Statement 8

• What mental health social workers do

  • Empowers individuals with mental illness and their families, carers and communities to lead fulfilling, independent lives
  • They do this through talking support, therapy and advocacy
• Types of mental illness

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • ADHD
  • Schizophrenia
  • Bipolar
• Key features of mental health social workers

  • Build trusting relationships with vulnerable service users
  • Provide guidance and therapy
  • Arrange support and care
  • Ensure safety of service user
  • Stand up for rights of service users
  • Addressing community needs
• Build trusting relationships with vulnerable service users

  1. Visit individuals work regularly, usually in their homes (including supported accommodation and residential homes) or in hospital. By listening and building trust, understand needs and aspirations of person.

  2. Also build relationships families, friends, and carers of service user.
• Provide guidance and therapy

  1. Spend time working with service users on a one-to-one basis, exploring their situation with them and looking together for ways to move forward.

  2. Work includes supporting and constructively challenging them to think about the social factors in their lives, and helping them to establish their own goals for positive change. *e.g. a social worker might help them set goals together about maintaining and growing positive relationships with friends and family.*

  3. To give people the tools to achieve their aspirations, socially-focused therapies and interventions are often used.
• Arrange support and care

  1. Mental health social workers assess the individuals' needs and creating a unique care plan to help them achieve their goals. Work with colleagues to put the right support in place. This could include:

  2. Arranging funding to provide direct support, for example to allow easier travel to work or to see friends and family.

  3. Consulting with and involving other professionals in your service, such as nurses, psychologists, or psychiatrists.

  4. Bringing in help from other services, including the local council, the police, housing associations, charities, and faith groups.
• Ensure safety of service user

  • A vital part of leading on someone's care is keeping them safe. Mental health social worker will need to assess whether they are a risk to themselves, or at risk of abuse or neglect from others, and if necessary take action to safeguard them.
  • At times be the first line of response in crisis situations *e.g. if someone's mental health deteriorates suddenly, or if their support network of friends and family breaks down.*
• Stand up for rights of service users

  • Mental health social workers also know the law and ensure that people's rights are upheld. A big part of the role is to be an advocate for the individuals you are working with, and stand firm when their rights are not being respected – including being assertive with other professionals.
  • To fulfil this role well mental health social workers need to become an expert on the legal framework, including the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act, the Care Act, and the Human Rights Act. Mental health social workers often have a formal role in Mental Health Act tribunals.
• Addressing community needs


  • Unmet needs in the community regarding mental health and challenging, trying to have these needs met may become a feature of the role. Social workers may be involved in changing services or designing and implementing new initiatives to meet those needs o service users. This often involves working with other services, charities, and community groups.
• Types of roles


  • GP/Doctor
  • Psychiatrist
  • Psychologist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Community Psychiatric Nurses
  • Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nurses
  • Mental Health/Approved Social Worker
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Support Worker
  • Home Care Worker
  • Care Assistant
• GP/Doctor


  • Diagnose illness and make a further referral if necessary *e.g. to a psychiatrist/counsellor*
  • Provides advice about health issues and problems
  • Assess and identify clients needs where relevant
  • Write prescriptions for meds *e.g. antidepressants*
  • Counselling role - listen to clients concerns and worries
  • Make home visits where client is too ill to attend the clinic
  • Provide informal carers with information, advice and support
  • Write up medical records and reports
• Psychiatrist


  • Makes an initial diagnosis by carrying out medical assessments and gets involved in care planning *e.g. monitoring and reviewing client progress.*
  • Inform client about illness and treatment ****which may also include contact or passing information to client's family if they are unable to do so.
  • Provides medical treatments ****and liaises with the mental health team to make referrals for other treatment such as CBT by psychologist, and to other professionals for counselling and support.
  • Prescribe medication.
  • Sections clients under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 (amended 2004) for detention in mental health institution.
  • Admits clients ****with mental illness in a voluntary capacity ****to mental health unit or hospital.
  • Contributes to and enable clients to live in the community ****through guardianship and support from a community psychiatric nurse (CPN).
  • Write reports and update records ****on client's conditions.
  • Contribute to research regarding mental illness.
• Psychologist


  • May conduct therapy sessions *****e.g. psychoanalysis or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)*
  • May support clients to develop coping strategies
  • May support family ****regarding managing clients in the home environment
  • Carries out assessments of psychological well being, *e.g. using standardised tests to assist with diagnosis*
  • Provides literature to support therapy sessions ****– may give client "homework" activities relevant to therapy
  • Takes part in case conferences
  • Contributes to the care planning process.
  • May provide counselling by listening and talking to clients *e.g. to help deal with distress*
  • May liaise with other professionals ****such as psychiatrists or mental health nurses
  • May encourage clients to make plans for the future, *e.g. to think about a new career.*
• Educational Psychologist


  • Monitors child's progress ****in learning
  • Reports any concerns to other professionals, *e.g. social worker*
  • Make referrals to other professionals, *e.g. dietician (eating disorders), psychiatrist, paediatrician*
  • Advises and guides teachers and parents ****about education
  • Establishes individual educational plans ****in conjunction with teachers and parents
  • Writes reports on children's educational progress
  • Carries out observations to enable diagnosis ****or monitoring
  • Conducts psychological testing, *e.g. IQ testing*
  • Involved in diagnosing/producing "statements**"**
  • Liaises closely with the SENCO ****to meet children's educational needs.
• Community Psychiatric Nurses


