Crisis Support Worker

JOB TITLE: Crisis Support Worker

FTE Salary / Hourly Rate: £15 per hour

Length of Contract: Fixed Term until 31st March 2028

Hours of Work: Flexible (to be doiscussed at Interview)

Location: Taunton

DBS Requirements: Full adult & child with Barring

Holiday Allowance: 23 + 8 pro rata

REPORTS TO

Project Lead (South Somerset, West Somerset and Taunton)

JOB ROLE

We are a community mental health crisis provision that works with service users in every locality across Somerset, and are looking to expand our team with experienced, enthusiastic and empathetic individuals.

Our key principle is about creating a safe, welcoming and comfortable out-of-hours space for people in immediate emotional distress, and for those seeking to prevent the onset of a crisis.

As part of your role, you will offer therapeutic, non-clinical support and empower service-users through planning, grounding techniques, coping mechanisms and identification of ongoing support.

You will work collaboratively with service-users and other professionals, taking a holistic approach to support individuals that are experiencing acute emotional distress.

This will involve connecting individuals into community resources, building resilience and improving wellbeing.

JOB CONTEXT

‘Open Mental Health' is a Somerset alliance of local voluntary organisations and the NHS. We are working in partnership to ensure that residents of Somerset get the support they need, when they need it.

Our shared ambition is to ensure that people living with mental health problems get the right support at the right time.

Working together, we support people to live a full life, by enabling access to specialist mental health services, housing support, debt and employment advice, volunteering opportunities, community activities and physical exercise, to help support and improve their wellbeing and quality of life.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• To listen to and support the service-users in identifying what may be contributing to their current emotional distress and work through together what steps that they need to take to feel safe. This may include working with, co-producing and implementing existing care or recovery plans, or developing short-term safety plans.
• To establish trust with service-users by providing sensitive, collaborative and non-judgemental support.
• To empower service-users to make informed decisions about their mental health and ongoing wellbeing.
• To work collaboratively with Somerset Alliance partners across other localities - both statutory and VCSE.
• To communicate effectively across the alliance; taking initiative to share learning and new ideas. Supporting warm transfers within the relevant locality team. This will be achieved by adhering to the ‘no wrong door’ philosophy.
• To facilitate activities which are soothing and creative to develop settling and grounding techniques; this can be group or/and 1:1 support.
• To identify, assess and manage risk to ensure that risk is minimised. This will involve working in a safe manner under the guidance of the risk assessment and ensure that the health and safety policies of Mind in Somerset are implemented and fully adhered to.
• To maintain accurate record keeping/documentation and ensure that any storing or sharing of confidential information is in line with current GDPR regulations.
• To signpost service-users to ongoing support within their community, based on their individual needs.
• To share knowledge of online/virtual support tools with service-users.
• To engage with and attend to own needs in the clinical supervision process.
• The capacity to visit ED when required, promoting the service with key staff in the hospitals, using strong interpersonal skills in networking.

OTHER DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• To engage fully with the values and community of Mind in Somerset. There is an expectation to attend and actively participate in staff meetings and training events when appropriate and/or required.
• To attend monthly one-to-one supervision with line manager.
• Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
• Carry out any other appropriate tasks requested by the manager, to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
• To work in an inclusive and culturally sensitive way for all service-users; being responsive to individual needs and challenging stigma and discrimination.
• To take prompt and appropriate action in a safeguarding situation. To clearly record all information and actions taken and to escalate to the Project Manager and COO as per procedure.
• To cover leave and absences where required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Education / Qualifications

• Good literacy and numeracy skills demonstrated by a good standard of GCSEs, including Maths and English, at grade C or above.
• Educated to degree level in health-related subject or equivalent work experience in the mental health field.

Knowledge and Experience

• A minimum of two years’ significant experience of working with people with mental health needs, or people with complex needs.
• A clear understanding of working with vulnerable adults.
• Demonstrate ability to exercise empathy.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to de-escalate crisis situations.
• Experience of carrying out needs and/or risk assessments and the support planning process.
• Experience and knowledge of empowering others to engage and work towards positive outcomes.
• Proven knowledge of health and safety issues, especially those relevant to mental health.
• Proven knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures relating to adults.

Skills

• Ability to be self-reflective and an active problem-solver.
• Excellent organisational skills, particularly in managing time and tasks with a keen eye for detail and the ability to produce high quality, accurate work in tight timescales to achieve targets.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a welcoming and helpful approach and ability to engage with others to develop and sustain warm and productive relationships.
• Act in ways that support equality and promote diversity.
• Ability to work in a calm, patient and tolerant manner with people who may be challenging.
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships both internally and externally.
• Computer literate with a thorough understanding of the basic MS Office packages and databases.

Personal Attributes, Values and Qualities

• An enthusiastic and ‘can do’ attitude.
• Commitment to service-user participation and involvement.
• Ability to recognise own training and development needs and willingness to participate in training and development opportunities.
• Self-reliance, common-sense, trust, integrity, and humour.
• A team player who is willing to be flexible with the rota and considerate in supporting colleagues.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working with adults who are presenting as at risk or/and in crisis.
• Experience of working with VCSE and statutory partners, across partnership work.
• Experience of working with and supporting peer-volunteers.

Pay: From £15.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Employee discount

Work Location: In person