Mental Health Support Worker

Job Title Mental Health Support Worker

Service/Department [Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk]

£25,447.50 pa pro rata (£13.05 per hour) (time and half paid for hour worked midnight to 1am)

Flexible Shift Pattern (7 hr shifts), rolling rota, 7 days per week including Bank Holidays

Hours Week 1 – Wednesday and Thursday 18:00 – 01:00

Week 2 – Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 18:00 – 01:00

Base Chelmsford

Responsible to Service Manager

Job Summary:

The Sanctuary provide support to those who are at risk of experiencing a mental health crisis. The support worker is part of an experienced team who provide emotional support to people through active listening, de-escalation and distraction techniques prevent unnecessary referrals to secondary mental health services, A&E departments, and other emergency services.

The post holder will assess, monitor and support individuals on a one to one basis, via appropriate group work and in partnership with a variety of organisations within the locality.

The Sanctuary operates from Braintree at present with a plan to move to Chelmsford in the very near future offering a much-needed service to our local communities.

Key Responsibilities:

• To provide individualised support, information and access to appropriate services to service users in contact with the service to reduce admission to urgent care admission.
• To liaise with the service manager (or other nominated person) about any concerns that may arise on shift.
• To communicate with referrers and prioritise referrals.
• Using the operational procedures or service protocols Support Workers will be required to identify suitability of referrals. Refer to line manager if guidance needed on next steps.
• Support service users to help identify their individual needs and to provide skills/technique that potentially enable them to maintain wellbeing.
• To refer service users to internal or external information services and/or signpost to relevant organisations.
• To record and forward all feedback on service and colleagues to the service manager.
• To accurately record system notes using the format specified in operational procedures.
• Follow General Data Protection Regulations in all interactions.
• To attend and actively participate in supervision, annual performance appraisal and team meetings on a regular basis.
• To undertake conferences, mandatory training and maintain continued professional development.
• To liaise positively with multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams and contribute to team discussions.
• To work within the parameters of the Organisation’s and service policies, processes and procedures, the code of conduct and work in line with the organisational values.
• To contribute, creatively, to the development of the service and its activities.
• To adhere to the safeguarding adults policy and safeguarding children’s policy following reporting and recording processes in the event of any safeguarding incidents.
• Any other duties commensurate with the post.

Organisational values: Post-holders should be able to demonstrate the following:

Value Phrase

Listening We listen to the needs of our wider community and each other – actively engaging, learning and sharing every day

Co-producing We believe that the people affected by a service are best placed to help design it and reach collective outcomes together

Trusted We build trust in our communities by consistently delivering high quality services and being honest in everything we do

Inclusive We develop inclusive services and support that respect the diversity and dignity of everyone in our communities

Innovative We explore new ideas and ways of working to build a culture that embraces innovation, excellence and creative solutions

Supportive We foster a culture of empathy, respect and open communication to support our communities and each other

Person Specification

POST: Support Worker

Category Essential Desirable

• Good level of general education Education & • Mental Health First Aid Training or

including Literacy and Maths Qualifications Mental Health qualification

Experience • Experience of dealing with people in • Significant experience of working

a mental health crisis with people in a mental health crisis

• Can demonstrate a broad academic • Experience of facilitating /

understanding of mental health supporting group work.

diagnosis and how to support OR

someone in crisis • Experience of service user

• Demonstrable experience of assessment / scope of service.

managing emotional situations

(diffuse situations regularly /

situations which have tested your

resilience)

• Experience of managing

professional boundaries either

themselves or working with

professional agencies / importance

of providing a safe space, both

service user and staff

Skills, Abilities & • Ability to work on own initiative • Understanding of de-escalation /

Knowledge • Understands the importance / grounding techniques.

benefits of working as part of a • Knowledge of Safeguarding or

team. assessing risk and experience in

• Ability to communicate effectively, reporting and recording in line with

both written and verbal agreed timescales.

• Can demonstrate understanding of

using IT systems

• Ability to communicate with different

range of cognitive abilities eg

learning difficulties, age difference,

ethnic minorities, non- verbal service

users (interview)

• Understand the skills required to

keep a stressful situation calm

• Ability to prioritise calls and

workload in line with demand.

• Active listening skills (interview),

ability to gather and interpret

information

Personal • Inclusive

Flexibility

Characteristics • Trusted

• Collaborative

• Supportive and Empathetic

• Innovative

• Active Listener