Mental health support worker jobs in colchester, essex

Salary: Senior Supervising Social Worker

£41,208 per annum + £750 per annum Homeworking Allowance + £1,500 per annum Out of Hours Allowance

Supervising Social Worker 

£36,467 per annum + £750 per annum Homeworking Allowance + £1,500 per annum Out of Hours Allowance (Target Rate), yes please as hard to recruit in my area, are you happy to ask him or want me to?

Hours: 35 Hours per week 

Contract: Permanent or Fixed Term Contract 

Location: Homebased - We are interested in applicants located in Northamptonshire, Central Leicestershire, South Derbyshire the border with Leicestershire or Peterborough, as the postholder will be required to travel across these areas and other locations in the East Midlands area to conduct home visits to support carers and children. Travel is also required to attend staff meetings and team away days in Northamptonshire and other parts of the East Midlands.

As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and looks to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. We are a homeworking organisation, and we pride ourselves on our flexible working opportunities, available from day one, an extensive wellbeing programme and our benefits package, all curated to nurture a healthy work life balance for all our employees so they can give an excellent service to our carers and the young people and children we care for.

As a foster care charity, TACT invests all surplus income into services, staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to invest in unique projects like TACT Connect, our unique and ground-breaking scheme for TACT care experienced young people and adults,  as well as our expanding TACT Education Service and our new Health Service. All our activities are built on our commitment to becoming a fully trauma-informed organisation, in line with our key values and ethos.

TACT achieved 16th place in the UK Best Companies Work For survey results in 2023, with 91% of employees acknowledging that the organisation is run on strong values and principles and 94% stating they feel proud to work for this organisation.

TACT East Midlands Team have a unique opportunity for either a Supervising Social Worker who is ready to progress their career to a Senior Supervising Social Worker or a current Fostering Senior Supervising Worker who understands trauma and therapeutic parenting approaches. This role is being advertised on either a permanent or fixed-term basis. The duration of the fixed-term contract will be discussed/confirmed at the interview. 

As a Fostering Senior/Supervising Social Worker with TACT East Midlands, you will be a part of our amazing team of professionals working with our organisational values at the heart of their everyday practice.  If you want to be valued as a professional, be appreciated at work and contribute to better outcomes for the children and young people connected with TACT, apply now. 

Overall Duties of the Senior Supervising Social Worker will include:

• An appropriate social work qualification
• Up-to-date registration with Social Work England
• A minimum of 1 to 2 years post qualifying experience in fostering or in other childcare settings for the Supervising Social Worker role or 2 years’ experience in fostering for the Senior Supervising Social Worker role.
• Experience in supporting and supervising 10-12 foster families to meet the complex needs of the looked-after young people
• A proven track record in working with and on behalf of children, respecting and maintaining their individuality, and promoting their positive development.
• Experience in group work and/or delivery of training.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations including the Children's Act and NMS Fostering Standards.
• Experience of working with/supporting looked after children and their foster carers.
• Ability to prioritise, plan and self-organise efficiently.
• Capable of using electronic records systems and IT effectively, including participating in virtual meetings and webinars

TACT offer an excellent employee benefits package including:

• 31 days paid holiday plus annual bank holidays.
• Flexible working arrangements (including compressed hours, flexibility around core hours, and volunteer days policy).
• Family friendly policies.
• Homeworking ‘bundle’ including annual allowance, IT equipment and a loan for home office set up.
• HelpHand Employee Assistance Programme (including CBT counselling, 24/7 remote GP appointments, physiotherapy, mental health support and second opinions on serious diagnoses).
• An hour a week of live, expert-led activities through the Annual Employee Wellbeing Programme.
• Menopause Policy and free Menopause Clinician Appointments.
• Stakeholder Pension Scheme (salary sacrifice).
• Fantastic learning and development opportunities for all roles.
• An Enhanced DBS clearance is required for this role and will be processed by TACT on your behalf.

Closing Date: Wednesday, 14th May 2025

Interview Date: Thursday, 22nd May 2025

Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believes that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work.  As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications, and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children.  We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people.  All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than advertised if the volume of applications is excessive, you are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies, nor the fees associated with them.

