Social Workers
Mental health social workers empower individuals with mental illness and their families, carers, and communities to lead fulfilling, independent lives.
Mental Health Social Work has a vital role within mental health services. Working across the NHS, local authorities, and voluntary and independent sectors, these roles ensure that the social model of mental health is at the core of our integrated services.
The Social Work Career Path
At Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, we support our Social Workers to progress professionally, responding to the incredible talent in our workforce. Here’s the full range of our roles and an idea of where your career journey with us could take you.
- Social Work Student
- ASYE programme offered to Newly Qualified Social Workers
- Think Ahead student Social Worker (Fast Track Social Work programme)
- Consultant Social Worker
- ASYE Assessor
- Practice Educator
There are other paths to Social Work you can take:
- Apprenticeship
- AMHP training
- BIA training
“There can be no health without mental health – and no mental health services without social work and social care. Social work has a distinctive contribution to make to the current challenges in care through its focus on the whole person in their social context and the significance of social networks to mental wellbeing” – Health Education England.
Training and development opportunities
We actively encourage you to think about what training and development would help your career and link this to your appraisal. At LYPFT, we offer the following:
- Social Work supervision training (Mental Health Supervision Development Programme).
- Regular Social Work related training to aid reflection updating of Social Work skills and knowledge.
- Peer CPD reflective sessions.
- Various forums support specific areas of Social Work, such as the ASYE NQSW/Assessor forums.
- Practice Educator training (we have close links with several local Universities and take first year and final year student placements)
- ASYE Assessor training.
- Undertaking the role of Consultant Social Worker.
- Getting involved with the Safeguarding Forums.
- We have set up a Community Of Practice (partnered up with other NHS Trusts) and also work closely with the PSW Network, Skills for Care Social Work forums/ASYE Forums and support the GEMS group, HEE, BASW, Social Work England and also Research in Practice.
Useful Information
For further information, please get in touch with the Social Work Lead: soyeb.aswat1@nhs.net