Health and wellbeing specialist jobs in broxbourne, hertfordshire

About Us

We're the UK's leading charity for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

A diagnosis of Crohn’s or Colitis is life-changing. Over 500,000 people in the UK are living with a lifelong disease many people have never heard of, and for which there is no known cure.

Crohn’s & Colitis UK funds research, provides award winning information and support and raises vital awareness by increasing the public’s understanding of the conditions, and what it means to live with debilitating symptoms. But we need to do more. We need to be a louder voice in the marketplace. Our ambitious plans for 2025, will help to make a real difference to every supporter’s journey with us. If this excites you - join us!

Role Overview

As a member of the Joint Leadership Team, the post-holder will contribute to the leadership, planning and delivery of cross-team projects, helping to influence and meet the charity’s strategic objectives. Specifically, they will lead projects and programmes to deliver improvements in quality and standards of health services for people affected by Crohn’s and Colitis. In doing so, they will work closely with not only the  Director of Services & Evidence and Heald of Health Services, but also external stakeholders including health and social care organisations, academics, researchers and other charities.  The post-holder will also be actively involved in leading, supporting and developing the Health Services team.

About You

Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent, you will have experience of delivering health service projects and programmes and have come from a health services or medical charity background. You will be adept at developing operational performance metrics, strategies and objectives and have a proven track record in developing strong working relationships with external stakeholders. Whilst not essential, experience of managing and leading a team would be beneficial, as would be an awareness and knowledge of the needs of people affected by Crohn’s and Colitis.

Please see our Recruitment Pack for details of our full Job Description and Person Specification.

Our Location

We are based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, so we are easily accessible by road and rail. In this role, there is plenty of scope for working from home,  although there will be times when you will need to travel to events/conferences. You will be required to attend two Directorate days each year and occasional face-to-face meetings with your team or our partner agencies. In addition, the charity meets four times annually at its office in Hatfield (or a location in London) for its’ ‘All Staff Together’ days, at which attendance is mandatory.

Benefits

• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing one day per year up to 30 days
• Salary Sacrifice Pension scheme
• Flexible working options
• Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity pay
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Wellbeing programme
• Interest free loan for season tickets
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking and secure bike locks
• Training and development financial support and/or study leave
• Performance review and development scheme

 We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities to all regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are not a licensed sponsor at this time. Any offer of employment will be made subject to the applicant residing in the UK and a valid right to work in the UK being provided.

We will not be accepting any contact from Recruitment Agencies or Media Sales

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 Drop In Service 
• 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 core and 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 14:00-22:00 across all of our boroughs. You will be responsible for managing peripatetic teams: we currently have 3x in person Safe Spaces, a Helpline and a Forensic Community You’re your portfolio may expand as new services are acquired.

Our aim of the service is to keep individuals well in the community and prevent readmission into hospital. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00pm across all of our boroughs.

Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone or virtual on a one-to-one basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis or preventing crisis. 

The objectives of the service include: 

• To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health and social crisis in HFEH. 

• To proactively work with keeping people well in the community to reduce re-admitters into hospitals by working with WL NHS teams (e.g. discharge, LPS, CATT, MINT and SPA) 

• To provide a true alternative to A&E via a non-clinical drop-in service to support clients 

• To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation and crisis recovery planning. 

• 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 via a drop-in service. 

• 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. The Service Manager will also be expected to build and sustain working relationships with statutory services and represent HFEH Mind at external meetings.

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

· To oversee the management of the Crisis Alternative Drop-in 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 ensure 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, Senior Support workers and Support Workers where applicable.

· 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 Deputy Manager, Team Managers to ensure adequate and appropriate staffing at all times within the service.

· To ensure high levels of meaningful service user involvement in service provision, responding to the needs of service users locally.

· Work collaboratively with West London Mental Health Trust staff to support, develop and promote both the service.

· Establish excellent working relationships with core and out-of-hours services such as Emergency Services, Crisis Teams and GPs, around inward and outward referrals.