Main purpose of job: To provide specialist advocacy support to a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues. The role may also involve occasionally supporting CARA groups.

Start date: As soon as possible (subject to Enhanced DBS Check and satisfactory references).

Salary: £28,344 - £30,469 per annum.

Contract: Permanent contract.

Hours: Full time, 35 hours a week.  

Place of work: To work flexibly across CARA premises in Colchester with regular travel across mid and north Essex, including Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester and Dunmow. The post may also involve some remote working, if a suitable home working environment is available.

Holiday: 25 days per year pro-rata, plus additional closure days between Christmas and New Year.

To apply: Please complete the application form, which can be downloaded from our website explaining how your skills and experience relate to the person specification.  Applications must specifically address each essential and desirable criteria, giving evidence from previous experience or qualifications. 

Application deadline: as soon as possible. We will be reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates to interview as applications are received.

Interviews:  To be arranged as suitable applications received.

This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.

Job Description

To provide advocacy support to a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues. CARA’s advocacy service focuses primarily on meeting the needs of some of our most complex clients – victims and survivors who would be unable to access other advocacy services.  The role will also involve supporting the wider CARA team in signposting other clients to external advocacy agencies, as appropriate and attendance at CARA groups to provide a drop-in advocacy surgery.

Main Responsibilities

·To manage a caseload of complex clients seeking short and long-term advocacy support, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues.

·To manage referrals in to CARA’s Advocacy service, ensuring clients meet the referral criteria.

·To provide line-management for CARA’s social care placement worker and potential future advocacy volunteers.

·To assess all new referrals to CARA’s advocacy services, allocating cases to members of the advocacy team, as appropriate.

·To liaise with other agencies, receiving and making referrals and ensuring that they understand CARA’s role and services.

·To gather information about local and national agencies and manage storage and display of this material at CARA.  To work with CARA’s Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager to create a directory of services that can be used by all the CARA team.

·To support CARA’s group work, including attendance to provide advocacy support and supporting other activities.

·To attend regular team meetings and to work with colleagues to further the objectives of CARA.

·To maintain and collate evaluation data, testimonials or case studies for distribution.

·To adhere to CARA’s organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures.

·To report to the Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager, Head of Operations, Chief Executive Officer and Trustees as required, including the production of written reports.

·To be administratively self-servicing.

·To undertake any other activities as required by the Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager, Head of Operations, Chief Executive Officer and Trustees.

About CARA

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs. 

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich.  We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on our website. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy East

CARA is part of Synergy East and we work closely with SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.

Start date:  Mid-August 2025 (subject to Enhanced DBS Check and satisfactory references).

Salary: £36,411 - £38,261 per annum, pro rata.

Hours: 35 hours a week, with some flexibility possible.

Contract: This is a 9 month maternity cover contract, with possibility of extension to 12 months

Place of work: To work flexibly at CARA premises across mid and north Essex, including Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester, Harwich and Dunmow, with some remote home working.

Holiday: 25 days per year pro-rata, plus additional closure days between Christmas and New Year.

To apply: Please complete the application form, which can be downloaded from our website, explaining how your skills and experience relate to the person specification. 

Applications must specifically address each essential and desirable criteria, giving evidence from previous experience or qualifications.

Application deadline:  10am, Monday 2nd June 2025 

Interviews:  Monday 9th June 2025 

Start date: Mid-August, subject to receipt of satisfactory references and enhanced DBS check.

Mandatory Training Dates: To be confirmed.

This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.

Job Description

The role of CARA’s Child and Young Person’s Practice Manager is to lead CARA’s teams of Young Person’s Practitioners and Child and Family Practitioners and manage the provision of specialist sexual violence counselling for young people, play therapy and support for parents and carers.  The post holder may hold a small caseload of clients and undertake some assessments, but the main emphasis of this role will be on the management, support and coordination of the team.

