Support Worker – Community Connections Service (Surrey, part-time)

Job Summary

The Community Connections Support Worker will be required to work alongside the 3 full-time Area Coordinators to support client activities and groups, as well as carry out one-to-one initial appointments and welfare checks for people residing in Surrey. You will help to provide support to those experiencing difficulties with their mental wellbeing, to develop resilience and manage their mental health more effectively. This will involve meeting with clients face-face, via telephone or virtually, and encouraging them to engage with activities and groups which are relevant to their interests and wellbeing concerns.

Job title: Support Worker

Service: Community Connections Service

Location: Surrey

Hours: 15-21 hours per week (2-3 days per week)

Salary: £11,147 – £15,604 (Dependant on hours)

Holidays: 25 days per year + Bank Holidays (Pro-rata)

Term: Fixed Term Contract until 31st March (with potential to extend)

Benefits: MFT offer an extensive benefits package including; 5% Pension Employer Contribution, Paid Sick Leave, Blue Light Card Scheme, Vivup Discounts, Staff Social Events, Staff Social & Wellbeing Committee, Celebration Day (in addition to annual leave entitlement)

Closing date for applications: Applications will be closed 26th Sept. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. Please note, Mary Frances Trust reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, and the successful completion of a probationary period.

Key Responsibilities

• To support groups, courses and activities and work with the Community Connections Team to produce a quality service.
• Supporting the full-time co-ordinators to complete initial appointments with new clients, including the completion of recovery stars and plans and updating client records.
• To support the area co-ordinators in maintaining contact with those using the service via differing methods.
• To work with the area co-ordinators to contact clients who are not currently engaging to ascertain their current needs and update records accordingly.
• To be able to assess risk on a daily basis and react accordingly.
• To motivate people attending groups, activities, and one-to-one sessions.
• To work within a team of professionals and communicate well with colleagues working from different locations.
• To maintain databases and undertake any other administrative duties required.
• To work collaboratively with other departments.

This is not an exhaustive list of the duties that may need to be undertaken. It may be necessary to undertake other duties in order to fulfil the objectives of the project.

Person Specification – Essential (E) and Desired (D)

Qualifications and experience:

• Experience of supporting mental health and wellbeing in community based setting, and/or a qualification in appropriate subject e.g: Counselling, Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health, Health and Social Care (level 3) -E

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team -E
• An understanding of confidentiality, consent, information sharing, including GDPR. -D
• An understanding of Safeguarding policy and practice. -D
• Good communication and written skills and a commitment to ensure accurate and confidential record keeping. -D
• Ability to interact effectively with the clients, colleagues and other professionals whilst retaining clear boundaries. -E
• Ability to work to all the policies, procedures, and standards of the service and joint working arrangements with statutory and voluntary sector partners. -E
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of mental health issues. -D
• Knowledge and understanding of community working, lone working and ability to maintain safety whilst working in the community. -E
• Ability to use supervision effectively. -E
• A good understanding of personal limitations, ability to identify when to seek advice and support and deal with issues in a professional manner. -E
• Ability to manage challenging behaviour from clients who may present in distress. -E

Information & Technology

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, use of email, Outlook, and basic excel skills. -E
• Ability to effectively access and update records on client management systems. -E

Amendments: This job description accurately reflects the present position; it may be amended and reviewed. Any change will be made following a period of consultation.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We acknowledge the unique contribution that all host organisations employees and patients can bring to our organisation in terms of their culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, age, religion or belief and any physical disability or history of mental health or additional problems.

All appointments and promotions are based on merit and no job applicant or employee will be treated unfairly or discriminated against. All staff have equal access to staff development. Any member of staff who breaches this policy may be subject of grievance and/or disciplinary procedures.

This post if subject to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level. Please note past drug and/or alcohol or criminality history will not necessarily discount you from undertaking this role.

About Us

Mary Frances Trust (MFT) is a mental health and emotional wellbeing charity, supporting Surrey residents since 1994 in Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley.

