Position Title: Social Worker Grade 2

Position description

Position title: Social Worker Grade 2

Portfolio/service:Acute Adult In-patient Psychiatry

Location: John Cade Unit- Royal Melbourne Hospital

Reports to: Program Manager

Award: As per award

Classification:Social Work

Date: 2017

Melbourne Health is Victoria’s second largest public health service. We provide comprehensive acute, sub-acute, general, specialist medical and mental health services through both inpatient and community based facilities through the following services: The Royal Melbourne Hospital – City Campus, The Royal Melbourne Hospital – Royal Park Campus, North Western Mental Health, North West Dialysis Service and Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory.

Melbourne Health provides services to the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of northern and western metropolitan Melbourne, as well as providing general and specialist services to regional and rural Victorians as a tertiary referral service.

Melbourne Health employs over 8,000 staff across our services and manages over 1,400 beds. It provides one of the two adult major trauma services to the state of Victoria. In 2009 – 2010, Melbourne Health provided 713,000 occasions of service (acute, mental health and aged), 53,912 Emergency presentations and 92,265 admitted patients (acute, Mental health and aged).

Our Strategic Directions 2010 – 2015 is underpinned by our organisational values and behaviours ‘passion for caring – Achieving the Extraordinary’ and incorporates five key goals: Develop our Workforce, Improve the Quality & Safety of Services, Develop and encourage Strategic Relationships, Foster a Culture of Research and Innovation; and Build a Sustainable Organisation.

Further information on Melbourne Health is available at

Melbourne Health’s Vision

Passion for Caring – Achieving the Extraordinary

Our Mission

Melbourne Health’s mission is to provide World class healthcare for our community.

We will embrace discovery and learning, build collaborative relationships and engage our patients in their care.

Our Goals

Supporting us to achieve, guiding our direction.

Develop our workforce
Improve quality and safety of our services
Develop and encourage strategic relationships
Foster a culture of research and innovation
Build a sustainable organisation

Securing the health of our communities through research and innovation, to deliver effective services and educate future generations.

Melbourne Health’s Values

Respect for the dignity, beliefs and abilities of every individual
Caring and Compassion
Integrity by being open honest and fair
Unity as a team and in embracing our communities
Discovery through passion for innovation

Melbourne Health’s behaviours can be viewed on our website.

Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Melbourne Health endeavours to provide a working environment for its employees that is safe and without risk to health. Employees are required to:

Take reasonable care for their own safety and that of anyone else who could be affected by their actions;
Responsible for ensuring the implementation of health and safety policies and procedures; and
Fully co-operate with MH in any action it considers necessary to maintain a working environment which is safe and without risk to health.

Melbourne Health is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing for its employees a work environment which is free of harassment or discrimination.

MH promotes cultural diversity and awareness in the workplace

Melbourne Health reserves the right to modify position descriptions as required. Staff will be consulted when this occurs.

Melbourne Health is a smoke free environment.

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Position Summary for Social Worker Grade 2

The Social Worker in the Acute Adult Inpatient Service contributes to excellence in patient care through social work services and provides the highest standard of clinical input to the multidisciplinary treatment team.

The position requires approved ongoing professional development, experience in the mental health field, a commitment to high standards of patient care and a demonstrated capacity to work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team. The Social Worker accepts responsibility for and maintains a commitment to personnel and professional development.

The incumbent will be based at the John Cade Unit level 1, the adult acute inpatient setting at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Parkville. Within this setting, the SW2 will provide professional social work services, including psychosocial assessment, social case work, discharge planning, work with families and carers, and community liaison work, while gaining specialist skills and experience in assessment, acute treatment and support and other interventions for people with mental health problems and their family/carers. A commitment to working a weekend roster is essential to develop the footprint of social work in an after-hours capacity. Roles will include engagement with families and carers after hours, participating in the weekend ward round, facilitating weekend discharges, and early planning for the coming week.

The position will be supported by an IW Senior Social Work who will act as supervisor and mentor. The SW2 will be expected to participate in appropriate professional development activities, including opportunities provided within the IW Area Mental Health Service and North Western Mental Health Program.

The John Cade Unit (JCU) is located within the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Parkville, which opened in 1998. It aims to provide a model of care that is inclusive of recovery, family, gender and culturally sensitive practice principles with central group/activity and family intervention programs.

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Strategic Goals influencing key result areas

Develop our Workforce

Melbourne Health acknowledges that it is our people who make us a truly great organisation and that strong and effective leadership engages, unites and motivates staff. Investing in our workforce and providing them with a supportive environment, the necessary skills for them to confidently do their job and a culture where they can excel and feel valued creates a workplace of choice. It also enables us to attract and retain the most talented and brightest people.

Major Accountabilities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal are:

Foster a high standard of service delivery based upon collaborative practice:

Understand the separate and interdependent role and functions of the health care team.
Collaborate with members of the multi-disciplinary team in decision making pertaining to high quality standards of patients care. This includes assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care.
Contribute to the learning experience and professional development of colleagues.
Assume rotation into senior roles in the unit when delegated to do so.