This is a varied and interesting role, giving the post holder opportunity to lead a talented and committed team of practitioners.   As well as overseeing day-to-day operations of the team, the post holder will be part of CARA’s management team and will have the opportunity to play a key role in CARA’s wider development, working closely with the CEO and Deputy CEO.   The post holder will work with our sister centres, SERICC and SOS Rape Crisis to gain an understanding of Child and Young Person’s services across Essex and coordinate these as appropriate.   

Main Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• To manage all operational aspects of CARA’s Child and Young Person’s Practice, including overseeing the delivery of our specialist young person’s counselling service, play therapy and support for parents and carers.    This may also include managing any new Child and Young Person’s Practice projects that CARA develops.

• To work in accordance with CARA’s policies and procedures and embed a feminist approach in CARA activities.

• To co-ordinate, review and develop effective processes within the Child and Young Person’s Practice, working closely with the Deputy CEO, the Young Person’s Practitioners and the Child and Family Practitioners.

• To line-manage a team of Young Person’s and Child and Family Practitioners, providing day-to-day support, monitoring performance and identifying training and development needs.   This will include keeping up to date notes of line management meetings and conducting and recording annual staff appraisals.

• Work with our Adult Practice Manager to oversee the work of a wider team of sessional counsellors, including supporting Practitioners in line managing sessional and volunteer counsellors and identifying training needs. This will include helping to co-ordinate a monthly sessional and volunteer counsellor meeting. 

• To support practitioners and sessional counsellors in maintaining up-to-date client records and ensure that gaps in data are proactively addressed, as required.

• To work with CARA’s Deputy CEO to recruit and train new staff and sessional and volunteer counsellors, as required.

• To lead regular Young Person’s Practice and Child and Family Practice meetings, producing notes to share with team members and with senior management.

• To maintain an overview of waiting lists, working closely with practitioners and with the Deputy CEO and CEO to ensure that staff and resources are deployed effectively.

• To keep up to date with relevant legislation, policy and practice issues, including BACP and child safeguarding guidance and ensure the practitioners are aware of changes.

• To liaise with CARA’s other teams and more widely with Synergy Essex teams, resolving problems and ensuring good communication and mutual understanding of respective roles and ways of operating.

• To liaise with external agencies, including children’s mental health and social care, ensuring CARA is represented at meetings as required and developing effective relationships to ensure our services co-ordinate with statutory and voluntary services.

• To be part of the CARA management team and attend regular management team meetings, contributing to CARA’s ongoing development.

Counselling and client support

• To oversee client work within the teams, working closely with all team members to resolve client issues and ensure high quality service provision.

• To undertake client assessments and make appropriate arrangements for support.

• To provide specialist counselling for young people and/or play therapy for children and support for their parents, holding a small caseload of clients.

• To keep client records up to date. 

• To work flexibly at CARA centres across mid and north Essex, providing face-to-face and remote sessions, as required.

General

• To work flexible hours, including some evening work and occasional weekends.

• To participate in CARA team meetings, supervision, training and development.

• To provide specialist advice to other workers and agencies, including participation in delivery of training sessions.

• To raise awareness of sexual violence and its impact in the community and within other agencies.

• To keep appropriate records in accordance with CARA policies and procedures.

• To adhere in full to all CARA’s organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures.

• To be administratively self-servicing.

• To report to the Deputy CEO, CEO and Trustees as required, including the production of regular written reports and verbal reports.

• To undertake any other related activities as required by the Deputy CEO, CEO or the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

About CARA 

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs.

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich. We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion here.   We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy East

CARA is part of Synergy East and we work closely with South Essex-based SERICC and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.

• Location: Remote

Salary: £38,000-£42,000
Contract Type: Permanent
 
About Police Care UK
 
Police Care UK traces its roots back to 1926 following the merger of the charities Police Dependants’ Trust and the National Police Fund. Our mission is to reduce the impact of harm on police and their families across the UK.
 
