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Employer: King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Job Title: Senior Social Worker
Location: United Kingdom
Salary: £55,524 to £62,652 a year
Job Type: Full-time
Closing Date: 16 September 2026
Job Summary
As a Senior Social Worker in the Acute Frailty Assessment Unit (AFAU), you’ll play a crucial role in providing high-quality, compassionate care to elderly and frail patients. You will work as part of a team of x2 social workers who lead in overseeing transfer of care arrangements for patients require short admissions in the AFAU.
AFAU is a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service which is a 12 patient assessment space. The unit offers rapid assessment and care for older adults within a safe and dementia friendly environment. Patients will remain in the unit for no longer than 10 hours and thereafter discharged home with a plan of care or transferred to the relevant ward for further treatment.
You’ll be part of a dynamic multidisciplinary team, using your clinical skills and knowledge to assess, plan, and deliver person-centred care. This challenging yet rewarding position offers opportunities for professional growth and the chance to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable patients. Join King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in its commitment to excellence in frailty care and help shape the future of elderly patient services.
Main Duties of the Job
- To develop and implement personalized transfer of care plans for frail elderly patients.
- To collaborate with doctors, therapists, and nurses to provide holistic care.
- To advocate for patients’ needs and preferences, promoting dignity and independence.
- Provide education and support to patients and their families about care and treatment, particularly through imparting advice and information in respect of community care and preventative approaches to social care.
- Lead in discharge planning to ensure safe transitions of care.
- To Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records.
- To Adhere to infection control protocols and safety standards.
- To Mentor and support junior staff and students in the unit and to support the delivery of social work education initiatives across the trust wide social work department.
- To actively engage with the trust social work department as a member of the AFAU.
- To Engage in continuous professional development to enhance skills in frailty care and maintain registration as a qualified Social Worker.
About King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. Transforming Healthcare is the vision at the heart of the King’s Strategy – 2026 to 2031. Together, the Trust is pursuing six strategic ambitions: delivering high-quality patient care; being a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnershTips; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Achieving these ambitions will require all of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to work as one Team King’s, united by a shared commitment to the values of being caring, collaborative, inclusive and innovative. By living these values every day, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will transform healthcare for its patients, its communities and each other.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is at a pivotal point in its history and requires individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to its patients and its people.
King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via the Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, King’s has set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for its NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for its NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in the Green Plan and all staff are encouraged to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
Job Description
Patient Care and Communication
Provide compassionate, person-centred care that promotes dignity, independence, and well-being.
Communicate effectively with patients, families, and carers, providing education and support about transfer of care and advocate for patients’ needs and preferences within the multidisciplinary team.
Participate in family meetings as required.
Teamwork and Collaboration
Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, including doctors, therapists, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Contribute to effective handovers and ensure continuity of care.
Participate in team meetings and quality improvement initiatives.
Mentor and support junior staff, students, and newly qualified nurses.
Safeguarding
To work in partnership with trust safeguarding functions to ensure timely reviews occur in respect of adult’s identified at risk of abuse.
Ensuring that the MDT is sighted on latest practice developments around MCA/Safeguarding and DoLS.
Quality and Safety
Adhere to all relevant NHS and Trust policies, procedures, and guidelines.
Participate in clinical governance activities and contribute to maintaining high standards of care.
Report concerns and incidents promptly, contributing to a culture of openness and learning.
Support the implementation of evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in Social Work
- Registration with Social Work England
Desirable
- Post graduate qualifications in Social Work or Social Work related subject area
- Formal training in Social Work and older people
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Post qualifying experience in a range of practice settings
- Post qualifying experience in supporting Adults and Families
- Social Work Theory and its application to supporting with old age and frailty
- Post qualifying experience working in a setting that specialises in supporting with older people
Desirable
- Post qualifying experience in a NHS setting as a Social Worker
- Post qualifying experience in a Local Authority setting as an Adult Social Worker
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with patients and their families
- Well developed interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to work effectively and constructively with other professionals and other disciplines.
- An ability to work independently, accept accountability and make full use of consultation and management processes.
- Skills and knowledge in the use of a number of models of social work intervention and the ability to select and use the most effective approach to meeting consumer need for the different aspects of the work
- Demonstrate organisational and professional skills such as: assessment, advocacy, recording, report writing, time management, liaison and communication.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
How to Apply
If you’re interested in this role, visit the company’s official website for more information — click here to submit your application.