We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Mental Health Care Service in Newham. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.
£30,784.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.
Want to feel valued? 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
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
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.
What you'll do:
This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead .
Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and creating a positive atmosphere
Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable customer to progress in their recovery
Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking
Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to continue their recovery and empower customers to self-manage their medication regimes through individual re-enablement programmes and informed decision making
Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to compliment their interventions
Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety to customers
Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
About you:
Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour
Prefers working as part of a group or team
Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour
What you'll bring:
Essential:
NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent with some or equivalent sector work experience
Desirable:
A good understanding of mental health issues and how it affects people and experience of supporting customers to manage this and lead independent lives.
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.
Please see our website for full job description
Substance Use Practitioner - Surrey Youth Justice Service
Location: Leatherhead
Salary: £27,000- dependent on knowledge skills, and experience
Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)
Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'.
We achieve this in two ways. Firstly, we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. With the heart of a charity and the mindset of a business, we are uniquely placed to deliver on this challenging agenda.
Young People and Families
Our Young People and Families (YPF) hub provides early intervention, targeted and specialist support services to those in crisis, leaving care, missing from home or with substance misuse or mental health problems. Our services support people no matter what their situation – and have demonstrated a high success rate.
Job Description
We are seeking a driven and enthusiastic practitioner to join Catch22 Surrey Young People’s Substance Use Service (SYPSUS). This role will be seconded from Catch22 to Surrey Youth Justice Service (SYJS), based within the centralised YJS.
Ideally, we require practitioners to have relevant experience in delivering specialist substance misuse interventions to children and young people, as well as the wider experience of associated risk factors. However, we would encourage applications from qualified youth and community workers who have experience of working with vulnerable young people with complex needs.
You must be able to demonstrate:
· The skills to deliver therapeutic interventions, such as brief solution focused interventions, and motivational interviewing.
· Contributing to systemic practice.
· Abilities to assess and identify early indicators of risk.
You will need:
· You should have a relevant qualification such as youth work, counselling, or relevant experience of therapeutic delivery, and alternative suitable qualifications.
· At least three years’ experience of treatment delivery with young people and families within the relevant fields.
· Good communication, organisational and ICT skills.
Responsibilities:
· To work alongside Surrey Youth Justice Service, as part of the virtual health team contributing to the health pre-assessment pathway and health action plan for young people up to the age of 18 years, either through direct contact with children and young people, or with professionals, parents, and carers.
· To offer accurate information on assessment and therapeutic interventions available through Catch22 SYPSMS and contribute to assessment and care planning related to targeted and specialist interventions for children and young people with substance misuse issues.
· To provide sustained support to a pre-defined caseload of young people who are referred by means of effective assessment and care planning.
· To act as a link worker between SYJS and Catch22 SYPSMS, ensuring delivery of an integrated provision for children and young people.
· To work alongside SYJS providing consultation and guidance.
· To assess levels of presenting risk associated with substance misuse, and provide support in managing this risk.
· In partnership with SYPSMS colleagues, to deliver training and workshops to support and upskill staff.
· To identify and develop resources to support professionals working with children and young people with substance misuse issues.
Qualifications
· Relevant qualification in either youth work studies, counselling, health and social care or equivalent.
· Skills, knowledge and experience relevant for the job.
Additional Information
*This role requires an up to date driving licence, access to a vehicle, MOT and business insurance.
*You may be required to work out of hours, including evenings and weekends where necessary, in addition to travel around Surrey on a daily basis, and occasional travel around the UK.
*Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check required.
Catch22 is committed to staff recruitment and retention and offers a range of training, learning and development opportunities. Your continuous professional development is as important to us as it is to you.
Catch22 is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice will be followed and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Catch 22, please do not hesitate to apply.


