Principal Manager AMHP Hub

Main duties of the job

An exciting new opportunity has been developed in our Mental Health service, and we need an innovative person to lead on the creation and implementation of a new service. The All Age Disability service holds responsibility for statutory social work functions on behalf of the Local Authority, one of which is AMHP work. In order to manage this work more effectively, we are developing an AMHP hub, and an experienced manager is needed to lead on the implementation of the team and the ongoing operational management of staff. The person will also act as our AMHP lead and work closely with the Principal Social Worker in the Local Authority.

You will need to be a qualified AMHP as you will need to occasionally carry out some AMHP work to maintain your warrant, as well as guiding others with their practice. You will be part of our wider management team and will need to deputise for the Head of Service as well as providing cover to other social work teams when needed. You will have the opportunity to develop your ideas on service improvement and will play an important role in the NHS Ten Year plan and the part that social care will play in this. Experience of overseeing statutory social work is needed and a background in quality improvement and managing change is also helpful.

Key responsibilities

You will lead on the initial implementation of the team and then provide line management support to the staff who are in the hub. There will be additional AMHPs who will be based in our CMHTs, and part of the role will include providing oversight and peer support to these staff. The team will also support colleagues in AMHP placements and will liaise closely with our education colleagues to ensure that all staff are kept up to date on current legislation, case law, and good practice.

You will also need to oversee some other statutory work and deputise for the Head of Service when required, which often involves attending various meetings and forums with partners and stakeholders.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcomes applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you'll find something to suit you at CWP.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification e.g. Masters in Social Work; or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Registered with Social Work England (or Social Work Wales) and be able to evidence this.
• Current registration as an AMHP
• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD) at Masters level e.g. Practice Educator (PE), Best Interest Assessor (BIA).

Knowledge & Expertise

• Sound knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation relating to adults and their carers, including the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, Safeguarding and NHS CHC Framework.
• Ability to analyse information and form a judgement regarding appropriate interventions with adults and their families.
• Understanding of the social care framework for information sharing between professionals and agencies.
• Knowledge of statutory power and authority in exercising judgement.
• Excellent understanding of robust quality assurance and its impact on outcomes.
• Ability to prioritise, organise and plan tasks, meeting agreed timescales.
• Ability to analyse performance information and put in place an improvement plan to address any issues.
• Ability to challenge the impact of discrimination and deprivation.
• Displays excellent communication skills and professionalism in building and developing influential and respectful partnerships.
• Demonstrates self awareness and the ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Ability to develop a culture of learning and improvement where staff are sufficiently stretched and developed to meet their aspirations.
• Ability to work within a challenging and testing environment.
• Proactive approach to understanding the developing adult social care landscape regionally and nationally.
• Knowledge and understanding of maintaining accurate and efficient systems and records, evidencing a contribution to development.
• Ability to develop performance monitoring systems that ensure consistently high quality Social Work practice.
• Ability to converse with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.
• Knowledge of people management policies and procedures.

Experience

• Extensive experience of managing a team within a Social Care environment.
• Experience of dealing effectively with employee performance management issues in line with corporate policies.
• Significant experience of mentoring and coaching others across all levels of social care practitioners.
• Significant experience of dealing with complex cases carrying risk of harm.
• Experience of working with adults in statutory services.
• Experience of working with partner agencies.
• Significant experience of managing complex cases carrying risk of harm across a range of social care settings.

Employment and equality statements

We welcome applicants who meet the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability and are able to meet the 'essential' criteria described in the person specification. Please answer 'YES' to the question: 'Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?'

Applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check; costs are deducted from salary following appointment. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies if you enrol for the DBS Update Service.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above. Applicants are advised to apply early as we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care - including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. We have over 14,500 members and employ more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including allied health, medical, pharmacy, clinical support, estates, facilities and support services roles.

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you're at in your career journey, you'll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?