· Ensure quality and compliance (in line with CQC standards, NICE guidelines, MQM and other relevant standards)

·        Work within HFEH Mind’s policies and procedures including; Performance Management, Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Service User Involvement, Health & Safety, GDPR and Professional Boundaries.

· To embed all operational policies across managed services in line with a consistent organisational approach.

· Ensure service users satisfaction surveys are undertaken.

· Ensure data and qualitative information is collected, collated and communicated to key partners and key stakeholders, as required and directed by the Director of Adult Services.

· Ensure that all managed services are effectively informed by service user feedback.

· Keep up to date with best practice and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service.

· Monitor the quality of the service and ensure appropriate data is collected (in line with GDPR) to monitor outputs and outcomes.

· Produce regular service summary reports.

· To be rostered on the on-call rota

· Undertake such duties not included in the job description as are reasonably requested by the Director of Adult Services

Person Specification

· 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

· Successful track record in performance management of staff

· Experience of creating and implementing safety and risk policies and procedures.

· Compiling and interpreting performance data and reporting against service targets.

· Successful track record in planning and project management.

· Experience of report writing and presentation.

· Supporting people with mental health problems.

· Knowledge of and empathy for the issues facing people with mental health problems.

· Knowledge of the day-to-day application of relevant legislation e.g., Health and Safety.

· 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. 

· Is committed to working in an anti-oppressive way and striving to create equal opportunities for all people.

· Clear understanding of Equality, Equity, Diversity and inclusion organisational approach

· Commitment to working within the policies of HFEH Mind including confidentiality and safeguarding.

· Positive attitude, passionate about working for HFEH Mind and able to inspire people to higher levels of performance.

· Team player and able to form positive, professional relationships with staff at all levels.

· Able to work effectively with a range of external stakeholders to promote and develop the service.

· 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.

· Willing to undertake training and development.

· Ability to travel to multiple sites

Desirable:

· Mental health registration (nurse/doctor/therapist etc)

· Mental health qualification

· Has a full driving licence and use of own vehicle (desirable, not essential)

· 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

Department: Governance, Compliance and Risk

Location: remote working, with travel including to Head Office in Aldgate, London on ad-hoc basis

Closing date: Tuesday 13th May at 11.59pm

First stage interview : 20th May (via MS Teams)

Second stage interview: 22nd May (via MS Teams) 

Annual leave: 33 days (plus eight bank holidays)

Benefits:

• enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and shared parental pay
• family-friendly policies
• 8% employer pension contribution (Aviva) or opportunity to continue NHS pension
• free health cashback plan (Medicash): employee cover plus up to four dependent children
• 24/7 virtual GP access (UK registered), plus access to Best Doctors
• free, confidential employee assistance programme (Medicash)
• access to a wellbeing app
• flexible working options including hybrid working, flexible working patterns such as part-time, compressed hours, and more*
• learning and development opportunities including bespoke training and access to LinkedIn Learning)
• commitment to employee health and wellbeing.
• we have a Menopause Friendly accreditation and are a Disability Confident employer

Background

Every three minutes someone in the UK develops dementia: a progressive and complex condition that can be devastating for the whole family. One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both.

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family. Our specialist nurses, known as Admiral Nurses, provide free, expert advice, support and understanding to help families care for their loved one. Every day, Admiral Nurses help families up and down the country to have the best life possible, for as long as possible.

About the role

Join Dementia UK as Head of Governance, Compliance and Risk, where you will help the charity and its workforce comply with all necessary regulations and manage risks to the organisation, its employees, clients, reputation, assets and the interests of stakeholders.

As part of the governance team, you will work with senior managers across the organisation as a trusted advisor, providing day-to-day coordination and oversight of all governance bodies, meetings and working groups. You will also support the efficient flow of information to the Director of Finance and Corporate Services, enabling them to update the Trustee Board effectively.

You will play a major role in making sure that the policies set by the charity are strictly followed by the entire workforce. This diverse workforce includes volunteers, employees, sessional workers and consultants. You will be responsible for maintaining messaging and behaviour that reflect the necessary rules and regulations, providing assurance that the charity complies with both external requirements and internal policies.

