Job summary
This opportunity is for 12 hours per week (0.3 FTE) fixed term contract of 12 months, subject to a probationary period of 6 months, with continuing employment being subject to obtaining ongoing project related funding. The successful applicant will be required to work flexibly from a variety of locations
throughout Sunderland and South Tyneside, including SCS office
base, GP surgeries and other community venues such as Family Hubs. The post holder
will also be able to work flexibly and confidentially from home at times to
suit client and service needs.
The candidate will work as a link worker in our Maternal Mental Health Link Work
Service, set within a unique independent mental health charity, which is
acknowledged for its contribution to the community by mental health
professionals, health practitioners and local and regional voluntary and
statutory agencies.
Priorities
for the service are to engage and enable mothers to participate in group
activities and connect to local assets, connect to local peer support and help
develop and engage in action plans, reviewing these in a way that is most
meaningful to the person.
The
post holder will carry out assessments of need and provide support and guidance
to people who are referred into the service via our establish pathways. This
may include direct emotional or practical support, signposting, providing
self-help materials, check in system, identifying a suitable package of
specific support and making any necessary onward referrals.
Main duties of the job
The purpose of the role is to support mothers who are experiencing emotional distress or feeling at a crisis point to find solutions to their current issues and help develop more effective ways of managing their mental and emotional wellbeing, in order to help deliver better outcomes from preconception through to their babys 2nd birthday. The service works with women experiencing practical and social difficulties that impact their daily functioning and who present with moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties who may benefit from step-down provision.
The essential features of the link worker service are:
- empowering mothers and families to take control of their health and wellbeing
- promoting recovery
- focusing on what matters to me
- giving time to take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
This service acts as an additional emotional and practical support feature to wrap around existing maternal mental health services, supporting women to engage in or be retained in treatment, prevent deterioration, maximising treatment outcomes and supporting independence. It is NOT intended to operate as a crisis service or an alternative to crisis services, but rather as a bridge to support people to access crisis services should the need arise. It is not envisaged as a clinical intervention and would not take on care planning or case management functions which clearly must be provided by clinical staff.
About us
Salary for this post is comparable to Band 5 Agenda for Change.
The post holder will become part of a broader link working team within SCS, with each service handling similar work within their specific area of focus. The diverse team can offer support with a wealth of knowledge and awareness of local resources and need.
The successful post holder will be employed by SCS and entitled to our employee benefits such as 9.6 days annual leave at normal salary rate, access to our free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Bike2Work Scheme, access to training and be part of a supportive team which emphasises the importance of continuing personal and professional development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For details regarding the job description and person specification, please download these from the document section.
Should you be interested in applying for this post and have any questions regarding it or your suitability, please contact Alicia Harris, Senior Mental Health Link Worker (alicia.harris@sunderlandcounselling.org.uk) in the first instance.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For details regarding the job description and person specification, please download these from the document section.
Should you be interested in applying for this post and have any questions regarding it or your suitability, please contact Alicia Harris, Senior Mental Health Link Worker (alicia.harris@sunderlandcounselling.org.uk) in the first instance.
Person Specification
Other Requirements
Essential
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications.
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
- Able to write clear reports and letters.
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
- Ability to work autonomously towards service objectives.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to work within the boundaries of the role and within own competencies.
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
Desirable
- Full clean driving license and use of car.
- Fluent in languages other than English.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of emotional distress, mental wellbeing, and mental ill health, specifically relating to maternal mental health.
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant support services available in Sunderland, specifically relating to maternal mental health.
- Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing the client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health, safeguarding and child protection.
Desirable
- Understanding of talking therapies and specialist mental health services and which service may be relevant to a clients presentation.
- Knowledge of medication used in treating mental health problems.
- Knowledge of health and social care terminology.
- Knowledge of additional risk factors that exist for pregnant or new mothers.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide non-judgemental support.
- Ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive interpersonal relationships, working within the boundaries of the role.
- Ability to appropriately advocate for a clients needs.
- Ability to handle others emotions without becoming personally involved in them.
- Ability to identify risk to self and others, identifying and reporting safeguarding incidents.
- Understanding of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Ability to make good use of line management, supervisory and support processes.
- Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
- Ability to work in an unsupervised area and share information where appropriate, with the relevant personnel.
- Ability to challenge poor practice and identify and work to best practice standards.
- Ability to take responsibility for identifying and meeting own learning and development needs.
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training.
Desirable
- Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.
- Ability to effectively facilitate client led groups.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supporting people with mental health difficulties either in a paid or voluntary capacity.
- Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs, including risk assessments.
- Experience of working in a relevant community setting.
- Experience of accurately collecting and recording information and data whilst maintaining confidentiality.
- Experience of working collaboratively with different organisations, building trust, confidence and partnerships.
Desirable
- Experience of using outcomes measures.
- Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus.
- Experience of working with pregnant women or as part of a maternal mental health pathway.
- Experience of developing peer led initiatives.
- Experience of facilitating groups.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to A level standard or equivalent.
- Relevant qualification e.g. Level 3 Counselling skills, NVQ level 3 in Social Care, Advice & Guidance qualification, social prescribing qualification.
- Demonstrable commitment to personal and professional development.
- Safeguarding training for both adults and children.
Desirable
- Relevant degree e.g. psychology.
- Training in risk assessment and assessments of client support needs.
- Mental health training / qualification.
Person Specification
Other Requirements
Essential
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications.
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
- Able to write clear reports and letters.
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
- Ability to work autonomously towards service objectives.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to work within the boundaries of the role and within own competencies.
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
Desirable
- Full clean driving license and use of car.
- Fluent in languages other than English.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of emotional distress, mental wellbeing, and mental ill health, specifically relating to maternal mental health.
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant support services available in Sunderland, specifically relating to maternal mental health.
- Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing the client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health, safeguarding and child protection.
Desirable
- Understanding of talking therapies and specialist mental health services and which service may be relevant to a clients presentation.
- Knowledge of medication used in treating mental health problems.
- Knowledge of health and social care terminology.
- Knowledge of additional risk factors that exist for pregnant or new mothers.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide non-judgemental support.
- Ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive interpersonal relationships, working within the boundaries of the role.
- Ability to appropriately advocate for a clients needs.
- Ability to handle others emotions without becoming personally involved in them.
- Ability to identify risk to self and others, identifying and reporting safeguarding incidents.
- Understanding of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Ability to make good use of line management, supervisory and support processes.
- Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
- Ability to work in an unsupervised area and share information where appropriate, with the relevant personnel.
- Ability to challenge poor practice and identify and work to best practice standards.
- Ability to take responsibility for identifying and meeting own learning and development needs.
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training.
Desirable
- Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.
- Ability to effectively facilitate client led groups.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supporting people with mental health difficulties either in a paid or voluntary capacity.
- Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs, including risk assessments.
- Experience of working in a relevant community setting.
- Experience of accurately collecting and recording information and data whilst maintaining confidentiality.
- Experience of working collaboratively with different organisations, building trust, confidence and partnerships.
Desirable
- Experience of using outcomes measures.
- Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus.
- Experience of working with pregnant women or as part of a maternal mental health pathway.
- Experience of developing peer led initiatives.
- Experience of facilitating groups.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to A level standard or equivalent.
- Relevant qualification e.g. Level 3 Counselling skills, NVQ level 3 in Social Care, Advice & Guidance qualification, social prescribing qualification.
- Demonstrable commitment to personal and professional development.
- Safeguarding training for both adults and children.
Desirable
- Relevant degree e.g. psychology.
- Training in risk assessment and assessments of client support needs.
- Mental health training / qualification.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
