About Social Workers
LPFT currently employ over 140 social workers within our Adult Community Mental Health Teams, Inpatient and Specialist services. Social Workers play a critical role in the delivery of high-quality preventative, early help and complex support services.
Social Workers are crucial in multi-disciplinary teams in applying their skills, knowledge and expertise in delivering a quality service. Social workers contribute to supporting people to live well in their communities.
The social work profession understand families and their communities. It works in a person-centred way to enable and encourage service user and carer involvement with our services. Social work is a valued contributor in delivering the LPFT vision and values.
Meet the team
Angela Sheerin
Strategic Social Work Lead
Claire Bembridge
Social Work & Professional Development Coordinator
Lucy Holt
Professional Lead Administrator
Social work training opportunities
The Social Work team support the social work professional development. The team ensures quality assurance measures are in place for this growing profession within the Trust.
We offer:
- placements to students
- pathways to train through the Think Ahead and Social Work Apprentice programmes
- support to newly-qualified social workers (NQSWs) with an established Assessed & Supported Year of Employment (ASYE) programme.
We also support Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements and Post Qualifying Training opportunities. We support many social workers to train as Practice Educators.
The team lead on the ASYE programme supports newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) to develop their skills, knowledge, capability and strengthen their professional confidence.
We also support those who would like to return to the profession.
Think Ahead
We have partnered with the mental health charity Think Ahead and will have mental health social worker training places with them from summer 2024. Applications are not currently open.
Think Ahead’s paid, two-year programme combines on-the-job learning, a master’s degree, and leadership training for people looking to make a real difference to people with mental health problems.
Times are tough for us all right now, especially for those of us living with mental health problems. You could choose a career that changes lives. With the right support, from the right person, anyone with a mental health problem can thrive. You could be that person - giving that support.
Support for the things that matter most to us all: housing, family, employment, relationships, and community. As a mental health social worker you would support people living with severe and long lasting mental illnesses, such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, empowering them to reach their full potential and navigate these all important life issues.
About the Think Ahead programme
The Think Ahead graduate programme in mental health social work:
- provides services with talented new staff
- gives the recruits and existing staff advanced training in social interventions
- supports organisations to integrate these approaches across their services
Think Ahead’s paid, two-year programme combines:
- on the job learning
- a master’s degree
- leadership training
Year one: Participants qualify with a postgraduate diploma in social work.
Year two: Participants are employed for at least one year as qualified social workers and gain a master’s degree in social work.
Benefits of the programme
- Get paid to train on the job, working alongside clinical professionals in NHS Mental Health Trusts and Local Authorities.
- Gain two qualifications: qualify as a social worker and earn a master’s degree from Middlesex University.
- Join one of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers.
Entry criteria
- Applicants need a 2:2 undergraduate degree or above in any subject except social work, and at least a grade C GCSE in Maths and English or English Language (not English Literature), or an equivalent level 2 qualification.
- Applicants do not need prior experience in mental health or social work.
Contact information
Email the Recruitment Team: hello@thinkahead.org
Email the Social Work team at LPFT: lpft.socialworkdevelopment@nhs.net
Social Work England
Social Workers are registered with Social Work England, the specialist regulator for Social Workers in England.
It is an independent public protection body, setting professional, education and training standards for Social Workers. Read more about Social Work England
Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) British Association of Social Work (BASW)
The PCF is the profession-owned, overarching framework of social work education and professional development in England. More information