Additionally, you will oversee the operational requirements relating to insurance and develop effective plans to manage crises (including business continuity plans) or respond to compliance breaches.

The ideal candidate will hold a university degree in a business-related discipline, complemented by a relevant postgraduate qualification and professional certification (such as IRM Qualification, IA Cert, CIA, or Chartered Internal Auditor). You will demonstrate a thorough understanding of risk and regulatory frameworks, supported by extensive senior leadership experience in compliance and risk management within a public sector or not-for-profit environment. You will also have a strong track record of supporting internal audits from initiation through to the completion of action points, alongside a proven ability to engage and collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders both within and external to the organisation.

If this sounds like you, join us in making a difference in the lives of those affected by dementia.

Our culture

In addition to a competitive salary and a generous benefits package, we truly value our people. It’s important for us to create a working environment that looks after our workforce to support them in achieving their full potential. You will become part of a diverse and dedicated team who are supported to use and develop their skills. We recognise and value the key role you will play in delivering our strategic plans for the benefit of those living with dementia.

Our staff have a voice. Representatives from different roles and levels across the organisation positively contribute to and lead on our working groups around health and wellbeing, menopause, and equity, diversity and inclusion.

Dementia UK is proud to welcome everyone. We aim for a truly inclusive culture with talented, diverse teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We celebrate difference and individuality and encourage everyone to join us and be their whole selves always.

Dementia UK is a Disability Confident Employer. If you’d like support to make an application, contact the recruitment team.

This role will be subject to a Basic DBS check.

By applying to join Dementia UK, you acknowledge that in the event you are successful for the role, any offer and your ongoing employment will be conditional on you having or obtaining the right to work in the UK.

*Please note that any decision on flexible working is based on business needs

Job Title

Alcohol Behavioural Change Specialist

Department

Operations & Programmes

Reporting to

Head of Operations

Managing

None

Main relationships

Head of Operations, Director of Operations & Programmes, Senior Leadership Team, Senior Management Team

Benefits

£55,000

Hybrid minimum two days in the office (Moorgate London)

· 30 days leave (plus Bank Holidays)  

· Bupa Health Cover

· Matched company pension scheme

· Life assurance cover offering 4x death in service benefit.

· Company sick pay

· Training and development opportunities

· Learning and Wellbeing Grant 

· Employee assistance programme

· Season Ticket Loan

· Perks and discount platform

About us

Drinkaware is a leading charity concerned with reducing harm from alcohol. We do this by providing impartial, evidence-based information and advice and practical resources; raising awareness of alcohol harms; and working in partnership with others to deliver behaviour change through our tools and interventions. The Trust is funded primarily through voluntary, unrestricted donations from alcohol producers, wholesalers, and on- and off-trade retailers, but acts entirely independently.

Our Vision:  Working together to reduce alcohol harm across the UK.

Our Mission: Using our expertise to give governments, industry, communities and individuals the knowledge and support to make informed decisions about alcohol and how to reduce the harm it can cause. Delivered though:

· Public-facing campaigns and digital services, information and guidance

· Evidence-led advice to governments and industry

· Independent research, consumer insight and evaluation

Our Values: Solid Reasoning; Clarity with Empathy; Understanding and Connecting; Principled Partnership; Determination and Curiosity

Purpose of the role

The Alcohol Behavioral Change Specialist is responsible for collaboratively designing and implementing, evidence-based programmes applying appropriate behavioural change models aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm, and promoting long-term behavioral change related to alcohol consumption.

As a leading charity focused on alcohol harm reduction, the postholder will be Drinkaware’s internal expert regarding alcohol harm to individuals and will have a good understanding of brief interventions, as well as information, advice and guidance including quality assurance across our work. They will work across the organisation providing expert advice and guidance.

This role requires a deep understanding of psychological theories, behavioral science, and addiction, along with practical experience in behavioral interventions. 

Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Practitioner

These are exciting times for the Charity, and we have an excellent opportunity for an empathetic and professional Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Practitioner with outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills to join the dedicated Wellbeing Team.

