Senior Wellbeing Advisor in Blackheath

To assist individuals who use Lewisham Wellbeing Hub service to live their best lives by assisting them – directly and through others – to exercise choice, improve their mental health and wellbeing, reduce loneliness, increase social participation, work towards goals and develop their independence.

The Lewisham Community Wellbeing Hub will provide timely, targeted support to help people across Lewisham manage their mental health, and have the tools, resources and links to local services to improve their wellbeing and resilience in the long term. We support people to navigate local options of support and to be linked with specialist services which can meet their needs. Our aims are to support people to make informed decisions, improve the wellbeing of everyone in Lewisham and aid those with mental health needs.

This key role within the mental wellbeing service involves autonomous, mobile working in the community and inside the hub and collaborating with a fast‑paced team. Workers coordinate and manage their own workload and report activity as required. Most of a Wellbeing Worker’s time is spent delivering bespoke one‑to‑one and group support to individuals experiencing or recovering from mental health problems both inside the hub and in the community. Support is provided face‑to‑face and online.

Key Responsibilities

• Role model the Wellbeing Advisor role and coach the Advisors to assess, refer and support individuals
• Line manage one or more team members and/or volunteer staff, carrying out supervisions
• Cover for the Deputy Manager and the Peer Support Coordinator when they are off
• Guide, assess, support and acknowledge good performance by Wellbeing Advisors and other Team members
• Support service users on a one‑to‑one or group basis as part of a variety of interventions relating to the steps of self‑directed support and achieving their goals
• Contribute to the protection of individuals from the risk of abuse and self‑harm
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the individual and the service
• Contribute to team resilience by ensuring appropriate boundaries, escalating issues when necessary
• Establish and maintain relationships of trust with service users
• Help service users to set, prioritise and achieve goals
• Work flexibly with service users in the community
• Value the lived experience of service users and enable them to use that experience to support each other and improve their Together service
• Work with professionals from other agencies and make onward referrals
• Take a lead on attending external meetings and attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings
• Adhere to the Together policy on lone working
• Make timely records which are concise, accurate, written for the service user to understand, using Together computer‑based systems
• Write clear word processed and handwritten reports and records in English
• Participate in mandatory and job‑related courses and learning activities
• Maintain professional boundaries in all aspects of work with service users
• Uphold and practice Together’s organisational values in delivering this role
• Represent the service positively with services users and other agencies
• Adhere to Together’s Equalities policy
• Maintain confidentiality regarding service users
• Be aware of and work follows Together’s Safeguarding policy
• Communicate effectively with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds
• Have open, honest and transparent professional relationships with people who we work with
• Forge and maintain relationships with other agencies in the community
• Share knowledge, skills and experience within the team while observing confidentiality
• Promote engagement within the community as a key factor in recovery and self‑management
• Empower individuals to exercise choice and control, offering a person‑centred service led by the wishes of the individuals you are working with
• Maintain and build upon good working knowledge of IT, and to take full advantage of opportunities to use IT to progress Your Way’s working practices
• Record and report on activity and outcomes, sharing examples of good practice
• Maintain up to date records and share these with individuals at any time
• Promote and foster opportunities for the people the Wellbeing Worker supports to take the lead in the development of the service
• Support volunteers where necessary including peer supporters
• Raise aspirations and support in the growth and improvement of this new service
• Increase community engagement and awareness of this service
• Enable individuals to lead full and happy lives without relying on conventional mental health services
• Help individuals complete meaningful self‑assessments and get the most out of their personal budget
• Help individuals lead their own journey and have control over their lives
• Information relating to people we work with must be treated in the strictest confidence and discussed with colleagues only with prior consent of the individual, unless in the case of risk
• Information relating to staff must be treated in the strictest confidence and discussed only with other senior staff or line manager.

This list is not exhaustive, and amendments and additions may be required in line with future policy changes.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Evidence of at least 2 years’ experience in the field of mental health
• Demonstrate the resilience needed to support service users who have high‑risk complex issues
• Demonstrate a non‑judgemental attitude
• Able to be empathetic towards service users and create a trusting environment
• Ability to work alongside individuals experiencing mental distress
• Able to work in partnership with service users
• Able to establish and maintain professional boundaries in working with service users
• Able to establish and maintain a safe environment
• Demonstrate problem‑solving skills relating to welfare benefits, education and relationships
• Open to – and willing to participate in – formal and informal job‑related learning
• Willing and able to collaborate with colleagues and other organisations
• Able to use email and computerised systems for service user records and reports
• Able to produce clear records and reports in English
• Committed to work in ways which reflect Together’s values
• Always safeguards the wellbeing of clients and colleagues
• Aware of, and adheres to, Together’s policies regarding Confidentiality and GDPR
• Aware of, and adheres to, Together’s policies regarding Equalities
• Experience in supporting vulnerable individuals
• Minimum of GCSE or Level II qualification in English, or equivalent, or demonstrate a willingness to gain this qualification
• Competence in the use of email, word processing software and use of databases
• NVQ Level III in Health and Social Care, or equivalent (desirable), or demonstrate a willingness to gain this qualification
• Supervisory experience

Job Benefits

• Competitive salary and geographical allowance
• Supportive work environment focused on wellbeing and professional development
• Opportunities for further training and learning
• Inclusive workplace that values diversity and equality
• All appointments and promotions are based on merit, and no job applicant or employee will be treated unfairly or discriminated against. All staff have equal access to staff development.
• Together is committed to equal opportunities and non‑discriminatory practices.