and in need of protection under the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 or Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. You will work in a supportive, well-established teams and have regular supervision and training.

Preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check prior to a formal offer of employment being made by the City of Edinburgh Council. You must hold a degree/diploma or equivalent qualification in Social Work. You must also be registered or in the process of registering with the Scottish Social Services Council. These posts are exempt under Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013 (as amended). Your PVG fee and SSSC fee will be paid by us.

This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Find out more about our commitment to equalities https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/work-us/inclusive-edinburgh/4

As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.

You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council

Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.

Happy to talk flexible working.

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About the Company

The City of Edinburgh Council

About Us

Are you keen to shape the future of Scotland’s capital city? The City of Edinburgh Council is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to work with us and deliver key services across our capital city. We’re the second largest local authority in Scotland with a workforce of over 19,000 who all play a crucial role in maintaining and supporting vital services to over 500,000 residents. We offer an incredible variety of career opportunities across a broad range of sectors. Join us and you’ll find a role where you can make a difference and grow your career.

Our Culture

Our Behaviours, respect, integrity, and flexibility guide everything that we do, and we strive to make sure all colleagues feel valued and have a sense of belonging in the workplace. We want to make sure that we bring people into our roles who demonstrate Our Behaviours and are dedicated and committed to our purpose of serving our community. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service to meet citizens needs and make the city a better place.

You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We recognise the benefits that diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds bring to our organisation, and we’re committed to employing a workforce that represents the population of the city we serve. We particularly encourage applicants from under-represented groups including women, LGBT+ people, racially minoritised groups, people with disabilities and people who are neurodivergent.

As part of our commitment to inclusive recruitment, we're delighted to announce that we have extended our guaranteed interview scheme to include all applicants who are or have been care experienced, and who meet the essential criteria for the post. This extends our current arrangements of being a Disability Confident Employer, that guarantee an interview to applicants who meet the criteria for the post and who declare a disability.

Happy to talk flexible working.

Colleague Support and Wellbeing

As outlined in our People Strategy 2024-27, we aim to nurture a healthy workforce where we can all thrive. We offer regular events, initiatives and learning opportunities covering a range of different health and wellbeing topics.

We’re committed to supporting employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. There are several policies in place to support this ranging from flexible work options to career breaks. Our full suite of employment policies can be found here.

We have a range of support options available including access to counselling, a mental health support service, an occupational health service, speak up supporters and a colleague listening service.

Reasonable Adjustments

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience at work for all our colleagues and we’ll work hard to ensure that we meet the changing needs of colleagues throughout their time with us. We’re also geared up to support all candidates who may require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. Candidates invited for interview, should let the hiring manager know what they need, and they will do everything they can to accommodate your request.