We will welcome applications on both a qualified and trainee practitioner basis.

Position: 1941 Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Practitioner

Location: Remote (onsite attendance currently anticipated to be approximately 1 day per quarter)

Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week (undertaken flexibly to meet the needs of clients between the hours of 08:30 and 16:30, Monday to Friday)

Salary: £18,117 - £25,986 (FTE £30,195 - £43,310)

Contract: Permanent - starting as soon as possible

Closing Date: Wednesday 28 May 2025. However, we reserve the right to close this role early if a suitable candidate is found.

Interview Date: Monday 9 June 2025

About the Role

As Emotional and Mental Wellbeing (EMW) Practitioner, you will offer specialist interventions to staff and volunteers seeking emotional and mental health support and will provide advice to a team of volunteer Mental Health First Aiders. Specialist support provided will include a wide range of approaches, including assessment, information, applied psychosocial interventions, health promotion, and illness prevention services. Liaison with external agencies will also be required to ensure excellent support for staff and volunteers with acute emotional and mental wellbeing needs.

About You

You will have:

· Recognised level 5, or equivalent, training or qualification in applied psychosocial interventions (e.g. coaching, counselling, psychotherapies, CBT, EFT, NLP).

· A minimum of 100 hours successful practice of applied psychosocial interventions.

· A Mental Health First Aid accreditation or equivalent.

· Experience of preparing and delivering staff development and training.

· Knowledge of current professional developments in emotional and mental wellbeing practice and/or applied psychosocial interventions.

· Ability to work as an independent professional practitioner and able to make independent decisions.

· A capacity to negotiate and manage ethical dilemmas, and to set and maintain appropriate boundaries.

Benefits include

· Competitive pension.

· Life assurance – 2 x annual salary.

· Healthshield.

· 31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

· Wellbeing team.

· Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

· Long service awards.

· Healthshield plan

· Free parking.

· Subsidised restaurant and shop.

About the Organisation

The sanctuary is one of the UK’s largest international animal welfare charities, currently supporting projects in over 35 countries worldwide, working for a world where donkeys and mules live free from suffering and their contribution to humanity is fully valued.

The Charity is a Disability Confident Employer, committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults) and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

You may also have experience in areas such as Emotional, Mental, Wellbeing, Emotional and Wellbeing, Psychosocial intervention, Coaching, Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapist, Wellbeing Counselling, Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner, Emotional and Wellbeing Practitioner, Psychosocial intervention Practitioner.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation

In this role you will provide mental health statutory and non-statutory advocacy support, including non-instructed advocacy to eligible people living in Tower Hamlets. You will also  provide generic Mental Health Advocacy to people living in the Tower Hamlets and within a hospital setting and the community. 

As the role will be working in male Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and acute ward, to best support those people we are actively encouraging applications from men.

Job Purpose

This role sits within our crisis alternative service, Safe Space, which is a core and out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. Our aim of the service is to keep individuals well in the community and prevent readmission into hospital. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00pm across all of our boroughs.

Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone or virtual on a one-to-one basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis or preventing crisis.

The objectives of the service include:

• To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health and social crisis in HFEH.
• To proactively work with keeping people well in the community to reduce re-admitters into hospitals by working with WL NHS teams (e.g. discharge, LPS, CATT, MINT and SPA)
• To provide a true alternative to A&E via a non-clinical drop-in service to support clients
• To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation and crisis recovery planning.
• 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 via a drop-in service.
• 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 support workers will be to support the rest of the team in delivering interventions on a one-to-one. The role will also involve triaging and assessing all clients accessing the service, signposting and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing a person centred and recovery orientated approach in all aspects of the roles and responsibilities.
• Promoting people’ rights and responsibilities
• Considering each person as an individual
• Working collaboratively with clients to understand their needs and developing flexible and realistic crisis support packages/person centred plans
• Understanding of safety planning
• Experience with de-escalation, recognising and mitigating risks.
• Experience of working with challenging behaviour
• Listening to clients and encouraging positive steps towards self-management of crisis and recovery
• Good time keeping skills – Essential
• To attend all mandatory training including safeguarding and GDPR
• To work autonomously in a fast-paced environment and under pressure
• Providing advice, information, practical and emotional support to clients
• Proactively recognising the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate action, whilst liaising with relevant agencies e.g. CATT, Emergency Duty Teams, CMHTS, etc
• Engaging with clients to show empathy, inspire hope and promote recovery
• Establishing supportive, empowering and respectful relationships with clients and carers/ family
• Maintaining accurate records, detailing interventions
• Ensuring that outcomes, outputs and impact are recorded
• Providing administrative support to the team
• Attend reflective practice, clinical supervision, peer supervision and line management supervision
• Create and maintain good working relationships with partner agencies
• Follow workplans and actively participate in training and development
• Provide and manage resources for clients and staff

