Social Worker – Assertive Outreach (Severe & Multiple Disadvantage)

We are recruiting an experienced and values-driven Social Worker to join our MHLDA Adult Social Care team, working with adults who are rough sleeping or at imminent risk of rough sleeping and who have Care Act-eligible needs.

This role sits within the MHLDA Front Door and focuses on proactive, relationship-based engagement with adults experiencing multiple and compounding disadvantage, including mental ill-health, substance misuse, trauma, cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction, and insecure immigration status (including NRPF).

You will work with a reduced caseload, reflecting the intensity and complexity of the work, and will undertake assertive outreach alongside statutory assessment, safeguarding, and system leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively engage adults who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping in community and voluntary sector settings (e.g. homelessness hubs, drop-ins, outreach venues).
• Undertake Care Act 2014 assessments, including complex eligibility decision-making.
• Complete Mental Capacity Act (MCA) assessments, including where capacity is fluctuating or impaired by mental ill-health, substance use or executive dysfunction.
• Initiate and lead Section 42 safeguarding enquiries where statutory thresholds are met.
• Apply Human Rights Assessments (HRAs), particularly in NRPF and complex immigration cases.
• Work closely with Housing, Public Health, CNWL, NWL, and voluntary sector partners to coordinate responses and prevent entrenchment in rough sleeping.
• Provide professional advice and consultation to voluntary sector colleagues, supporting earlier identification of Care Act needs.
• Contribute to learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and mortality reviews.
• Maintain clear, defensible recording and analysis, aligned with Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP).

About You

• Be a qualified social worker (Social Work England registered).
• Have significant post-qualifying experience in mental health, learning disability, homelessness, or safeguarding.
• Be confident applying the Care Act, MCA, safeguarding duties, and human rights frameworks in complex situations.
• Have experience of working with people who struggle to engage with traditional services.
• Be comfortable working outside office environments and adapting your approach to build trust over time.
• Bring a trauma-informed, strengths-based and anti-discriminatory practice approach.
• Be resilient, reflective, and able to work effectively within a small specialist team.

Why Join Us

• Be part of an innovative, prevention-focused response to rough sleeping and inclusion health.
• Work with manageable caseloads that allow for meaningful social work.
• Shape practice at the interface of safeguarding, homelessness, health and human rights.
• Make a tangible impact in reducing harm, crisis and premature mortality.