Client Support Worker

Role purpose
The Client Support Worker (Crisis Navigator) will work with clients to provide non-judgemental, person-centred support. The work undertaken will be led by the different needs of each client, but will include: liaising with statutory services and advocating for clients’ needs to be met, for example with housing teams, social care, mental health services, etc.; support with form filling; support with grants, welfare benefits and income maximisation; emergency applications; supporting with emotional needs and psychoeducation.

The successful candidate will manage a caseload of individuals, taking referrals from their legal colleagues. This will involve a combination of immediate intervention (for example, access to a medication prescription upon release from custody), and longer-term work, planned in partnership with clients. Preventative work will be actively encouraged, supporting clients to address needs before crisis point wherever possible – both through direct work and through referrals and signposting.

Due to the nature of the work, if successful, you will need to have an up-to-date DBS check completed prior to undertaking unsupervised client work.  
 

Key Responsibilities

• Triage, onboard and support a caseload of individuals autonomously
• Maintain an up to date understanding of what needs clients might have (e.g. with welfare benefits, support from statutory services, housing)
• Liaise with core agencies (social services, mental health teams, GPs, VCSE organisations)  
• Provide advice and information relating to all welfare benefits, including assisting clients with form filling and contacting relevant agencies on the individuals’ behalf
• Complete emergency applications and grant applications
• Attend training, forums and meetings to ensure knowledge remains relevant and up to date
• Keep up to date about current best practice and legislation within mental health, as well as within the field of information & advice more generally
• Provide updates and feedback to the relevant lawyers / legal teams
• Engage in multi-disciplinary meetings, both internally and externally
• Use our database to record details of all client referrals and contacts to ensure client information is kept up to date
• Use the correct templates, conduct outcomes and satisfaction assessments with clients on closure
• Record the results of outcome assessments and satisfaction surveys
• Undertake additional duties that may reasonably be required to fulfil the objectives of the post
   

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Substantial experience of working with people experiencing challenging situations with a non-judgemental, person-centred approach
• At least one year experience working in a crisis setting or with people experiencing crises (for example, inpatient mental health settings, homelessness relief services, drug and alcohol services, working with people going through the asylum process)
• Knowledge of statutory entitlements and experience advocating for clients
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health needs and neurodiversity
• Experience of managing complex cases and autonomously managing a caseload
• Experience of multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working, especially alongside safeguarding processes
• Experience of maintaining client records, in line with monitoring and evaluation requirements, both for funders and developing best practice

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to support people to express their needs and priorities
• High quality of professionalism in supporting people with complex needs
• Ability to communicate with various types of audiences in support of clients – for example, engaging with statutory professionals, solicitors
• Attention to power dynamics of professional working with people in vulnerable positions, and commitment to challenging structural inequalities
• Ability to work flexibly, in line with changing demands of client-facing work
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload
• Commitment to best practice, and maintaining high standard of professional conduct, in line with safeguarding, data protection and lone working standards