Person Specification

• Minimum of 1 year working in mental health services and with clients experiencing mental health distress and crisis
• Experience of managing challenging behaviour and dealing with clients with complex needs
• Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Understanding of the Recovery Model in mental health
• Understanding of the principles of trauma informed care
• Understanding of suicide prevention and safety planning
• Understanding of the relationship between mental health and social issues and how these issues may impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Understanding of relevant legislation and policies
• Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
• Awareness of issues in mental health service provision
• A good understanding of mental health conditions
• Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
• Ability to prioritise and manage workload
• Ability to involve clients and carers in all aspects of work
• Empathy and non-judgemental approach
• Good communication skills
• Capacity to work within an agreed shift pattern
• Experience of delivering information and advice (housing, benefits, debt etc)
• Experience of non-clinical, therapeutic interventions like psychoeducation
• Good IT skills including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with proven ability to input and extract information and produce reports
• Car driver with sole ownership of a vehicle and willingness to travel to locations would be desirable.
• Ability to work out of hours and on weekends

Project Background

Come and join our award-winning place-based volunteering programme that works with residents living across Hackney and the City of London.

You will be based out in the community - the programme is based at GP practices - to engage, support and enable local residents and patients to deliver local services for themselves, to meet local needs. We support residents to come together, to share their skills and experience for the benefit of each other, to deliver local groups and activities such as a book group, film club, exercise classes or cooking group. Residents from diverse backgrounds and demographics attend these activities together and make new connections, building strong local communities, all working together to make their area a better place to live. People, many of whom are isolated across all ages, and who have difficult life circumstances, are brought together, providing each other with mutual support and encouragement to develop new skills and pursue life goals, and to feel better able to voice their concerns to services.

You will be joining a nationally recognised project - having won an award from the Royal Society of Public Health in November 2024 - to support residents to fulfil their personal goals, make connections with others, and design activities and services that meet local needs. You will also be supporting people to improve their mental and physical health through signposting them to appropriate services and encouraging them to talk to their GP if they have concerns; and will be working in partnership with GP practice staff to co-create volunteer roles to make the practice more efficient and a better place to visit.

Who are we?

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a medium sized charity (currently 30 staff) based in the London borough of Hackney, working to support local residents to realise their skills and passions through volunteering and social action, and to share these for the benefit of others.

Our mission is to build and strengthen communities across Hackney through supporting residents of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer and build projects together.

In 2021, we were awarded the Freedom of the Borough Award by Hackney Council for our efforts to support residents during COVID, which included mobilising over 2000 volunteers to deliver food, prescriptions and essential items, provide emotional support to isolated residents and support the vaccine rollout. 

We work with hundreds of diverse community organisations and deliver various programmes to help residents share their skills and deliver their own social action projects to improve people’s lives. These include a befriending programme, volunteering brokerage matching local people to volunteer roles based on their skills, interests and goals, a specialist mental health programme, peer research and multiple resident engagement programmes at GP surgeries and estates across Hackney.

Post holders need to be enthusiastic and engaging, bringing energy to the role, be self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, albeit with some support from the team members based at other sites.