Improve the Quality and Safety of our Services

Melbourne health strives to continuously improve the quality and safety of our services and actively involve and inform patients and their carers in the healthcare they receive. This allows us to deliver the best care for our community.

Major Accountabilities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal are:

Provide psychosocial assessments, integrated casework service and other social work interventions, under clinical supervision as required, including: income support liaison, accommodation placement, application for Guardianship and Administration orders, discharge planning, counselling, support and information provision regarding resources and services, to clients, their families or carers.

Attend and contribute to Inpatient Clinical Review Meetings and Handovers.

Participate in the development of multidisciplinary treatment and discharge plans for clients and take responsibility for one or more aspects of the case.

Maintain accurate written & electronic documentation and records of interventions and services and progress of clients in the inpatient setting.

Promote a cultural and gender sensitive practice focus within the inpatient setting.

Ensure the needs of dependent children are taken into account and acted upon when required

Ensure continuity of care to clients, families and carers across inpatient and community settings through close liaison and consultation.

Participate in the inpatient group program including joint preparation and delivery of two JCU based groups.

Develop and encourage Strategic Relationships

Our relationships with our key partners in health, research, education and foremost with our community are crucial to achieving our mission to deliver world class care. Continuing to develop and encourage these strategic relationships is a key priority for Melbourne Health.

Work collaboratively with staff from community, crisis and rehabilitation services to ensure continuity of care for clients, their families and carers.
Liaise with other health and welfare agencies, within the client support network to ensure that clients have access to these services.

Foster a culture of Research and Innovation

Melbourne Health’s strong commitment to research and innovation is underpinned by our value of ‘discovery’ and a legacy of experience, determination and challenging the expected. Fostering a culture that strives for continuous improvement underpins our mission to deliver world class care for our community. At any one time there are at least 600 active research projects underway at Melbourne Health, across all disciplines with multi-disciplinary collaboration fostered and encouraged.

Participate in quality assurance activities relevant to services provided by JCU and social workers of the IW and NWMH in particular.

Major Accountabilities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal are:

Maintain consistent performance standards:

Seek support from colleagues to identify learning needs
Participate in professional development and continuing education activities
Contribute to unit management through participation in staff orientation, preceptorship and quality improvement activities
Use resources when presented with unfamiliar information
Actively participate in own performance review
Participate in changes to policies, procedures and protocols based on relevant research
Participate in data procurement for research trials
Participate in health education and promotion for patients and their significant others
Impart clear and concise information to patients and their significant others whilst maintaining patient confidentiality

Build a Sustainable Organisation

Building a sustainable organisation provides the foundation for Melbourne Health’s continued ability to deliver on our vision and mission and encourages us to look to the future in our day to day business.

Major Accountabilities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal are:

Promote a friendly, respectful and supportive work environment.

Participate in staff meetings and forums

Ensure the vision, purpose and values of the organisation in understood and integrated into practice.

Actively participate in annual performance review

Demonstrate commitment to organisational change

Knowledge & Experience required to fulfil this position

Essential:

Essential:

Social Workers

An approved degree in Social Work and eligibility for membership to the Australian Association of Social Workers

Minimum of 2 years’ experience post-graduate

Ability to undertake a range of social work interventions, including individual, family, group work and community liaison.

Knowledge of issues associated with psychiatric illness and disability, and awareness of the impact of these on dependent children, family and carers including those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Ability to function effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Ability to engage, liaise and consult with relevant family members and carers as well as a broad range of health professionals and community agencies.

Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Guardianship and Administration Act, Child, Youth and Families Act and other related legislation.

Excellent organisational, verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development and ethical practice

Current Drivers License

Current working with Children Check.

Desirable:

Dual diagnosis experience and skills, or a willingness to acquire these.

Fieldwork, paid or voluntary experience in a general or psychiatric inpatient setting or in a community mental health program.

Proficiency in computer software use and information technology would be an advantage.

Ability to speak a relevant community language.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

NorthWestern Mental Health is an equal opportunity employer.

Smoking is prohibited within the boundaries of all IWAMHS services.

A police/criminal history check will be required prior to employment.

All new employees are subject to a 6 month qualifying period.

The position is employed by the IW Area Mental Health Service-The RMH, based at the John Cade Psychiatric Unit, the adult acute inpatient setting at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Parkville.

Travel throughout the catchment area and across service sites will be required.

Performance Appraisal 3 months from commencement, and at the 12 and 18 month points.

Flexibility in working hours is required, though core hours may be negotiated between 8.30am and 5.30pm.

Redeployment to other services within the AMHS may be required.

Position Description approved …………………………………………………… …../……./201*

Immediate Manager Signature

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Service Executive Manager Signature

I acknowledge and accept that this position description represents the duties, responsibilities and accountabilities that are expected of me in my employment in the position.

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Employee Signature

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Employee Name (please print)

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