Their skills are related to addressing the whole of a person s situation and to seeking multiple related remedies. Especially in regard to community based mental health, the social worker would normally expect a significant degree of case responsibility which may well be shared with others. This is a crucial element. A second crucial element is that mental health social workers should have access to professional supervision of good quality as distinct from line management supervision . This should be from someone from their own discipline who has knowledge and experience of mental health work when that is required.
Social workers are able to work singly or in partnership with others.
Access to peer support an co-operation enhances their practice. Mental health social workers should be able to obtain cover from another social worker when in their judgement that is required. It will be appropriate for mental health social workers to be working as part of a unified multi-disciplinary team in most circumstances. If at an organisational level, services are to be more integrated even unified within one governing body, there should be no excuse for new management arrangements to over-ride established good practice. Not only must mental health social workers retain their own independence, but the practice of mental health social work as a body must be enabled to sustain its particular contribution and to develop it further in scope and effectiveness.