Job Purpose

• This role sits within our crisis alternative service, Safe Space, which is a core and out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. Our aim of the service is to keep individuals well in the community and prevent readmission into hospital. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00pm across all our boroughs.
• Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone or virtual on a one-to-one basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis or preventing crisis.
• The objectives of the service include:
• To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health and social crisis in HFEH.
• To proactively work with keeping people well in the community to reduce re-admitters into hospitals by working with WL NHS teams (e.g. discharge, LPS, CATT, MINT and SPA)
• To provide a true alternative to A&E via a non-clinical drop-in service to support clients
• To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation and crisis recovery planning.
• 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 via a drop-in service.
• 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 senior support worker is to support the team manager with the smooth running of the allocated site and staff; supporting development and rest of the team including volunteer recruiting, induction (training and development) and supervision. Senior support worker will also lead in delivering interventions on a one-to-one. The role will also involve triaging and assessing all clients accessing the service, signposting and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing. The role will include deputising for the team manager where applicable including debriefing and providing support to the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing a person centred and recovery orientated approach in all aspects of the roles and responsibilities.
• Understanding of risk and risk management
• Understanding safeguarding adults and children processes and legal requirements
• Working closely with re-admitters and clients being discharged through the drop-in service on a weekly basis
• Responsible for keeping allocated site to a high standard and reporting any health and safety concerns
• To work autonomously in a fast-paced environment and under pressure
• To attend all mandatory training including safeguarding and GDPR.
• Good time keeping skills - Essential
• To attend and contribute at weekly team meetings
• This role will be considered a key worker role
• Understanding of safety planning and de-escalation
• Experience of working with challenging behaviour
• Working collaboratively with clients to understand their needs and developing flexible and realistic crisis support packages/person centred plans
• Promoting people’ rights and responsibilities
• Considering each person as an individual
• Listening to clients and encouraging positive steps towards self-management of crisis and recovery
• Providing advice, information, practical and emotional support to clients
• Proactively recognising the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate action, whilst liaising with relevant agencies e.g. CATT, Emergency Duty Teams, CMHTS, etc
• Engaging with clients to show empathy, inspire hope and promote recovery
• Establishing supportive, empowering and respectful relationships with clients and carers/ family
• Maintaining accurate records, detailing interventions
• Ensuring that outcomes, outputs and impact are recorded
• Understanding CQC standards and NICE guidelines around mental health
• Providing administrative support to the team
• Overseeing and provide shadowing to new staff members and volunteers
• Attend reflective practice, peer debriefing and line management supervision
• Maintaining good working relationships with partner agencies
• Actively participate in training and development
• Provide guidance to support workers and volunteers
• To work with team managers and assist with reporting and monitoring
•  

Person Specification

• Minimum of 1 year working in mental health services and with clients experiencing mental health distress and crisis
• Experience of contributing to multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience of de-escalation
• Experience of managing challenging behaviour and dealing with clients with complex needs
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Understanding of the Recovery Model in mental health
• Understanding of the principles of trauma informed care
• Understanding of suicide prevention and safety planning
• Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children
• Understanding of how to report and mitigate risks
• Understanding of the relationship between mental health and social issues and how these issues may impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Understanding of relevant legislation and policies
• Understanding safeguarding adults and children processes and legal requirements
• Awareness of issues in mental health service provision
• Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
• Ability to prioritise and manage workload
• Ability to involve clients and carers in all aspects of work
• Empathy and non-judgemental approach
• Good communication skills
• Capacity to work within an agreed shift pattern
• Experience of delivering information and advice (housing, benefits, debt etc)
• Experience of non-clinical, therapeutic interventions like psychoeducation
• Good IT skills including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with proven ability to input and extract information and produce reports
• Understanding of different databases such as Views, Salesforce and NHS
• Car driver with sole ownership of a vehicle and ability to travel to multiple locations (e.g. NHS sites and community sites) would be essential.
• Ability to work out of hours and on weekends at multiple locations including NHS sites and community sites

Our Recovery Worker will be an integral part of the 121 floating support service which is an integrated, coordinated and holistic service aiming to support individuals with mental health needs within the community.

You will have a case load of clients to manage their health and wellbeing, maintain independence and identify strengths, goals and aspirations.

