Community Forensic Mental Health Workers Jobs
ABOUT THE ROLE
We have a new opportunity for a specialist Dual Diagnosis Worker to join the team in Croydon on a 12 month fixed term contract. This is a new role to the team and you will deliver evidence-based interventions based on holistic assessments to support personalised recovery, integration, and promotion of independent living skills. You will work to the long term support needs of our residents and work towards facilitating improved outcomes.
Our service has 27 residents across 4 sites, which specialise in Forensic Mental Health aiming to enable and empower our residents to achieve their maximum levels of functional independence and enhance their sense of wellbeing.
Shift Pattern: This role is full time 37.5 hours per week. Hours to be discussed, you will be based in service.
Finding us: East Croydon Train and Tram Link.
Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks
- 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
- Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
- Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
- Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
- Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
- Life Assurance Scheme
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Annual Staff Awards
If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!
ABOUT YOU
This role is perfect for someone who is driven to provide high quality, effective and person-centred support to others. We are passionate about what we do and welcome the same drive, values, and interest in performing in our field. We are looking for someone who has a trauma-informed approach in everything they do, who thrives when working as part of a team, be effective at communicating, and able to build long-term purposeful relationships.
Initiative, adaptability, and proactiveness will be essential in this role, being able to follow processes and policies and resolve any challenges face on.
If you are compassionate, supportive and empowering to others do keep reading!
OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Set up realistic and flexible strengths-based support plans, working closely with colleagues and support teams to support and advise on interventions and approaches to meet resident/participant needs.
Include appropriate substance misuse interventions within support plans for those with co-occurring substance dependence and mental health need devising systematic plans for care; implementing this plan; coordinating the input of others and evaluating effectiveness. - Undertake joint holistic assessments and risk assessments with residents/participants to help determine service and support needs and identify where these can be met. Provide outcome-based support measured against goals, recovery, and achievements.
- Encourage residents/participants to identify and define their own goals and work towards being resilient and independent as possible, support with reducing reliance on clinical interventions and hospitalisations.
- Promote active involvement of those with dual diagnosis, assist residents/participants to identify their own strengths, personal interests and goals and support them to access and participate in activities of their choice.
- Undertake time-limited, SMART, and a range of evidence-based interventions such as 1-1’s, including harm minimisation, increasing awareness and motivation through stages of change and relapse prevention.
- Support in creating and maintaining a welcoming, psychologically informed home environment for residents/participants, ensuring a continuous focus on safety, health, and wellbeing.
- Positively promote and support connections with local communities and boroughs of SIG’s services and liaise with other teams to maintain and share knowledge and links to support people to access resources which include print, personal and digital.
- Develop community links and liaise regularly with a range of agencies and individuals across voluntary and third sector services in the community including but not limited to; drug and alcohol services, supported employment schemes, gyms and healthy living programmes, recovery colleges, and benefits and advice agencies.
- Act as a role model for staff of all disciplines and grades working with people with co-occurring mental health, alcohol and/or drug problems.
- Share knowledge and skills to help enhance awareness around dual diagnosis and best practice, challenges, and services available with other services of Social Interest Group.
Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position.
KEY CRITERIA
What we are looking for:
- Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with people of complex backgrounds. Ideally ex-offenders, those with enduring mental health, substance misuse and challenging behaviours
- Experience of assessing needs and strengths, and supporting people with dual diagnosis and complex needs
- Previous experience in a similar role, providing holistic assessments and support for people experiencing mental illness who use substances
- IT Proficiency, including Microsoft Office, and the ability to navigate and learn new case management systems and other types of organisational software
- Able to recognise ill health and additional support and need for interventions
- Knowledge of the interactions between mental health problems and drug and alcohol use and the issues facing people trying to stabilise their situation
- Applied knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management, particularly in relation to harm minimisation
- Ability to engage those who may be hard to reach, able to influence and negotiate positive outcomes with others
What we would like, but not essential:
- Experience in delivering training in motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Theory informed approaches and other relevant recovery models
Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.
WORKING FOR US
ABOUT US
Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.
SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.
Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change
Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group.
Our Values
Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people
Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential
Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff
Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.
Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.
Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST) Peer Mentor Advert
Fixed term contract until 31st March 2026 – linked to funding
Full time – 37.5 hours per week
Salary Grade 1.1 - £24,102 per annum
Have you experienced mental health issues? Are you an ex-offender? Would you like to use your experience to help others turn their lives around? We have a paid vacancy for someone to join us as a Peer Mentor and gain experience working with a leading provider of homelessness and housing advice and support while inspiring and motivating others in their own recovery.
About the Peer Mentor Service
Shelter is delivering a Peer Mentor Service in partnership with the Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST) within Birmingham and Solihull’s Mental Health Foundation Trust. The FIRST service is a comprehensive recovery focussed multi-disciplinary team addressing the individual needs of our service users through tailored packages of care. It includes Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Support Workers, Peer Mentors, Substance Use workers and Social Workers. Each service user will have an allocated Care Coordinator and Responsible Clinician who monitor, and review care and support needs and interventions.
The Peer Mentor role will engage with clients on the ward and within the community - with a primary focus on supporting clients with their transition away from staying on the ward to living in the community. The Peer Mentor service’s aim is to help people with multiple and complex needs to enhance the support available through the FIRST Pathway.
About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.
We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
About the role
As a Peer Mentor, you'll support people with mental health concerns who are looking to create sustainable lives in the community by improving engagement with services with a view to sustaining wellbeing and reducing reoffending. Your own experiences will be invaluable as you engage with and motivate individuals to set goals around their recovery. This will include building a relationship of trust with individuals and understanding the importance of empowering them to make their own choices. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to access personal support to develop new skills and improve your self-confidence to do the job.
We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.
About you
We’re looking for people who have had mental health issues, are ex-offenders or who have been through the criminal justice system. Lived Experience of homelessness and substance use is useful but not essential. You’ll need to have accessed support services, have an understanding of how these experiences have affected you and be able to tap into these experiences to identify gaps in services and barriers to recovery and how things can be improved. You’ll need to have been stable for at least 18 months and be willing to share details of your successful journey with others to help them. You will be looking to go into a career supporting vulnerable adults and this will be a great opportunity to gain experience. Basic computer skills will be needed, as well as the interest to develop and learn new skills.
*Offers of employment are subject to Risk Assessment, Enhanced DBS, Proof of Right to work and two references being satisfactory to Shelter.
*Evidence of/ or willingness to receive the below vaccinations are a requirement of this post:
· Tetanus
· Diphtheria
· Polio
· MMR
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave (pro rata), enhanced family friendly policies, childcare vouchers, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We're here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.
If anyone would like further information about this position, Shelter in partnership with FIRST will be holding an information session on 29th April at 11.00 am. To register your interest please see details on the job advert on Shelter's website.
Apply to be part of an exciting initiative and be the change you want to see in society.
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind
This is an exciting opportunity to join and support a fast growing and dedicated team supporting the wellbeing of communities across West London.
We’re here to make sure that everyone suffering with a mental health problem gets the help they need to recover. We listen, support recovery, fight stigma and work with partners to take action. We provide services for adults, children and young people, signposting for everyone and training and consultancy for employers.
Job Purpose
This role sits within our Adult Services, across Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow. You will be responsible for the operational delivery and service development, of a portfolio of services. Namely (but subject to change):
- Safe Space Community
- Safe Space ED
- Hounslow Helpline
- Nova Roots (Forensic Community Hub)
One large service you will be responsible for is our crisis alternative service – Safe Space - which is a tri-borough out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. The service operates 365 days a year from 12:00(midday) – 11:30pm across all of our boroughs. You will be responsible for managing peripatetic teams: we currently have 3 in person Safe Spaces and based in 3 A&E.
Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone on a one-to-one or group basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis.
The objectives of the service include:
- To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health crisis in HFEH.
- To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation, planned wellbeing activities etc.
- To contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.
- To remain a source of independent support for all clients.