  • May be responsible for care planning and assessing clients' needs
  • May liaise with other health care practitioners *e.g. GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker*
  • Responsible for the care planning process while the client is in community.
  • May provide information leading to detention
  • Monitoring client's progress and recording all relevant data in the client's nursing care plan.
  • Administering medication as prescribed by a doctor or can prescribe if specialist nurse practitioner
  • Providing counselling and emotional support for clients
  • May provide advice and support for informal carers and families who look after/live with service users in the community
  • May support service users to become independent
  • May arrange for a service user to attend a day centre
  • May refer service users to other professionals and or agencies
  • Attending case conferences
  • Provision of therapeutic interventions
  • Running support groups for service users
  • Provides acute/emergency care and out-of-hours cover
  • Involved in the rehabilitation and continuing care of service users in their own homes-conducts home visits to check service users are coping, *e.g. eating well*
  • May act as an advocate.
• Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nurses

  • Assess clients' needs for nursing care
  • They are responsible for the care planning process while the client is hospitalised and perhaps discharged into the community
  • Liaise with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure needs of clients are properly met
  • Monitor client's progress; recording all relevant data in the client's nursing care plan
  • Provide counselling and emotional support for clients
  • May request assessments by other members of the multi-disciplinary team
  • May advocate on behalf of clients
  • Administer medication as prescribed by a doctor or they can prescribe if qualified as a specialist nurse practitioner
  • Report any concerns regarding a client to the nursing and medical team
  • Hand over notes, information etc. in a thorough way to staff coming on duty
  • Provide information and advice for the client or their family about their illness and its treatment
  • Contribute to care conferencing
• Mental Health/Approved Social Worker

  • May be involved in the process of compulsory admission to hospital – detention (sectioning)
  • Supervise admission to hospital for service users who are detained
  • Produce evidence of the need for detention ****of the service user having consulted with other relevant professionals and individuals
  • Liaise with police and/or ambulance personnel ****if the need arises *e.g. if there is a danger of physical harm to service user or others*
  • Liaise with other health care workers**,** *e.g. occupational therapist, CPN, GP, psychiatrist*
  • Organise case conferences
  • May be involved in seeking guardianship
  • May give advice or information ****on range of relevant issues, *e.g. benefits, housing etc.*
  • May make referrals ****to other agencies such as PRAXIS for social support for service users
  • Organise a care plan/care package
  • Liaise with informal carers/nearest relativ**e** regarding care provision for service users
  • Liaise with training colleges to find appropriate courses for service user with mental health problems
  • Write reports for courts/legal hearings ****and attend with service users
  • Arrange for advocacy services ****or act as an advocate
  • Provide direct emotional support/counselling
  • May organise appropriate housing ****for service users
  • Support the service user to find employment ****in the community
• Occupational Therapist


  • May do activities with clients such as art therapy, anger management, esteem building
  • Carry out assessments and provide aids and equipment such as handrails, bath rails etc. *e.g. for those clients with dementia or Alzheimer's*
  • Advise and provide clients with information on a range of issues.
  • Referring clients to other health professionals *e.g. doctor.*
  • May help clients to obtain skills necessary for independence, *e.g. work-related skills and may organise work placements*
  • Help people return to employment/find sheltered employment
  • Help clients gain employment and support them in the workplace.
  • Assess how the workplace meets the service users physical needs
  • Teach clients a range of skills needed for independent living *e.g. shaving or work related skills.*
  • Liaise with other professionals within the multi-disciplinary team *e.g. mental health social worker.*
  • Contribute to research
  • Contributing to care plans and writing reports and reviews when needed.
  • Give advice to family on ways to manage client's needs.
  • May attend case conferences
• Support Worker


  • A support worker role involves working with vulnerable people in different way*s e.g. helping people with mental health problems.* They provide emotional support to clients by spending time and getting to know them so the client feels valued.
  • Provide support to individuals with mental illness and their families who need help, both emotionally and practically, so they can live a happy, independent life
  • Makes appointments for client or takes them to appointments *e.g. doctors.*
  • Provide interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user mentally *e.g. watching documentaries with them, reminiscing, encouraging hobbies like crosswords etc.*
  • Provide client with opportunities for social interaction *e.g. taking them shopping or on day trips, encouraging conversation at home with family or with other residents in a care home and helping them to attend local events or church.*
  • Help to identify needs and contribute to drawing up care plans.
  • Liaise with other practitioners *e.g. CPN, mental health social workers etc.*
  • Contribute to record keeping.
• Home Care Worker


  • Delivering a wide range of services to the client's own home *e.g. 'meals on wheels' or visits from professionals.*
  • Providing other services such as personal care *e.g. for those with dementia or Alzheimer's (helping clients get up, washed and dressed or helping clients into bed) lighting fires, meal preparation, shopping, collecting pensions, feeding clients.*
  • Helping clients live independently thus improving their quality of life.
  • Supporting informal carers and other family members to continue the caring role.
  • Liaising with social workers and other health and social care professionals if they become aware of a change in the client's needs.
  • Administering medication under the instruction of a health care professional.
  • Talking and listening to the client.
  • Helping with administrative tasks such as paying bills
• Care Assistant


  • Working in residential and nursing homes and communities to identify patients' special needs
  • Supporting clients in their activities *e.g. recreational activities like crafts*
  • Helping with physical tasks *e.g. dressing, toileting, feeding*
  • Establishing work routines that help patients with their daily activities
  • Providing emotional and social support
  • Liaising with family and health care providers
  • Building relationships with clients to gain awareness of their holistic needs
  • Working with other professionals to draw up care plans
  • Helping client's with their mobility *e.g. supporting them when using a walking aid*
  • Working overnight, shifts or live-in