Your focus will be reducing social isolation and building social networks of support and signposting clients to local community resources. You will help the team in promoting an environment where service users are experts by their experience.

Are you knowledgeable and passionate about community and health? Could you recruit, lead and support a team of community volunteers to run fun and healthy living initiatives? Do you have the ability to take the unexpected in your stride? Then why not join us at SMART?

We are looking for someone that recognises the importance of good wellbeing for all, is capable of dealing with a wide scope of managerial areas, and can work with our local communty as our Public Health-funded Community Champions Manager.

SMART is a unique Chelsea-based charity, serving the local community in a supportive and flexible environment. We offer 28 days annual leave (plus paid bank holidays), a pension program, competitive salary, and additional benefits.
   
Think you'd be a good fit? Just click the Apply button, and send us an up-to-date CV, and a 2-page covering letter telling us why.

The closing date to apply is 15th May at 23:30, with interviews taking place on 23rd May. 

TreeHouse School is an Ofsted “Outstanding” SEN School for children and young adults aged 3-19 with a primary diagnosis of autism (most of whom have additional learning, social, emotional, communication, health and care needs). 

Our Ambitious approach ensures that, through our curriculum and delivery, we focus on delivering quality of life outcomes for our children and young people.

We are proud to announce that we have retained Ofsted "Outstanding" (June 2024) in all areas. Please do read our Ofsted reports on our website.

We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate, qualified SEND Teacher to join us on our ambitious journey. Your day to day role will include delivering creative and person-centred lessons to up to 8 learners in a pre-formal class.

We will consider ECT's for this role and welcome both Primary and Secondary teachers to apply.

Why join us?

• Term time only role
• Free healthy breakfast available every day
• Working with Autism/learning disability industry experts across our school and our charity
• Autonomy in your role – You have the freedom to be creativity and get to see first hand our learners progress and achieve their goals and aspirations (as well as your ideas coming to life in the classroom).
• Mental health and wellbeing are at the core of everything we do; The SLT practise “compassionate leadership”.
• Continued professional development and training including a wide range of in house and external training courses.
• Annual staff recognition awards.
• Eye test vouchers, season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme (plus a bike shed outside the school).
• Employee Assistance Programme: to help you balance your work, family, and personal life.
• Access to physiotherapy.
• On-site parking is available

Your role:

• Provide excellent delivery, teaching and course leadership to learners across TreeHouse School.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and young people we support.
• Work with pupils to ensure they receive a service that delivers the outcomes specified in their individualised learning, person-centred plans.
• Prepare and deliver schemes of work, lesson plans, assignments and assessments in line with departmental and awarding body requirements.
• Work collaboratively with allied health professionals as part of a trans-disciplinary team.

Our learners are mostly pre-verbal or use assistive communication systems to make their needs understood and follow different pathways depending on their needs and strengths, these are pre, semi and formal and you can read more on our website.

(Please refer to our JD and FAQ document attached to our website for more details).

Closing date: Sunday 11th of May

Shortlisting date: Monday 12th of May

Interviews date: Monday 19th of May and Friday 23rd of May

Start date: September 2025

Assessment: You will be asked to attend a formal interview (45 minutes - 1 hour) and you will conduct a Micro Teach (20-30 minutes) with a group of pupils. 

Ambitious about Autism is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity andwe warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion

or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification. Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

SMART is hiring! We are looking for full time Employment Advisers to provide support to people who face barriers to obtaining and/or retaining employment, due to mental ill-health. This includes people looking for work, as well as those who are currently employed but struggling. 
 
We offer a friendly, collaborative, hybrid and integrated work environment in partnership with CNWL’s Talking Therapies service, as well as a pension program, 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays), employee led HR processes and a competitive salary.
 
Ideally you will: have experience of working with people who have mental health needs/emotional difficulties in an employment setting; proven experience of meeting (or exceeding) outcomes and targets; be knowledgeable about relevant laws and policies relating to employment, disabilities and equal opportunities; have experience of working within multi-disciplinary teams and; be able to liaise with other services and professionals on service users’ behalf.