Senior Outreach Worker, stepping Stones (Mental Health) - Stevenage & North Herts

To work with people who use our services, staff, volunteers and partners in the Mid Hertfordshire area reviewing and identifying needs and resources for people with mental health concerns, their carers and family. Preventative and a recovery orientated approach to all aspects of the role and responsibilities are key. The approach includes empathy, warmth, acceptance, authenticity, compassion and humanity.

The post holder will need:

• To focus on the individual person not the diagnosis or service

• To monitor outcomes and evaluate the services

• To challenge stigma and provide a training role

• To work in partnership with those who need support and those who support them

• To enable and support self-management, promote autonomy and decrease the need for service users to rely on statutory services.

Principal Responsibilities

• To be line managed by the Project Officer, Outreach and to work closely with the team but to manage own workload, prioritising tasks and working on own initiative

• To work in line with the aims and objectives of MiMH

• To ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest standard and in accordance with MiMH’s quality standards

• To carry out all duties with due regard to MiMH’s policies and procedures, including the equalities requirements

• To undertake other duties as may be reasonably determined by the senior management team.

General Responsibilities

• To provide direct community support services to individuals and groups of people at Lister hospital mental health unit, to help promote their social and personal skills and assist their discharge into the community.

• To provide information and signposting services to individuals currently at Lister Hospital the local mental health ward in Stevenage.

• To provide short term one – one support to people in the community following discharge from inpatient care in agreed situations.

• To assess and support people in formulating their own support plan.

• To liaise with ward staff to receive referrals for people requiring direct community support services, both individually and in groups, to achieve the objectives of their discharge Care Plan.

• Within the guidance of the Care plan to provide a direct community service which encourages, motivates and builds individuals’ self-esteem and confidence. This will include goal setting and support with social and practical skills development as well as providing information/activity ward sessions, as agreed by Project Officer.

• To gather, record and provide information, both manually and electronically, to monitor the service provided, as required for funding purposes.

• To plan, monitor and present cases in order to ensure high standards of documentation and communication regarding outcome decisions.

• To develop and co-facilitate support groups, working closely with our team and partners in the community.

• To offer 1-1 support and mentoring as needed, with clinical supervision being provided by your line manager.

• To offer telephone and e-mail support to service users, as required.

• To work with the team to identify progression routes and provide a safe and supported exit for service users.

• To establish a supportive and respectful relationship with the people who use our services.

• To promote empowerment and choice and support individuals to identify their own achievable and realistic goals, and agree objectives to aid recovery.

• To support people to identify and overcome fears and challenge negative self-talk, using solution focussed techniques, within a positive relationship.

• To support people who use our services to access community groups that enables them to participate in local community activities and maintain their independence.

• To act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other team members, partners, service users and carers.

• To work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of the individual.

• To ensure the service is fully accessible and involve service users in all the appropriate aspect of the service.

• To participate in general office cover at the MiMH office as required.

• To undertake any other necessary duties to ensure the smooth and successful development of the outreach project, including administration.

Scope

This role will report to the Project Officer, Outreach and will encompass the following:

• Developing and implementing the targeted outreach service, in the Mid Hertfordshire area

• Working as a gateway to MiMH and other community services

• Identifying and making contact with people through a range of outreach and referral methods

• Working in partnership with workers from key service providers to ensure that people who use MiMH’s services receive appropriate and timely services

• Undertaking all administration tasks associated with providing support services, including gathering statistical information, mailing information, communicating with team members and maintaining office systems

• Assisting with the completion of all paperwork relating to MiMH evaluating and reporting, in a timely manner

• Ensuring need and safety assessments are completed and updated in collaboration with the people who use our services

• Ensuring feedback from people is monitored and reviewed constantly

• Attending training and meetings as agreed with the line manager

• Being open to opportunities for personal development

• To support people who use our services to access community groups that enable them to participate in local community activities and maintain their independence

• To act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other team members, partners, users of the service and carers

• To work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of the individual

• To ensure the service is fully accessible and involve people using the service in all the appropriate aspects of the service

• To undertake any other necessary duties to ensure the smooth and successful development of the outreach project, including administration.

• A professional qualification or equivalent degree related to health and social care (people in training will be considered)

• Clean driving licence and use of a car

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working with people with mental health needs both 1-1 and in groups

• Knowledge of anxiety and depression and how it may present in primary care

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with people who use services

• Ability to deliver short term task orientated interventions

• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner

• Ability to involve people who use services and carers in all aspects of the work

• Ability to communicate confidently and effectively, both verbally and in writing, including excellent telephone skills

• Ability to prioritise and manage workload

• IT literate

• Understanding of, and a personal commitment to, Equality and Diversity and how this applies in particular to mental health services

Personal Qualities

• Passionate about the vision and mission of MiMH and the needs of people with mental health problems

• Self-motivated with a positive can-do attitude

• Ability to work accurately, under pressure, paying attention to detail

• A flexible attitude with a willingness to learn

• Able to work flexible hours

• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals

• Additional leave

• Company pension

• Paid volunteer time, · 25 days paid holiday per year, April 4th-April 3rd (pro rata for part time staff)

· Statutory bank and public holidays (pro rata for part time staff)

· A contributory pension scheme

· 3 additional days’ leave – Birthday Leave, Wellbeing Day and Volunteering Day (for Mind in Mid Herts)

· Staff Training and Development

· Peer Support.