Advanced Social Work Practitioner - Weekend Duty

At Hillingdon, we are committed to supporting residents to live healthy, independent lives and receive the right support at the right time. We're looking for an experienced and motivated Advanced Social Work Practitioner to join our Adult Social Care Hospital Discharge Team for 1 year FTC, providing professional leadership and decision-making support for weekend hospital discharges.

This is a vital role within our seven-day discharge service, ensuring Hillingdon residents can leave hospital safely and without unnecessary delay while maintaining high standards of social work practice and statutory compliance.

As the dedicated Adult Social Care lead for weekend discharges, you will provide oversight of complex discharge arrangements, support safe and timely transitions from hospital, and act as the key decision-maker for urgent issues arising over the weekend.

What you'll be doing

In this role, you will:

• Screen, triage and coordinate weekend hospital discharge referrals.
• Provide professional oversight and authorisation of discharge arrangements.
• Ensure residents are discharged safely to the most appropriate setting, whether home or a step-down placement.
• Apply and promote best practice in accordance with the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Adult Social Care legislation.
• Provide advice, support and professional consultation on complex discharge decisions and risk management.
• Work collaboratively with health colleagues, providers and partner agencies to facilitate effective discharge planning.
• Support hospital flow and reduce avoidable delays by ensuring timely Adult Social Care decision-making.
• Exercise professional judgement in complex situations, balancing risk, independence and resident outcomes.
• Promote strengths-based practice and person-centred approaches in all aspects of discharge planning.
• Provide leadership, guidance and support to colleagues, modelling high-quality social work practice. This aligns with the Advanced Social Work Practitioner role, including providing professional leadership, consultation and support across teams and partner organisations.

About you

You will be a qualified and experienced social worker with the confidence to make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment. You will have a strong understanding of hospital discharge pathways, Adult Social Care legislation and safeguarding responsibilities.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Registration with Social Work England.
• Significant post-qualifying social work experience, ideally within adult social care and hospital discharge services.
• Detailed knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated statutory guidance.
• Experience of managing complex cases and high-risk situations.
• Excellent assessment, analytical and decision-making skills.
• The ability to build effective working relationships with health and social care partners.
• Strong communication, negotiation and problem-solving abilities.
• A commitment to promoting independence, choice and positive outcomes for residents.

Why join us?

You'll be joining a supportive Adult Social Care service that values professional development, innovation and high-quality practice. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference to residents' lives while supporting the effective operation of hospital discharge services across the borough.

If you're an experienced social worker looking to take on a key professional leadership role within a dynamic hospital discharge service, we'd love to hear from you.