Senior Mental Health Support Worker in Kingston upon Thames

1. Job Purpose

The Senior Mental Health Support Worker will provide time-limited, one-to-one emotional and practical support to individuals experiencing low to moderate mental health challenges, including those with complex needs. This role involves conducting initial referral needs and risk assessments, developing personalised support plans, and delivering face-to-face, remote, and, in rare cases, home-based support.

The postholder will also take a lead role in supporting and supervising 1-1 Support Buddy volunteers, ensuring they are well-trained, supported, and delivering high-quality interventions. Additionally, the role requires managing complex cases, offering tailored interventions, and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure appropriate care pathways are in place.

The successful candidate will be a compassionate and skilled professional with a strong commitment to empowering service users, improving mental health and well-being, and ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time.

2. Main Duties and Responsibilities

Client Assessment and Support Planning:

• Conduct initial referral needs and risk assessments to determine service user requirements and level of need.
• Develop and implement personalised support plans, setting clear and achievable objectives.
• Monitor progress and carry out regular reviews to assess changes in need and update plans accordingly.

One-to-One Support (Including Complex Cases):

• Deliver time-limited one-to-one support (up to 12 weeks per service user).
• Provide emotional support, listening skills, and practical advice on coping strategies, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Work with individuals experiencing complex needs, offering tailored interventions and adapting support accordingly.
• Provide crisis intervention and risk management where necessary.
• Support service users to access appropriate community-based interventions and ongoing mental health support.

Volunteer Supervision and Coordination:

• Support, supervise, and coordinate 1-1 Support Buddy volunteers to ensure effective service delivery.
• Provide training, guidance, and structured supervision to volunteers, ensuring they feel confident and well-equipped in their roles.
• Conduct regular check-ins with volunteers, addressing challenges and providing necessary support.
• Ensure volunteers are appropriately matched to service users based on needs and skills.

Referral and Collaboration:

• Refer service users to specialist services, community resources, and crisis intervention where needed.
• Work collaboratively with the Health and Wellbeing Manager and Service Navigation Lead to ensure seamless service provision and clear referral pathways.
• Establish strong working relationships with external agencies, statutory services, and voluntary organisations to enhance support options for service users, particularly those with complex needs

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Administration:

• Maintain accurate and confidential records of service user interactions, support plans, and progress.
• Collect and report outcome data to measure service effectiveness, including impact on complex cases.
• Support the monitoring and evaluation of service delivery, ensuring continuous improvement.
• Contribute to quarterly reports and service performance reviews.

3. Person Specification

Essential Experience & Knowledge

• Experience in related support role (e.g. mental health, social care, or related)
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and establish trusting relationships.
• Experience conducting needs and risk assessments and developing support plans.
• Ability to provide effective emotional support, using active listening and trauma-informed approaches.
• Experience providing supervision /support, ensuring high-quality service provision.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise workload effectively.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Commitment to confidentiality, safeguarding, and professional boundaries. Strong leadership and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in mental health or social care.
• Discretion.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience in volunteer management.
• Strong IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and Experience of
• Experience in crisis intervention and risk management, particularly in complex cases.
• Knowledge of local mental health services and support networks.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating service outcomes. Knowledge of local mental health services and support networks.
• Qualification in mental health or social work.

Qualifications:

• NVQ L3 qualification (or Equivalent) mental Health or relevant support related field

Specialist Skills/ Ability/ Knowledge

• Ability to solve problems and make sound decisions to support others in a fast-paced environment.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a passion for advancing social justice and mental health equality.
• IT is proficient particularly within Microsoft 365 environment

Communication

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills (written, oral, digital)
• Ability to communicate appropriately with a wide range of people and build relationships and engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels.

Personal Qualities

• Able to build strong working relationships
• Passionate about mental health and committed to supporting individuals to achieve their goals.
• Empathetic and compassionate, with a non-judgmental approach.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage challenges effectively.
• Proactive and solution-focused, with a strong sense of initiative.
• Committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery

4. Application Guidance for Candidates

Thank you for your interest in applying for a role at Mind in Kingston. Before applying, please ensure you carefully read the application pack, particularly the job description and person specification, to understand the requirements of the role. To be considered, please submit the following documents:

• Your CV – This should outline your relevant experience, qualifications, and key achievements. Please ensure your full name & contact details are included.
• Confirmation of Right to Work in the UK – All applicants must provide evidence of their legal right to work in the UK. This may include a passport, visa, or other official documentation. This will be requested at Interview.
• References – Please provide details of two referees, including their name, job title, and contact information. References will only be contacted if you are successful following the interview stage.
• Please respond to the four application questions listed below - (A cover letter is not required, and no supporting statement is needed)

1. What specifically attracts you to this role with Mind in Kingston? (max 200 words)
2. This role will involve working in situations where safeguarding concerns may arise. Can you describe a specific instance where you identified a potential safeguarding issue involving a vulnerable individual? What actions did you take? (max 200 words)
3. Please tell us about a time that you have supported an individual whose needs were changing. How did you adapt how you worked with that person? (max 200 words)
4. Tell us about a time you supported or guided another person in their role or responsibilities. This could include formally supervising someone, mentoring, coaching, or helping a peer or colleague. What did you do, and what was the outcome? (max 200 words)

As we work with vulnerable adults, all successful applicants will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check before starting their role. You will be asked to provide identification such as a passport, driving license, and/or utility bill as part of this process.

Applications and interviews timeline:

Applications closing date Tuesday, 29th of July 11:59pm

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 5th of July & Thursday 7th of July

Please ensure all documents are submitted by the stated deadline. We look forward to receiving your application.

Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we are unable to provide feedback to candidates who are unsuccessful at the application stage.