- To treat service users with respect, dignity and personalised support
- To raise awareness of mental health services available with the goal to improve long term mental health and reduce social isolation
- To increase self-management skills of those accessing the service
- To reduce the use of police, ambulance and statutory mental health services whilst experiencing crisis.
- To reduce the use of statutory crisis services by people experiencing mental ill health without positive outcomes for the individual.
The Role
The role of the Crisis Alternative Service Manager will provide operational management, mobilisation and service development of all Crisis Services within Adult Services. The ideal candidate will have experience of mobilising and developing high quality, large services. In addition to managing and supporting staff working within challenging environments and experience of working with challenging behaviour and complex needs. The Service Manager will hold all operational risk.
Excellent organisation and decision-making skills are essential for this role, as it requires being able to manage time effectively to meet tight deadlines and work unsupervised during evenings and weekends. You will also be required to be rostered into the on-call rota.
The Crisis Alternative Service Manager will be required to work collaboratively with the Director of Adult Services and will be proficient at communicating effectively with staff at all levels, a wide range of key stakeholders and service users. They will ensure the service is well resourced from a staffing perspective and embed high-quality operational plans and processes.
They will be responsible for the delivery, progression and continual improvement of the service. They will have responsibility for ensuring Crisis Services operate in line with organisational H&S processes and procedures, HFEH Mind policies and CQC requirements.
Key Responsibilities
For full list of responsibilites, see attached job description
- To oversee the management of the Crisis Alternative Services and other services, in line with organisational values and service quality expectations.
- To ensure all risks are recognised and mitigated in line with the serious incident and safeguarding policies.
- To ensure safe working and risk management
- To ensure feedback is provided on risk mitigation through serious incident reports.
- To continually drive enhancements to operational effectiveness and maximise outcomes against targets (key performance indicators)
- To complete audits and high quality reports for senior internal and external stakeholders
- To interpret performance and impact data for crisis services and be responsible for reporting against service targets
- To provide effective line management supervision to Team Managers and Support Workers
- To collaborate with the Director of Adult Services and the Head of HR to deal with performance management/disciplinary issues confidently and effectively in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
- To mobilise the crisis services in line with agreed project plans and ensure they are promoted and marketed well.
- To pro-actively develop relationships with external stakeholders in order to improve and develop crisis provision for people with mental health needs.
- To develop robust referral routes and pathways into the service with both statutory and non-statutory bodies.
- To ensure excellence in the recruitment, training and ongoing support of staff and volunteers where applicable.
- To support the Team Managers to ensure adequate and appropriate staffing at all times within the service.
Person Specification
For full person specification, see attached job description
- A minimum of three years managing a crisis service or similar setting with high complexity and high incident rates
- Experience of managing and mitigating risks
- Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children
- Understanding of how to report and mitigate risks
- Understanding of suicide prevention
- Understanding of trauma informed care
- Understanding of mental health and safety planning
- An understanding of CQC requirements for mental health
- Managing services for vulnerable people in a service delivery organisation.
- Excellent people and project management skills and significant experience of supporting and managing staff.
- Experience of working in the voluntary sector and/or statutory services
- Experience of motivating, developing and training staff
- Experience of creating and implementing safety and risk policies and procedures.
- Successful track record in planning and project management.
- Understanding of the principles of ensuring safe service provision for people at risk and how these are put into practice.
- Knowledge and understanding of the relevant statutory authorities including NHS and social care.
- Excellent communication skills and able to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences.
- Commitment to service user involvement and able to work with service user groups to develop this.
- Strong organisational skills and able to take control of own workload and meet deadlines.
- Ability to work independently with minimum support.
- Confident in challenging poor performance assertively, constructively and successfully.
- High professional standards and the ability to communicate these clearly to others.
- IT literate to aid communication and analysis of data.
Desirable
- Mental health registration (nurse/doctor/therapist etc)
- Mental health qualification
- Has a full driving licence and use of own vehicle (desirable, not essential. Work related mileage will be paid)
- Experience of working with databases such as Views, IAPTUS, Rio and Python
- Project management qualification
We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
Post is subject to an enhanced DBS check
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.