Community Outreach Worker (Flourish Refugees and Asylum Seekers)

Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis?

Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?

If you can embody our values ofHope, Courage, Togetherness, andResponsiveness, and want to help others build resilience and manage their wellbeing, wed love to hear from you.

Job title: Refugee Community Outreach Worker
Reference:297
Hours:37.5 hours per week
Salary:£26,000 – £76,000 per annum
Based:Flexible across our 7 Hertfordshire wellbeing centres

We have a vacancy for a Community Outreach Worker to join our team, supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the community with multiple needs who have mental health as a primary need, through providing advice, information and holistic support.

About the Service

This is an exciting and reasonably new project, Flourish Mental Health for Refugees in Hertfordshire, which is a highly flexible and responsive outreach service developed to meet the needs of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine & other refugees in Hertfordshire.

The countywide holistic service also provides emotional wellbeing support for families who are hosting refugees.

Purpose of Post

• To provide advice, information, onward referral and holistic support to clients with mental ill health.
• Support to build social networks and reduce isolation whilst settling into the Hertfordshire community this includes building a sustainable and empowering peer support network and building confidence and self-esteem.
• To ensure that the safety and wellbeing of the client is monitored and reviewed regularly.
• To remain a source of independent support for all clients.
• Embed a person centred and solution focused approach in all aspects of the role.
• To work in a trauma informed way including awareness of the 6 principles of trauma informed practice, putting the clients emotional and practical needs at the forefront of this work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working closely with all key delivery partners across the system to ensure the service is responsive, inclusive and easy to access.
• To take allocated referrals from any agencies including the Community Navigators, Borough and District Councils, Herts Help, Housing Providers, the Refugee Council and self-referrals including walk in contacts at any of the Mind wellbeing centres across the county.
• Hold a caseload of clients, supporting for approx. 10 weeks
• To create a safe space for the individual to be able to explore their feelings and improve their understanding around their mental health.
• To complete a holistic needs assessment, making use of assertive outreach work to achieve the initial client contact, if required.
• Ensure all person-centred risk assessments and support plans are completed as appropriate.
• Proactively recognise the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate action, whilst liaising with relevant agencies.
• To provide safeguarding intervention support. This will include responding to problems, which pose an immediate risk.
• To work alongside translators when required to provide a robust package of support for clients.
• To provide advocacy services to clients experiencing mental ill health.
• To accompany clients to initial visits and appointments as necessary in order to ensure the sustained use of existing support services in the Borough.
• To work with the third sector and signpost to other agencies as necessary to improve the health and wellbeing of clients referred to the service.
• To liaise with other agencies to ensure that clients receive appropriate support and continue to remain engaged with the service.
• To assist clients to access appropriate mental health services, housing/tenancy services and other services according to assessed needs.
• To establish effective pathways across a variety of agencies to maximise and provide effective partnership working.
• Support clients to build their emotional resilience, promoting self-management through building an understanding of their own triggers/coping strategies.
• To actively seek the views and feedback from refugees and hosting families in order to shape and improve service delivery.

We offer:

• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising in increments to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays)
• An additional day of leave each year for your birthday following completion of probation period.
• Ongoing training relevant to your role.
• An Employee Assistance Programme.
• Eligibility for blue light card.
• Health cover (after 6 months employment) compensation payment for Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments.

Being able to drive and having access to your own vehicle is essential for this role.

Closing date for receipt of application: Ongoing until role is filled.

Interviews: Applications are being reviewed on an ongoing basis with flexibility around interviews.
Please note:we reserve the right to close the post once we have reached maximum applications or filled the role.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. We recognise and value the unique combination of skills, knowledge and perspective that employing people with a lived experience, at all levels across the organisation, brings. We create an environment where the sharing of experiences and vulnerabilities to support others and create positive change is welcomed and work towards breaking down the them and us culture. The organisation is committed to nurturing peer relationships that allow all staff to thrive.

No agencies please.

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