The Charity is currently undergoing a period of growth and development and has transformed from a traditional benevolent organisation to a leader in the blue light sector. This exciting phase is allowing us to expand both our services and our reach. With our office based in Woking, Surrey, we operate throughout the UK to deliver groundbreaking research, innovation, and evidence-based action that supports the police community in coping with the impact of policing. Our work has included targeted projects within police forces aimed at improving wellbeing as well as providing emotional and financial support to serving and veteran officers, staff, and their families.
 
Who We’re Looking For:
 
We are seeking a proactive and highly self-motivated Fundraising Manager to join our team at Police Care UK and make a critical contribution towards our combined annual fundraising target of approximately £1 million.
 
With knowledge of the funding landscape for first responders, police, mental health, or wellbeing causes, you will take direct responsibility for income from Trusts & Foundations, Major Donors, and legacy fundraising, alongside oversight of our challenge and community events.
 
With strong research and writing skills, you’ll identify new funding opportunities and produce compelling, high-quality applications. You’ll also bring excellent relationship-building abilities, managing key donor relationships with care and ensuring grant compliance to maximise impact and income.
 
If you have a strong track record in securing significant income from trusts, foundations, grant-making bodies and major donors, and a commitment to improving mental health outcomes for those who serve, we’d love to hear from you.
 
Main Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver a trusts and foundations fundraising strategy to meet agreed income targets.
• Research and identify new funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, and statutory sources.
• Write compelling, tailored funding proposals, applications, and reports.
• Work closely with finance and clinical teams to monitor and report on grant expenditure.
• Organise meetings, presentations, and site visits to engage and inspire funders.
• Provide timely updates, reports, and impact statements to funders.
• Build and maintain strong, personalised relationships with major donors through regular communication and engagement.
• Plan and deliver an effective legacy marketing strategy.
• Champion Police Care UK and the support it provides to our police, their families and the wider police service.

 
Experience:
 

• Proven experience in securing significant income from trusts, foundations, or grant-making bodies.
• Experience of raising substantial fundraising income and achieving performance targets.
• Building and nurturing relationships with grant-making bodies.
• Setting and achieving ambitious income targets from major donors.
• Experience or understanding of effective legacy marketing and administration processes.
• Working with the marketing team to showcase donor impact through storytelling and recognition opportunities.
• Working effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of setting, managing and delivering against budgets, reporting on KPIs, variances and re-forecasting.
• Managing multiple deadlines and working under pressure.

 
Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the funding landscape for first responders, police, wellbeing and mental health causes.
• Understanding of financial budgeting and grant compliance.
• The regulatory environment for charities, Gift Aid, Fundraising Code of Conduct.
• Proficiency in fundraising databases and Microsoft Office.

Skills:

• Exceptional communication skills.
• Strong research skills to identify new funding opportunities.
• Preparing compelling, tailored proposals to inspire significant philanthropic gifts.
• Analyse donor trends and provide insights to enhance major donor fundraising strategies.
• Maintain a pipeline of prospects and manage a calendar of funding applications and deadlines.
• Strong relationship-building skills with funders and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to craft persuasive funding applications.

 
Additional:

• Pro-active and highly self-motivated.
• The ability to change and adapt to changing needs and circumstances.
• Ability to work collaboratively and to support a skill sharing agenda.
• An empathy with the police service and the welfare needs of police officers and their families.

Hours of work: The basic hours of work are 35 hours, Monday – Friday
Location: Remote
 
How to Apply: If you’re ready to join a forward-thinking charity that values innovation, empathy, and collaboration, we’d love to hear from you. You will need to submit your CV and a detailed cover letter explaining why you’re the right fit for this role. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you are able.
 
Limitations
 
This job description is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. The duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time in the light of changing circumstances in consultation with the jobholder.
The jobholder will be required to work within the rules and regulations of the Charity and accept the authority of the Chief Executive, who has the discretion to delegate authority to the jobholder and to withdraw it.
 
Equal Opportunities Policy
 
The Charity is committed to eliminating any discrimination and promoting diversity and equality of opportunity in all it does. The Charity is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and we will not unlawfully discriminate against job applicants, employees of the Charity, volunteers, workers, or contract workers on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins) religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
 
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