We offer a variety of face-to-face and online services, available to adults (aged 16+) living in Surrey who would like to restore and/or maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing (no diagnosis needed).

Our services are free of charge, with no waiting list and no time limit (you can use us for as long as you need and register again at any point).

To see all of our services, please visit the How We Help section of our website.

Our Vision

We believe anyone experiencing any kind of mental or emotional health issues should feel unafraid to ask for help, receive appropriate support for as long as they need, and be inspired to develop the skills that will help them to restore and maintain their own wellbeing, and lead a fulfilling life.

Our Values:

Inspiring

We believe that everyone can lead a fulfilling life and achieve their goals and full potential. We encourage people to recognise and use their own strengths and resources. We inspire people to develop the skills that will empower them to become experts at managing their own mental wellbeing.  To accompany people on this journey, we offer personal, tailored support to help them regain a sense of hope and control.

Inclusive

The people we support aren’t passive recipient of our services and are not being “done to”. Through our commitment to Co-Production, we involve people with mental health lived experience in every aspect of our organisation, including the design, delivery, monitoring, review and evaluation of our services.

We believe in the power of connection. We encourage the people we support to fully participate in their local communities. As an organisation, we also strive to be part of and reflect the diverse population we serve.

Agile

We live in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, so we’re always ready to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of the local communities we serve. We are an integral part of a wider mental health system and are dedicated to providing easy access first-class mental health support by working in partnership and collaboration.

Respectful

We work hard to establish mutual honest and trustworthy relationships. We actively listen and treat people we support with the same kindness and respect as we do our staff and volunteers. We strive to be an organisation where people feel safe and that they belong.

Our Mission

Our mission is to:

• Work alongside people experiencing any kind of emotional or mental health issues for as long as they need and inspire them to develop the skills that will help them to restore and maintain their emotional wellbeing.
• Involve people with lived experience of mental health issues at every level of the organisation so together we can design, deliver, monitor and review our services and ensure they respond to their changing needs.
• Consistently challenge stigma attached to mental illness and raise awareness of the importance of looking after your mental wellbeing.
• Lead and co-ordinate the development and delivery of first-class, voluntary mental health services in Surrey.
• Maintain sufficient funding streams to be able to provide person-centred services to people experiencing any kind of emotional or mental health issues.
• Safer Recruitment.

We are committed to following Safer Recruitment practices to ensure the safeguarding of the whole community we serve, from members of the public and clients using our services, to our staff, volunteers, partners, and external facilitators.

A criminal record does not automatically exclude you from applying for the position. MFT will assess each application on a case-by-case basis.

This post is Exempt from the Protection of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974).

All successful candidates will be required to undertake Enhanced or Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks as well as reference checks.  These will be a condition of any offer of employment being made.

All candidates must disclose both ‘spent’ and ‘unspent’ cautions and convictions on application – other than ‘protected’ cautions and convictions which have qualified for filtering.

Disclosure should be included in a separate covering letter on application, marked ‘Confidential’.

Guidance on Filtering: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-filtering-guidance

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We believe in a fair, equal, diverse and inclusive society. As an organisation, we believe we are stronger and richer when we bring together different experiences and perspectives to better serve our clients and local community. We are committed to creating a workforce that is diverse, inclusive of all, representative of the community we serve, promotes positivity, and instils a can-do attitude in everyone, no matter their background or characteristics at every level of our organisation from our staff and volunteers, all the way to our Trustees and Patrons. We strongly encourage applications from members of every community and actively seek to hire people with lived experience of mental health issues.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please fill in our Online Application Form (button below) where you’ll be able to upload your CV and covering letter (in which you’ll explain how you feel your experience is suitable for the role). Thank you!

If you are encountering any difficulties applying for the position, please email Emma our Administration and Communications Assistant, at: emmal@maryfrancestrust.org.uk.

Apply now

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