Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for social work recruitment across the UK.
Social workers are integral to mental health services – in CMHTs, inpatient settings, crisis teams, CAMHS and forensic services. We connect Social Work England-registered social workers with NHS trusts, local authorities and independent providers, and help services find practitioners who can manage complex caseloads safely and work effectively within multidisciplinary mental health teams.
What is Social Work?
Social workers in mental health settings work within multidisciplinary teams to assess, plan and coordinate care for people with mental health difficulties, advocate for their rights, manage risk, and support access to services and resources. In NHS settings, mental health social workers typically carry their own caseloads within CMHTs, crisis teams, inpatient units, CAMHS or specialist services – contributing the social work perspective to holistic care alongside psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists.
Mental health social work carries significant statutory responsibilities. Social workers are often the named Care Coordinator under the Care Programme Approach (CPA), holding clinical and social risk, coordinating multi-agency plans, and making safeguarding decisions. Those who hold the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) qualification carry legal powers under the Mental Health Act – including the authority to make applications for compulsory detention in hospital.
All social workers in the UK must be registered with Social Work England (SWE) to practise legally.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for Social Work Recruitment:
Mental health context understood Social work in mental health is distinct from generic adult or children’s social work. We understand the CMHT, the Care Programme Approach, the Mental Health Act, and what it means to manage a complex mental health caseload alongside clinical colleagues. We match on relevant mental health experience, not just SWE registration.
AMHP qualification and authorisation confirmed Where a role requires an Approved Mental Health Professional, we verify AMHP qualification and current local authority authorisation – not just the social work degree. AMHP placements require additional compliance checks that we carry out as standard.
NHS and local authority placements We work with NHS mental health trusts, local authority adult and children’s social care teams, and specialist service providers. Different employers, different pay structures, different compliance requirements – we understand both.
Locum and permanent placements Urgent cover or a long-term hire – we support both.
Need experienced mental health social workers quickly?
The AMHP Role:
The Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is a statutory role under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended). AMHPs have the legal authority to coordinate and make applications for compulsory admission to hospital under the Mental Health Act – working alongside two doctors to carry out Mental Health Act assessments. While the AMHP role can be held by other regulated professionals, the majority of practising AMHPs are social workers.
AMHPs require a specific post-qualifying qualification and must be currently authorised to practise by a local authority. AMHP roles carry higher responsibility, out-of-hours on-call requirements and a market premium above standard social work rates. We verify AMHP qualification and current local authority authorisation for all AMHP placements.
Social Work Settings We Recruit For:
- Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) – care coordination, complex case management, CPA, Mental Health Act work
- Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (CRHTs) – rapid assessment, crisis intervention, alternatives to admission
- Inpatient Mental Health Units – social work input on acute wards, discharge planning, MHA work
- AMHP Out-of-Hours and Daytime Services – statutory AMHP work, MHA assessments, emergency duty
- CAMHS – child and adolescent mental health social work, safeguarding, looked-after children (LAC)
- Forensic Mental Health Services – social work within secure and community forensic mental health
- Older Adults Mental Health – dementia, mental capacity assessments, best interests decisions, deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS)
- Learning Disabilities – social work with adults with LD in mental health or specialist community services
- Perinatal Mental Health – specialist social work input within perinatal mental health teams
- Hospital Social Work / Discharge Teams – mental health social work in acute hospital settings, complex discharge planning
- Local Authority Adult Social Care – mental health care act assessments, safeguarding, CPA coordination from the LA side
Qualifications We Look For:
Every social worker we place holds:
- Active Social Work England (SWE) registration – verified directly, with no conditions or restrictions
- A qualifying social work degree (BA, BSc or MA in Social Work, or equivalent DipSW for those qualified before 2003)
- Relevant post-qualifying experience in the specific mental health setting – most NHS trusts and specialist services require at least 12 months’ relevant post-qualifying experience
- Enhanced DBS – adults’ barred list; children’s barred list for CAMHS and any setting working with under-18s
- Current mandatory training including safeguarding adults and children, MHA awareness, Mental Capacity Act
- For AMHP roles: current AMHP qualification and local authority authorisation confirmed – we verify both.
Locum Social Work Opportunities:
Locum social work in mental health offers competitive rates, genuinely varied caseloads, and the flexibility to choose your setting and hours. Whether you want a planned block booking in a CMHT, AMHP out-of-hours cover, or a longer-term locum arrangement while considering your next permanent move, we’ll find the right opportunities for your qualification level, specialism and availability.
We have active social work requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.
Lets start the search for your next social worker role
Social Worker Pay Rates (2025/26):
Social workers in NHS mental health settings typically work at Band 6 or Band 7. Locum Band 6 social workers earn £26–£34 per hour, with Band 7 social workers in senior and specialist roles earning £34–£46 per hour.
AMHP-qualified social workers command a premium above standard rates – typically £38–£52 per hour for locum AMHP work, reflecting the legal responsibility, out-of-hours expectations and additional qualification involved.
Local authority social work rates vary by region and employer and are set independently of NHS AfC scales. London boroughs and high-demand areas typically offer higher rates than national averages. Agency social work rates are typically 40–80% higher than permanent salaries, though locum social workers manage their own tax, National Insurance and pension arrangements.
For permanent salaried roles in the NHS, Band 6 runs from £38,682 to £46,580 (2025/26) and Band 7 from £47,810 to £54,710. Local authority social work salaries vary by employer and region.
Our consultants can advise on current market rates for your registration status, specialism and location.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do social workers need to register with HCPC? No – social worker registration transferred from HCPC to Social Work England (SWE) in December 2019. All social workers practising in England must hold current SWE registration. We verify this directly before placement.
- What is an AMHP and do you place AMHPs specifically? An Approved Mental Health Professional is a statutory role under the Mental Health Act with legal powers to make applications for compulsory hospital admission. We place AMHPs for both daytime and out-of-hours work and verify AMHP qualification and local authority authorisation as part of our compliance process. See the AMHP section above for more detail.
- Do you place both NHS and local authority social workers? Yes. We work with NHS mental health trusts and local authority adult and children’s social care teams. Pay structures, compliance requirements and service cultures differ between the two – our consultants understand both.
- Do you place social workers for children’s mental health settings (CAMHS)? Yes. CAMHS social work placements require enhanced DBS with the children’s barred list and relevant experience working with children and young people. We confirm both during registration.
- Can you provide short-notice social work cover? Yes. Once a social worker is registered and compliant with us, we can respond quickly to urgent requirements. Contact us directly for time-critical needs.
- What areas do you cover? We place social workers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh and beyond.
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Discover our latest opportunities or register with us today to unlock your potential!