Deputy Service Manager in London

To support the Service Manager with the management of the service and the building, providing guidance, supervision and support to staff to ensure the provision of a recovery-focused service, working with people with very complex and challenging recovery needs, utilising elements of personalisation in order to improve engagement and promote reliable, timely and positive outcomes. Deputise for the Service Manager in their absence.

Key Responsibilities

• Take a lead role and provide support and advice to staff in creating and reviewing robust risk assessments, produce and agree management plans, personalised recovery support plans (identifying goals and aspirations and detailing activities and interventions) and structured move-in plans with new residents.
• Take a lead role and provide support and advice to staff in assessing new service users, liaise with professionals, other mental health placements and hospitals and prepare management plans for individuals prior to admission.
• Support individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations through individual key work, targeted recovery outcomes-focused interventions and person-centred planning, utilising a core and flexi approach, enabling service users to choose who they would like to support them with each task.
• Organise weekly key worker sessions with individual clients, using Recovery Star, WRAP and person-centred planning tools. These sessions will focus on mental health insight, awareness and resilience, medication management including self-medication, as well as symptom management, including coping strategies and self-management techniques.
• Plan, organise, timetable and lead a range of appropriate groups, e.g. managing mental health, living skills, nutrition, assertiveness skills, confidence building, mindfulness, stress management, relapse prevention.
• Organise a rota of activities and events for service users, including contribution to the flexi approach to team work.
• Broker (and where appropriate, following training, provide) specialised interventions like DBT, CBT, including input from substance abuse teams and forensic services.
• Support service users in preparing for independence through helping them maintain and develop their skill base, (re)gain general IT skills, including providing particular support with CV writing, online applications, shopping online, etc.
• Identify and help to facilitate suitable move-on accommodation and support and actively engage family/carers and wider networks in preparing for the transition according to the wishes of the service user.
• Provide advice on benefits, tenancy rights or signposting when necessary.
• Facilitate access to training or/and employment and support employers, especially during initial stages.
• Make a positive contribution to and work constructively within the team, including developing your own abilities to enhance team performance.
• Carry out staff supervisions and monitor the performance of team members, including relief staff, in a constructive, effective and creative way.
• Contribute to the provision of outcome defined evidence to commissioners and other stakeholders, by fully involving service users and team members.
• Promote, monitor and maintain health and safety and security in the workplace and ensure the building is safe and secure.
• Work in a way that ensures the service is delivered in compliance with relevant legislation, Together's values, policies and practices and contractual requirements.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Qualified to at least Diploma Level 3 in Adult Care / Health & Social Care.
• Commitment to the empowerment of service users and users of mental health services and a strong interest in user involvement and promoting people's rights.
• Ability to respond to service users' needs (including those in crisis) promptly, in a flexible, consistent and appropriate way.
• Ability to work with service users in a user led, calm, confident and sensitive manner and ability to advocate for them.
• Excellent listening skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people who are in mental distress.
• Knowledge and practical experience of using person-centred tools to support recovery and development of service users.
• Ability to work flexibly as part of a team and contribute in meeting team and organisational objectives.
• Experience of supervising people and teams and monitoring people's performance.
• Ability to work on own initiative, to prioritise work, meet deadlines and make autonomous decisions when needed.
• Experience of participating and running meetings/groups.
• The ability to liaise and communicate well, both orally and in writing, with health professionals, general public, other providers and be assertive where necessary.
• A commitment to Equal Opportunities and awareness of issues related to social and health care provision in a multi-cultural context.
• Good computer literacy including the ability to use Windows applications and word processing and database packages.
• Experience of liaising with a range of providers and services and promoting user led initiatives.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• At least two years' full-time equivalent experience of working in mental health.
• Willingness to attain the Diploma Level 5 in Leadership & Management for Adult Care.
• Experience of running groups.
• At least one year experience of supervising and managing others.

Compliance & Additional Information

Successful candidates will require an enhanced DBS check. Equal opportunities and non-discriminatory practices are core to our hiring. Together is committed to equal opportunities and non-discriminatory practices.