Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker who is experienced in, or has an interest in, Forensic Social Work.

East London NHS Foundation Trust provides the regional forensic mental health service covering the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The Community Forensic team covers all of those boroughs and you will be expected to travel at times across different boroughs. There are office spaces you can work from in each of the boroughs.

The service meets the specialist needs of mentally disordered offenders, the majority of whom were admitted via the criminal justice system. The Community Forensic Social Work Team provides social supervision to service users who have been conditionally discharged, as well as renewal of CTO's within the team and a comprehensive social care service.

Applications from experienced mental health social workers and from those with transferable skills will be considered.

Main duties of the job
You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing a comprehensive social work service to the inpatients on your caseload.

You will actively contribute the social care perspective to forensic risk assessment and care planning.

You will carry out statutory functions such as preparing reports for the ministry of justice, social circumstance reports, attending tribunals, and will lead on safeguarding concerns.

About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Social workers in ELFT work across a range of settings including Adult and Older Person's Mental Health, Forensic, Crisis and CAMH's Services and increasingly in Primary Care settings.

There are social workers in various management posts across ELFT including a Director of Social Work and a Learning and Development Lead for Social Work.

Wherever the base, ELFT values the skills and contribution of social workers and encourages them to maintain the requirements of their professional registration and will uphold the values and practice of Social Work across the organisation.

We want social workers to feel valued and supported in ELFT and to promote and support social work as a profession.

We will offer you:

• Training and development opportunities specific to social work including ASYE, AMHP training and PE training
• Social work professional supervision
• Social work forums and seminars
• A voice in the organisation and recognition of the skills and values you bring
• The opportunity to progress through the organisation as a social worker in a senior role

Details
Date posted: 06 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £58,133 to £65,261 a year per annum Inc HCAs
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 363-FOR7876474
Job locations: East London Forensic Community Team, 26 Shore Road, Hackney, London, E9 7TS, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.

Person Specification
Essential

• Current SWE registration
• Substantial post-qualifying experience of working with people with severe and enduring mental health problems
• CQSW, DipSW or equivalent social work qualification
• Qualified AMHP

Desirable

• Experience of line management of junior staff
• Experience of service development

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).

Employer details
Employer name: East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: East London Forensic Community Team, 26 Shore Road, Hackney, London, E9 7TS, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Forensic Social Work
Natalie Waghorn
Natalie.Waghorn@nhs.net
02085102110