Specialist Support Worker - Community Integration lead

We're looking for a compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker, Community Integration lead, to join our Forensic Mental Health service located in Kingston.

£32,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
• Free DBS

All applicants must be legallyeligible to workin the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

The role of the Integration Lead is to provide high-quality specialist support and lead the service's approach to community reintegration, helping customers move from secure hospital routines towards safe, meaningful and increasingly independent lives in the community

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

• Hold a small keyworking caseload and co-produce support, risk, crisis, relapse-prevention and progression plans.
• Build strong, boundaried relationships with customers who may be ambivalent, anxious about change or difficult to engage.
• Map and build relationships with community organisations, ensuring the service has real routes into local life rather than a list of leaflets in an office drawer.
• Assess barriers to community participation, including confidence, institutionalisation, stigma, transport, finances, social anxiety, statutory restrictions and risk-related concerns.

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Experience supporting adults with complex mental health, social care, housing or criminal-justice needs.
• An engaging, persistent and respectful approach with people who may not immediately want support.

Desirable:

• Specialist forensic mental health knowledge and the secure-to-community pathway.
• Relational security, structured professional judgement and formulation-informed support.
• Detailed knowledge of local Kingston and wider South West London community resources.
• Statutory frameworks and restrictions relevant to some forensic customers.

Please attach a CV and send your personal statement to:

The service is anticipated to open on 4 January 2027, subject to contract finalisation, successful mobilisation and confirmation of operational readiness.

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.