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Recovery & Connect Worker (Surrey Downs)
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We’re looking for a highly motivated individual with experience and knowledge of working with people experiencing mental health issues to achieve goals. You should be passionate and committed to supporting people in their recovery journey, with a minimum of 2 years previous experience, and the ability to work independently and part of a larger team.
Job Summary
Job title: Recovery & Connect Worker
Service: Recovery & Connect
Location: Surrey Downs
Hours: 37h per week
Salary: £30,906 (per annum)
Term: Fixed-term contract ending 31 March 2026
Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays
Closing date for applications: 18 July 2025
Interviews: 24 July 2025
This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and the successful completion of a probationary period
Project
Recovery & Connect is a project delivered in partnership with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Recovery & Connect works intensively with individuals who have pre-existing mental health issues and complex mental health needs, to support them in accessing community services and enable them to live well at home.
The project aims to prevent any future deterioration in mental health or the need for hospital admission. Recovery & Connect Workers are closely aligned to HOMEFirst – An alliance of professionals and organisations who work together to develop personalised care plans to enhance the support given to individuals.
Key Responsibilities
- To build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders such as: HOMEFirst alliance, CMHRS, Adult Social Care, and voluntary sector agencies.
- To work with a caseload of clients, their families and carers, clinical staff, and other professionals to create a holistic support plan around the individual, guided by their individual needs.
- To travel and meet clients in mutually agreed locations in the community (e.g. their home, local hub/centre, SABP base) on a regular basis.
- To work with clients, encouraging and bridging them to other services and opportunities.
- To provide emotional support to clients.
- To understand and support clients with overcoming any barriers to accessing support and/or treatment.
- To build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders supporting individuals with accessing technology and/or employment services.
- To arrange and attend MDT and supervision meetings.
- To complete and update risk assessments associated with lone working.
- To make onward referrals and provide information and advice about what support is available locally.
- To work collaboratively with key professionals, e.g. Care Coordinators and Social Workers, around any arising issues with clients.
- To record and report, as agreed, any KPI’s, including DIALOG+, as a measure of client’s progress and any information required for funders/trustees.
- To provide quarterly reports and compliance around this service.
- To update systems with information relating to clients on caseload.
- To arrange review appointments with clients every 3-months to review, revise and update the support plan.
- To work with the team of professionals and communicate well with colleagues working from different locations.
- To conduct ongoing evaluation of the programmes and services and implement improvements as necessary.
- To maintain databases and undertake any other administrative duties.
This is not an exhaustive list of the duties that may need to be undertaken. It may be necessary to undertake other duties to fulfil the objectives of the charity.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- A minimum of 2 years’ experience of mental health, wellbeing or behaviour change work with adults in the community.
Desirable
- A diploma or degree in appropriate subject i.e. counselling, psychology, social work, probation, mental health, Health and Social Care (Level 3).
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team (statutory and voluntary).
- An understanding of confidentiality, consent, information sharing, including GDPR.
- An understanding of Safeguarding policy and practice.
- Good communication and written skills and a commitment to accurate and confidential record keeping.
- Ability to interact effectively with the clients, colleagues and other professionals whilst retaining clear boundaries.
- Ability to work to all the policies, procedures and standards of the service and joint working arrangements with statutory and voluntary sector partners.
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, including serious mental illness diagnoses such as schizophrenia, psychosis, and bipolar disorders.
- Knowledge and skills of engagement, motivational interviewing, and behaviour change approaches.
- Knowledge and understanding of community working, lone working, and ability to maintain safety whilst working in the community.
- Ability to use supervision effectively.
- A good understanding of personal limitations, ability to identify when to seek advice and support, and deal with issues in a professional manner.
- Ability to manage challenging behaviour from clients, such as anger and verbal aggression.
- Ability to self-manage a caseload.
Information Technology
Essential
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and basic Excel skills.
- Ability to learn how to use the electronic patient record system (SystmOne).
- Ability to enter and manipulate data on a database as required by the Service and Commissioners to include monitoring and reports.
- Ability to work from home and maintain confidentiality and professionalism when and if required using Microsoft Teams and other virtual platforms.
General
Essential
- Ability to travel and work flexibly across Surrey where required.
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
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