We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Homelessness service in Westminster. No personal care or experience is required, just the right values.
£25,418.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.
Want to feel like you’re part of one team? You’ll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren’t token gestures - we’ve thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
This role requires working on a rota pattern encompassing mix of shifts between 08:00 to 16:00 and 14:00 to 22:00 including weekends.
Hopkinson House provides 24-hour accommodation-based support for 30 customers who have been diagnosed with severe and enduring mental health conditions who are under the Care Programme Approach (CPA). Our customers can also have multiple complex needs, traumas, personality disorder(s) and a varied, disrupted housing history with experience of homelessness.
Hopkinson House implements and promotes Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) model. This is an approach to supporting people out of homelessness, those who have experienced complex trauma or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. It also considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience. Support from the in-house Clinical Psychologist is given as part of the PIE model: reflective practice, training, and client consultation are facilitated for staff weekly. One-to-one support from a clinical psychologist is also offered to residents.
Support in Hopkinson House is delivered by a multiagency team including in-house clinical psychologist, art therapist, and a specialist substance misuse worker to provide holistic care. The service works with various agencies such as NHS hospitals, community mental health teams, forensic mental health teams and substance misuse agencies. Liaising with other teams provides mental health support workers with a thorough understanding of how mental health services work.
We are recruiting for Specialist Mental Health Support Workers to join our dynamic service and team. You will provide information, social inclusion, and vocational opportunities to support customers to: recover and stay well; exercise choice and control in their support and lives; and participate on an equal footing in the community.
Provision support is provided on a model of re-enablement towards self-advocacy, self-management, and empowerment, incorporating the principles and practice of recovery, co-production, and peer support.
This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.
What you’ll do:
- Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers incorporating relevant statutory referral information
- Key-working complex customers, building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and external partners, creating a positive atmosphere
- Co-Produce personalised support plans with customers providing appropriate support based on on-going assessment and resources available to enable customer to progress in their recovery
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging to achieve Support Plan goals
- Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of ‘positive risk taking’ through Risk Management Plans
- Keep customers records and files up to date in line with Look Ahead’ Policies and Procedures
- Lead on handover of key information between shifts, verbally and electronically reporting safeguarding concerns, customers’ progress, and engagement with services
- Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to continue their recovery and empower customers to develop life skills through individual re-enablement programmes and informed decision making
- Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to complement their interventions
- Develop productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
- Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service to customers
- Involving customers in the design, development, and delivery of the services
- Adhere to health and safety protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness in relation to the safety of yourself and colleagues
- Adhere to Safeguarding policy, procedures and report safeguarding concerns promptly
- Lead on groups and activities - offering a range of appropriate therapeutic and recovery focused interactions and activities
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/ Service Manage
This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead
About you:
- An understanding of the difficulties face by individuals with complex trauma, substance misuse and mental health needs and the skills to empower them to achieve their ambitions
- An awareness and understanding of the social, emotional and wellbeing needs of individuals with enduring mental health needs and different agencies involved in their care and support
- An understanding of the challenges people with mental health needs face and the skills to facilitate positive behaviour change and reintegration into community
- An understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures
- An understanding of the limits to own knowledge and responsibilities, with a clear understanding of when to ask for the advice and support of colleagues, line manager or relevant statutory or voluntary agencies
- A passion to support vulnerable people to reach their potential, succeed and thrive independently given the right support with a ‘can do’ attitude
- A strong customer focus and commitment to putting customers’ interests and voices at the heart of all aspects of service provision
- Strong self-awareness and commitment to acting as a positive role model
- A commitment to non-discriminatory practice and to promoting equality and diversity
- A commitment to effective joint working with partners to meet customers’ needs
- A strong sense of personal accountability and the ability to critically reflect on practice to improve future approaches
- Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
What you’ll bring:
Essential:
- A basic understanding of the stigma and challenges faced by individuals that have been diagnosed with a mental health condition
Desirable:
- Experience of providing targeted recovery focussed support to individuals with needs mental health.
About us:
Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.