Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Link Worker / Navigator

The closing date is 22 June 2025

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to offer a Mental Health Navigator / Link Worker post within Community Mental Health (CMHT).

  • Will you enjoy working within a team of dedicated, friendly people who believe in helping people by addressing wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity?
  • Are you passionate about providing support to people who have a serious mental illness (SMI) to enable them to connect with their communities, addressing barriers such as social isolation?
  • Can you effectively engage with a diverse range of VCSE organisations, NHS Teams including Primary Care?
  • Can you work with individuals to co-produce goals based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations
  • If that sounds like you - then we want to hear from you!

You will be based at Weavers Croft, alongside the clinical lead. This is a base for mental health community teams. The post would mainly involve working in and around Gloucestershire with an expectation of some out of county visits.

You will work collaboratively with VCSE organisations, and primary care working with individuals who have a SMI or at serious risk of developing one. You will be a key role in the Locality Community Partnership meeting held in each locality, bringing together key partners to plan and deliver collaborative care for people with mental health complexities.

Main duties of the job

  • Proactively spending time with specified VCSE organisations including attending meetings and forums, and attending activities which include clients of the VCSE services
  • Build capability, confidence and resilience in the VCSE to identify and support individuals in emotional distress; and recognise and respond to suicide risk.
  • Increase VCSE awareness of, and access to mental health services and available training to enable them to signpost/refer effectively.
  • Support earlier identification (on the part of both the VCSE and Mental Health Services) of people in crisis by enabling concerns to be communicated quickly.
  • Help Improve connectivity between mental health and third sector services.
  • Support the personalisation agenda.
  • Supporting GP practices to connect with GHC mental health services.
  • Carrying a limited caseload only to support people referrals across services and broker access to services

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About us

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

  • 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
  • 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
  • 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Details

Date posted

30 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

327-25-437

Job locations

Weavers Croft

Field Road

Stroud

GL5 2HZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Gloucestershire Health and Care is committed to embedding and providing personalised care through all of its services as part of our high-quality care strategy. The purpose of personalised care is to empower people to lead the lives they want to live. Personalised care starts with a conversation with people about what matters to them. It builds on what people can do, as well as addressing their health needs. Including new ways of working and delivering care, emphasising that we need to make effective use of the full range of our peoples skills and experience to deliver the best possible patient care. So we want to know What Matters to You and that you will share our values and join us on this very important journey.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Gloucestershire Health and Care is committed to embedding and providing personalised care through all of its services as part of our high-quality care strategy. The purpose of personalised care is to empower people to lead the lives they want to live. Personalised care starts with a conversation with people about what matters to them. It builds on what people can do, as well as addressing their health needs. Including new ways of working and delivering care, emphasising that we need to make effective use of the full range of our peoples skills and experience to deliver the best possible patient care. So we want to know What Matters to You and that you will share our values and join us on this very important journey.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

  • NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of competency-based training in a relevant health or social care area PLUS theoretical and practical knowledge to diploma level equivalent, obtained through formal competency training, short courses and experience OR successful completion of approved associate practitioner training or relevant foundation degree or commitment to obtain within 2 years.
  • IT Skills

LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. Mental Health Act, Child Protection, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
  • Experience in mental health or social care services at Bands 2, 3 or 4, ideally in a community setting.
  • Knowledge of the CPA process
  • Knowledge and understanding of care planning and risk assessment (completed an Approved course in relation to Risk Assessment).
  • Knowledge and understanding of using a Recovery based approach to care.
  • Knowledge and understanding of social inclusion approach
  • Clinical skills training (awareness of physical health and wellbeing).
  • Awareness of issues of diversity

Desirable

  • Knowledge and understanding of Voluntary Care Sector and partnership working
Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

  • NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of competency-based training in a relevant health or social care area PLUS theoretical and practical knowledge to diploma level equivalent, obtained through formal competency training, short courses and experience OR successful completion of approved associate practitioner training or relevant foundation degree or commitment to obtain within 2 years.
  • IT Skills

LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. Mental Health Act, Child Protection, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
  • Experience in mental health or social care services at Bands 2, 3 or 4, ideally in a community setting.
  • Knowledge of the CPA process
  • Knowledge and understanding of care planning and risk assessment (completed an Approved course in relation to Risk Assessment).
  • Knowledge and understanding of using a Recovery based approach to care.
  • Knowledge and understanding of social inclusion approach
  • Clinical skills training (awareness of physical health and wellbeing).
  • Awareness of issues of diversity

Desirable

  • Knowledge and understanding of Voluntary Care Sector and partnership working

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Weavers Croft

Field Road

Stroud

GL5 2HZ


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Weavers Croft

Field Road

Stroud

GL5 2HZ


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Community Mental Health Clinical Lead

Theresa Donoghue

theresa.donoghue@ghc.nhs.uk

07812709654

Details

Date posted

30 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

327-25-437

Job locations

Weavers Croft

Field Road

Stroud

GL5 2HZ


Supporting documents

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