Social Inclusion Worker in Ivybridge

Social inclusion & occupation are vitally important for the robust & sustained recovery of our patient group. Do you have specialist technical & creative skills that you can utilise to support our gentleman in this area? Are you motivated, creative & passionate about supporting individuals to make positive changes as part of their recovery & community facing work? If so we would like to hear from you.

Lee Mill Low Secure Unit is a 12-bed male inpatient ward set just outside of Plymouth. We provide specialist mental health care for men who have often been involved in the legal system due to their mental health needs. The staff at Lee Mill are passionate about providing the highest level of patient centred care to an often challenging & disadvantaged patient group.

As a valued member of the team, you will receive regular supervision & support from psychological services along with continuing professional development training including essential training for staff working within secure services. Due to the nature of the role, all staff are required to attend a physical interventions training session to ensure we can meet the needs of our patients & remain effective in maintaining the safety and wellbeing of all. This post covers a 24/7 shift pattern & driving is an important part of this role.

Main duties of the job:

• To use specialist technical & creative skills to assist in the provision of a flexible, inpatient based therapeutic activity programme.
• Liase with OT & Nursing colleagues in the Lee Mill Unit to ensure fair access to scheduled group work activities for patients.
• To provide self-directed, individual activities for specified patients both on & off the unit, working within risk management guidelines.
• To be responsible for planning & implementing specialist activities & other appropriate interventions; both individual & group activities and treatments in accordance with identified needs.
• Participate in the team which responds to any untoward incidents & undertake associated training.
• To work closely with OTs & Nurses in the unit to ensure restrictions & escort arrangements are communicated & understood.
• To participate in the planning & development of Occupational Therapy Services within the Lee Mill unit.
• All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us:

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities.

Job responsibilities:

• To be responsible for contributing to the planning, monitoring and evaluating of patient centred individual and/or group activities as part of a regular review of the service requirements.
• To use technical and creative skills to engage patients in therapeutic activities to promote healthy psychological and physiological well being.
• To develop observation, reporting and recording skills in relation to individual priorities and activity programmes.
• To develop own knowledge base of the principles and practice of the use of technical and creative group work and individual activities in relation to people with mental illness and associated issues.
• To contribute to the assessment of patients; to report presentations, changes, performance and progress etc in relation to formal OT assessments.
• To form professional relationships with patients, maintaining clear boundaries for effective working practices.
• To participate in policy and service developments as appropriate.
• To participate in induction and support programmes in relation to new staff and volunteers as directed by the Senior OT.
• To ensure that contemporaneous, written and electronic records, and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and organisational standards.
• To liaise and communicate with patients, carers, other professionals and other agencies as appropriate.
• To actively engage in clinical supervision.

Administration:

• To adhere to all policies and standards of Livewell Southwest in general and of the Mental Health Service in particular.
• To comply with the COT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national policies and procedures.
• To plan and prioritise own workload under direction of Senior OT.
• To participate in the planning and implementation of operational policies, projects and service development within the occupational therapy team.
• To be aware of, and adhere to, the correct procedures for ordering, maintaining and using materials and equipment as directed by Senior OT.

Self Development:

• In line with local guidelines review, reflect and develop own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
• To demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development through participation in internal and external development opportunities.

Notes:

• Although the post holder is an inpatient based member of staff they will be expected to travel around Plymouth in the course of their duties as appropriate.
• The post holder may be exposed to unpleasant working conditions including exposure to vomit, sputum and body fluids.
• The post holder may be exposed to emotionally distressing situations on a frequent basis.
• The postholder will be exposed to a working environment that is challenging because of systems and procedures that are in place to protect patients and staff.
• The postholder may be exposed to the risk of physical assault and injury.
• The post holder may, on occasions, be required to assist with other duties to cover periods of staff absence.

This job description is a guide to the main duties and is not exhaustive. These duties may change as services develop and the job description will be reviewed annually as part of the post holders performance review. Appropriate training will be provided for new duties.

Health and Safety:

The post holder is required to take reasonable care for his/her own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions. The post holder is also required to assist in ensuring that all staff adhere to relevant statutory regulations, organisational policies, department safety procedures, COSHH and encourage attendance in relevant training programmes.

Protection of Children:

Disclosure of criminal background of those with access to children (HC 88/9). Applicants are advised that, in accordance with local procedures for the protection of children, the successful applicant will be required to give consent to a police check.

Person Specification:

• Technical qualifications, e.g., City & Guilds, or NVQ3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent technical/life skills gained through work or personal experience.
• Experience working with adults experiencing mental health needs.
• Experience of working with service users in group work.
• Experience working within a hospital environment particularly mental health.
• Demonstrates ability to work individually & as part of a team.
• Ability to plan and facilitate groups.
• Ability to work flexibly in an unpredictable environment.
• Ability to take direction and to follow policies and protocols.
• Demonstrates ability to accept responsibility and use initiative.
• Shows evidence of ability to organise and prioritise own workload as delegated.
• Demonstrate good communication skill, both written and verbal.
• Able to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day.
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service users to provide a 7-day service.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.