We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Mental Health service in Ealing.
£28,500.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.
Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
Fully paid induction programme and further training
ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
Online wellbeing resources
A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.
Specialist Support Workers within Look Ahead are required to have either an extra dimension of experience or a higher qualification level as determined relevant for the particular post. Specialist Support Workers provide information, social inclusion and vocational opportunities to support people to recover and stay well; exercise choice and control in their care and lives; and participate on an equal footing in the community. Support is also provided to develop a model of self-advocacy, self-management and empowerment, incorporating the principles and practice of recovery, co-production and peer support.
Oaklands & St Kilda is a pair of 6 unit supported accommodation mental health rehab services working with young people between the ages of 18-25 who may have experienced a mental health related hospital admission to gain and develop skills for future independent living. The service will support individuals transitioning from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult services.
This role is set for 9-month, ending on 12 January 2026, with the possibility of extension.
The Specialist Support Worker role involves early shifts (8:00-16:00) and late shifts (14:00-22:00) throughout the week, including some weekends each month.
What you'll bring:
Essential:
Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience supporting young people or people experiencing mental health challenges.
Specialist knowledge relevant to supporting young people with a Mental Health diagnosis.
Desirable:
Experience of working in a complex mental health environment
Demonstrable experience of trauma-informed practice
About us:
Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.
Thank you!
Role Summary
We are looking for a passionate and effective Autistic Lived Experience Trainer to support us to deliver an exciting new programme of work. We have been commissioned by an NHS organisation to deliver and support the roll out of autism-informed care training to all staff working in their mental health inpatient settings. This programme of work will run for 9 months, and will include the delivery of various half day and full day autism-informed training sessions both in-person and online. We will also be working closely with Experts by Experience to become skilled and confident in delivery of this training to support the organisational sustainability of this knowledge. The programme of work will also embed an evaluation of the training to demonstrate learning and impact.
The Autistic Lived Experience Trainer will be working closely alongside our Lived Experience Lead to deliver all aspects of the programme, with support from our wider staff team.
Role Description
- Co-facilitate training sessions both online and in-person to staff from various professions and in various roles across mental health in-patient settings.
- Deliver pre-prepared content and facilitate reflective conversations.
- Monitor feedback and adjust content and delivery as necessary.
- Collect and analyse feedback data, both qualitative and quantitative.
- Support Experts by Experience to become confident with delivery of content.
- Ensure training content remains relevant and includes the latest research, alongside lived experience insight.
- Use own lived experience insight to supplement content and support reflection and catalyse change.
- Liaise with NHS colleagues to support training session logistics
- To represent Neurodiverse Connection nationally, regionally and locally as appropriate and to promote the work that we do.
- To work alongside the Neurodiverse Connection staff and associate team to ensure delivery of high-quality work.
- Frequent travel within Norfolk and Suffolk to deliver in person training.
- Some national travel may also be required to support training and delivery on other projects.
Recruitment details
Recruitment Timeline
- Deadline for applications: Monday 7th July, 9am
- Applicants notified if shortlisted no later than: Friday 11th July, 5pm
- Dates of interviews: Friday 18th and Monday 21st July
- Interviewees notified if they have been appointed no later than: Monday 28th July, 5pm
Proposed start date for successful applicant: Start of September
How to apply
The application process is two stages.
Stage 1: download and complete application form.
- You will be asked to confirm you met some of the essential criteria.
- You will be asked to enter your contact details and details of previous work.
- You will then be asked to answer 4 questions.
- Email the completed form to our recruitment email address.
- You will also be asked to complete an equity and diversity form. This is optional.
Stage 2: If you are shortlisted you will be invited to attend an online interview. You will be sent the interview questions 5 days ahead of the interview date.
As part of the interview, you will be asked to deliver a 15-minute virtual training session. We will share the training topic when we invite you to attend the interview.
About Neurodiverse Connection
Neurodiverse Connection is a neurodivergent led Community interest Company.
Our mission is to:
- Listen to and amplify neurodivergent views and voices.
- Give additional consideration to intersectionality and how we can support the amplification of views and voices that are often unseen and unheard.
- Support people from different neurologies to understand each other, facilitating solutions to the double empathy problem.
- Lead on changing understanding of sensory and social processing differences, particularly in relation to the built environment.
- Challenge the common misunderstandings and misconceptions of autism and support an improved understanding of neurodiversity within health and social care.
- Promote an improved understanding of neurodivergent culture and communication.
- Support neurodivergent people to have equal opportunities in life.
- Support neurodivergent people to have equal opportunities and outcomes in health.
- Support neurodivergent employment, including in leadership positions and facilitating change for the neurodivergent community.
How we work
Neurodiverse Connection is a new Community Interest Company. We are working to be a neurodiversity affirming and supportive organisation. We want to support you as an important team member to work on projects that you love, that align with your interests and skills and enable you to have a balanced and rewarding work and personal life. We welcome you working with us and providing gentle challenge if we don’t get this right, so we can learn together. We want to see neurodivergent people treated better, and that starts with us. We hope you’ll work with us to champion this approach for other people, too.
Our commitment to you
It’s part of our mission to be a great place to work and to demonstrate how to work in neurodivergent affirming ways. We believe this is beneficial to everyone, regardless of neurology.
We aim to:
- Enable you to shape your role to your strengths and interests.
- Offer flexibility in delivery hours, within agreed parameters.
- Work to make Neurodiverse Connection an organisation that you enjoy being part of, that supports you in your role, that recognises your contribution and that delivers great outcomes for the neurodivergent people we work to support.
- Support to develop in your role through access to training, shadowing and mentoring.
- Access to supervision and a reflective space to support you in a lived experience role.
- Involve you in shaping and directing the organisation.
- Listen when we don’t get it right, and welcome constructive feedback.
- Involve team members in development opportunities and spending the social value we’ve accumulated together.
- 35 hour working week (pro rata).
- 4% work place pension contribution.
- 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata).
- Access to a wellbeing fund.
Application deadline: Monday 7th July, 9am
Non Charity Employer
6 - 10
We are a neurodivergent-led Community Interest Company (CIC) created to improve support and outcomes for neurodivergent people.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.