Senior Wellbeing Worker

Senior Wellbeing Worker

Job Description

Accountability & Supervision: Project Manager

Job Purpose: To provide psychologically-informed, recovery-focused housing-related support to people with complex needs, in order to help them to live independently and safely in their own homes.

This will involve engaging, assessing and triaging people into services appropriately, as well as creating effective support plans based on informed risk understandings.

The post will also involve providing ongoing support and guidance to Wellbeing Workers, liaising with statutory and voluntary sector professionals, facilitating pathways between hospital and community services and formal and informal support networks and utilising elements of personalisation in order to improve engagement and promote reliable, timely and positive outcomes.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.Work within the Together care pathway, deliver psychosocial needs assessments and triage service users into Service A or Service B.

2.Support Wellbeing Workers by creating and reviewing housing-related support plans and Staying Safe Plans to guide their interventions.

3.Mentor and support Wellbeing Workers, providing reflective time, advice and support around their interactions and interventions.

4.Engage the most complex service users, including those in crisis or coming directly from hospital, utilising appropriate psychological interventions (e.g. CBT/DBT) in order to overcome barriers to engagement and avoid relapse.

5.Provide practical, recovery-focused support to people who use the service, working with them to maintain their tenancies through practical support and individual key work sessions.

6.Ensure that the day-to-day delivery of the service is underpinned by a constant focus on outcomes, with regular goal planning and review sessions ensuring that outcomes are achieved within service timescales.

7.Under the guidance of the Project Co-ordinator and Peer Support Co-ordinator, support and coordinate the work of peer supporters, ensuring that the service positively and effectively utilises the value of lived experience in support of people’s recovery.

8.Observe and map any behaviour cycles with service users in their housing-related difficulties; support service users to identify where cycles can be interrupted and take practical steps to do so.

9.Support service users in learning and practising strategies that support tenancy maintenance.

10.Use ICT appropriately to maximise the flexibility of service delivery and ensure timely and accurate recording of goal planning and progress towards outcomes.

11.Accurately record and input information on support provided and activities undertaken, using a range of administrative tools.

12.Actively participate in continuous learning, through clinical and line management supervision, reflecting on direct experience and liaison with colleagues and key partners.

13.Support service users in preparing for independence, including, but not limited to, the following activities:

Identifying and strengthening informal support networks.

Supporting people to gain, maintain and develop their daily living skills.

Providing advice on benefits, tenancy rights or signposting when necessary.

Identifying and helping to facilitate suitable move-on accommodation and support and actively engaging family/carers and wider networks in preparing for the transition according to the wishes of the service user.

Facilitating access to vocational training and/or employment, including CV writing, online applications and job searches.

Supporting employers, especially during initial stages of job placements. Ensure that any problems are addressed at an early stage and that necessary measures are put in place to prevent placement failures.

14.Carrying out other appropriate activities as required.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We acknowledge the unique contribution that all Together employees and service users can bring to the work of the projects and the 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.

Full details may be found in the Human Resources Policy and Procedure Manual. Any member of staff who breaches this policy may be subject of grievance and/or disciplinary procedures.

Senior Wellbeing Worker

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Working knowledge of, and curiosity about, psychological approaches such as CBT/DBT
Skills in undertaking detailed assessments of an individual’s mental health, learning disability and social care needs.
Ability to work flexibly as part of a geographically-dispersed team
Ability to work on own initiative, to prioritise work, meet deadlines and make autonomous decisions when needed
The ability to liaise and communicate well, both orally and in writing, with health professionals, general public, other providers and be assertive where necessary
Ability and willingness to guide and co-ordinate the work of Wellbeing Workers and Peer Supporters as necessary
A commitment to the Equal Opportunities and awareness of issues related to social and healthcare provision in a multi-cultural context
A belief in and commitment to utilising the value of lived mental health experience through the provision of peer support
Competent office and administrative skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office programmes, good internet research skills and willingness to utilise remote working practices
Experience of working in mental health settings, including elevated risk settings, e.g. with inpatient, drug and alcohol, forensic, homeless or dual diagnosis individuals, or with individuals presenting with increased risks to self
Demonstrable understanding of risk assessment and management
Utilising reflective practice and supervision to support the role
Has a driving license and a car

Knowledge and Understanding

Degree level qualification in mental health work (e.g. Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Registered Mental Nurse or Social Worker) (Desirable)
Understanding of common medications and their interaction with individuals’ lives and behaviours (Essential)
Understanding of the structures, roles and activities of community and inpatient resources and agencies (Essential)
Engaging effectively with entrenched behaviours (Essential)
Working with deliberate self harm and suicidal behaviour (Desirable)
Diagnostic systems and labels, their limitations, and associated presentations (Desirable)
The impact of drugs and alcohol on mental illness and personality disorders (Desirable)
Recognising and intervening with maintenance cycles (Desirable)
Motivational interviewing (Desirable)
Curiosity about, and ability to reflect on, own process when working with complex and challenging client groups (Desirable)
Demonstrable knowledge of effective interventions with homeless populations (Desirable)

Personal Characteristics

Resourceful, resilient, enabling
Demonstrates and reinforces the importance of recognising and strengthening individuals’ internal and external informal resources to facilitate recovery
Outcome focused
Welcomes feedback and learning opportunities
Clear uncompromising commitment to delivering the highest standards of care
Innovative, always looking to improve, facilitates and encourages staff innovation
Willing to learn, through training, supervision and day-to-day experience
An understanding of what ‘recovery’ means and a willingness to work in this way
Good time management
Supportive and empowering of team development
Person-centred
Flexible and organised

Senior Wellbeing Worker – Norfolk Floating Support

January 2014