Senior support worker Clifton House in Bournemouth

Clifton House is located a short walk from the pier, which provides the perfect vantage point to watch volleyball and table tennis. There are nearby cafés and shops all within walking distance from Boscombe pier. The pier is free to enter and boasts a plethora of activities to enjoy!

Clifton House is owned and managed by Together, one of the oldest mental health charities. It has two self-contained flats and can now accommodate up to 22 people in separate rooms.

You will be a part of our residents’ meetings which give people the chance to participate in decisions about the day-to-day running of the house. A full range of activities is offered, including relaxation classes, walking, table tennis, football, swimming, gentle yoga and mindfulness exercises.

We are extremely proud to be rated as good by CQC by being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

As a Senior Support Worker, you will champion the needs of people who are going through a difficult time, drawing on your unique knowledge and experience to connect with others, by helping them discover their strengths and developing skills that lead to wellness. This is only possible with the help of people like you!

Together recognise and value lived experience of mental health challenges as an asset within our staffing teams. It brings co-production of services to the heart of all we do. We believe it is crucial to involve people with lived experience of mental health problems and/or accessing mental health services, to ensure that the needs of service users are represented and reflected in our support.

So, if you have personal experience of living with mental illness, have used mental health services or you have supported family or friends living with mental illness, we would love to welcome you into our dynamic, proactive team.

Key Responsibilities

• Line manage one or more Support Workers and/or volunteer staff including carrying out supervisions
• Support the management team in the delivery of the service or contract
• Deputise for the Manager and/or Team Leader and make decisions about service users in their absence
• Contribute to team resilience by ensuring appropriate boundaries, escalating issues when necessary
• Undertake Health and Safety checks as required
• Liaise with other services in the event of an incident
• Draw up rosters as required
• Establish and maintain relationships of trust with service users, to build engagement
• Work flexibly with service users and help them to set, prioritise and achieve personal goals, to increase hope, motivation and ambition
• Value the lived experience of service users and enable them to use that experience to support each other and improve their experience
• Carry out assessments and determine urgency of service user needs. Carry out risk assessments, in order to keep service users safe and improve the quality of our support
• Work with professionals from other agencies and make onward referrals
• Attend placement reviews
• Work with service users on a 1:1 basis and in groups
• Maintain professional boundaries in all aspects of work with service users
• Assist service users to navigate the benefits and education systems as well as manage friendships and family relationships; manage medication, including supporting people by prompting and/or administering medication according to Together procedures; manage their lives by helping with bills, forms, mail and appointments, accompanying service users to appointments as and when necessary
• Undertake, and assist with, domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning, ensuring adherence to infection control (training provided)
• Assist service users with personal care as and when required
• 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

Key Leadership Behaviours

• Models the highest levels of the Together Values commitment and its associated behaviours, to provide a clear example for all colleagues.
• Ensures that Service User Leadership is at the heart of everything we do. Embedding the service user leadership framework within policy, strategy and process.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Essential:

• Evidence of at least 2 years’ experience in the field of mental health. Experience in supporting vulnerable individuals gained from a frontline role in housing, health, supported accommodation or direct caring responsibilities
• Minimum of GCSE or Level II qualification in English, or equivalent
• Basic competence in the use of email and word processing software
• Minimum NVQ Level III in Health and Social Care, or equivalent, or the willingness to gain that qualification
• Demonstrate the resilience needed to support service users who have high-risk complex issues
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the CQC and other agencies
• Demonstrate a non-judgemental attitude and able to be empathetic towards service users and create a trusting environment
• Able to establish and maintain professional boundaries in working with service users and maintain a safe environment
• Willing and able to undertake domestic tasks with, and for, service users as necessary
• Demonstrate problem-solving skills relating to welfare benefits, education and relationships
• Open to - and willing to participate in - formal and informal job-related learning
• Able to lone work
• Willing and able to collaborate with colleagues and other organisations
• Able to use email and computerised systems for service user records and reports as well as produce clear records and reports in English

Desirable:

• Supervisory experience (desirable)

Job Benefits

Download the PDF to find out more about what you can get out of working for us.

At Together we value and encourage diversity and inclusion within our workforce. We are committed to creating a workplace where you can be your authentic self, welcoming applications from people from diverse communities and backgrounds who share our values. As an employer, we are committed to making any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.

Successful candidates will require an enhanced DBS check. To find out more, visit here. Together is committed to equal opportunities and non-discriminatory practices. Charity No. 211091