Volunteer Mental Health Support Worker Jobs in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

We are a dedicated Domestic Abuse Charity supporting Women exposed to gender-based violence and exploitation, and their children to be safe and have access to appropriate interventions and support in order to live free from fear and harm.

If you are passionate about supporting women and working in a charity that has core values of diversity and inclusion, collaboration, advocacy and innovation then we have an exciting opportunity for you to join us as a Support Office working in our Refuges.  We work with trauma informed practice and use client led support plans to ensure that the women in our Refuges are supported in a personalised way.

We are passionate about working in the community with other agencies and organisations to ensure that women using our services have excellent, appropriate and holistic support.

We are a charity dedicated to supporting women exposed to gender-based violence and exploitation and their children to be safe and have acess to appropriate intervention and support in order to live free from fear and harm.

Our core values are diversity and inclusion, collaboration, advocacy and innovation and we aim to challenge oppression in all forms.

If you are passionate about supporting women then this role is for you.

We need a dynamic individual to work with our Assessement and Referral team to ensure women have an excellent experience when contacting our service and feel believed and supported.

About us:

Community ConneX is a campaigning organisation and a multi-project service provider working across West London. We support autistic people, people with a disability, and people and families experiencing barriers to live healthier, happier, and inclusive lives. We do this by ensuring their needs, rights and aspirations are met.

Advocacy 1st is a free, independent service provided by advocates who specialise in the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.

Location: Remote based in Oxfordshire

Key duties:

· Recruiting, training and providing ongoing support to volunteers

· Working with the children and young people to assess their service requirements

· Working with stakeholders to raise awareness and recognise and identify care leavers and young people in need of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service

· Looking at opportunities to engage and work with services to identify care leavers and independent visitors

· Reporting and discussing all safeguarding concerns with the service manager

· Completing initial assessments and matching volunteers to young people

· Raising the profile of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service

Our ideal candidate:

· Has qualifications relevant to the role

· Has experience of working with children and young people.

· Is aware of legislation such as Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014, Children Act 1989, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC)

· Has excellent communications and writing skills, and the ability to tailor written and verbal communications to a wide range of different audiences

· Can maintain existing relationships and develop new relationships with clients, families, colleagues and volunteers

· Can generate reports and make presentations

In return we offer a range of benefits including:

· Pension contribution up to 5%

· Death in service insurance

· Employee assistance programme

· Bluelight Card

· Cycle to work scheme

· 23 days of annual leave + bank holidays (increases after 2 years of service)

· Gym membership

· Healthcash plan

· Professional development

We are committed to safeguarding and equal opportunities, and we guarantee an interview to all applicants with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the post.

We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident committed employer.

This is a dedicated post working with children, families and Young People who have been exposed to gender-based violence and exploitation.  To support them to be safe and have access to appropriate interventions to enable them to live free from fear and harm.

Our key values are diversity and inclusion, collaboration, advocacy and innovation.

This is an exciting post which needs a dynamic individual to join our charity to work on the premise that Children and Young People are survivors in their own right and need the right support to move forward into a life free from fear and harm.

We are continually developing this service and you will be an integral part of this, finding new ways to engage and support the children, young people and families in our service and going out into the community to educate and empower families about Domestic Abuse and the support available.

As a Support and Advocacy Officer you will join a skilled team who collectively provide a unique UK-wide support and advocacy service to over 1500 members. 

You will primarily provide direct support and practical guidance to our Fabry members.  This patient group is largely adult focused but there will be elements of family and child support. You will raise awareness within both the Fabry community and external agencies; and contribute to the development of resources, to promote self-advocacy within the patient group.  A key objective of the role will be to build a sense of community and identity for our Fabry membership.  You will also have the opportunity to facilitate and contribute to project work, including youth engagement, advisory boards, and support groups.

In addition to supporting the Fabry community there will also be a requirement to provide support to those affected by other conditions under our umbrella.

Key Responsibilities:

The following is an overview of the responsibilities of the role - full responsibilities can be found in the Job Description:

• Develop a good understanding of MPS and Fabry conditions
• Develop knowledge of legislation and best practice relevant to supporting people with life-long conditions
• Provide emotional support, information and guidance in areas such as diagnosis, disease awareness, health and social care and disability benefits
• Support individuals and families to access best possible clinical management and treatment options
• Support and signpost people towards mental health and psychological support as required
• Undertake UK-wide travel to visit individuals and families and attend meetings and events
• Support the provision of online support and advice via social media channels
• Promote awareness by giving talks and presentations to outside organisations, professionals and the general public

 Experience & skills

• Minimum of two years’ experience of working with individuals with disabilities within health and social care, education, or related field
• Ability to communicate accurately, concisely and with clarity
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to upholding best practices
• Excellent IT skills to maintain accurate case recording, produce clear reports, correspondences and presentations
• Collaborative mindset and enthusiasm for working in a small, dedicated team
• Experience of managing projects and service development is advantageous

Prior knowledge of Fabry Disease is not required as in-depth support and training will be provided.  Regular supervision and a supportive work culture will help you to expand your knowledge and become an expert in the work you are undertaking.

Essential requirements:

• Eligibility to work in the UK
• A valid UK driving licence with no more than 6 points, access to a car and a willingness to drive UK wide
• Disclosure & Barring Check

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The MPS Society is a charity that provides a range of care, support and activities for children and adults at risk throughout the UK. This is provided through our dedicated support and advocacy service, telephone helpline and out of hours’ support, clinical research, online activities and forums, annual events, patient expert meetings, focus groups and conferences. MPS staff, trustees and volunteers may be asked to be involved in the delivery of its regulated services and activities.

This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  Due to the sensitive nature of the duties undertaking, the post holder will be expected to undertake a DBS check as part of the recruitment process.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• 5 weeks annual leave (increasing after 5 years' service)
• Additional leave between Christmas and New Year
• Pension contributions
• Life assurance (subject to scheme conditions)
• Employee Assistance Programme

This post is primarily based in our Amersham office however UK wide travel is necessary. A flexible approach to working hours to cover travel, our out of hours phone service, and events and conference attendance is required.

Next steps:

We ask interested candidates to view the job description attached for the full responsibilities and essential requirements of this role.

We also encourage candidates to visit the MPS Society website to learn more about us and the community we serve.  Alternatively, if you would like an informal chat about the role or the work of the MPS Society, please contact Steve Cotterell.

To apply:

Please apply through Charity Job with your CV and a covering letter explaining how your previous roles and experiences make you the candidate we are looking for.

Closing Date:  Interviews and assessment will be held following receipt of suitable applications.

About us:

Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support including healthcare to children and adults with M.E.. We provide vital support services, campaign for change and invest in ground-breaking research to help put an end to the ignorance, injustice and neglect experienced by people with M.E.
 

Opportunity: 

Having been paused to new referrals, Action for M.E.’s free, independent, Adults Advocacy service will soon be re-opening. It’s one of our range of free Support Services that work with adults, young people, and/or families living with M.E. We support colleagues across the team to take part in and share reflective practice, self-care, peer-support and training.

Our Adults Advocacy service offers non-statutory, single-issue, instructed advocacy for adults with a confirmed diagnosis of M.E. We encourage self-advocacy where possible, though many of our clients are too severely affected by M.E. to be able to take undertake this.  

As an Adults Advocate, you will manage a caseload of clients, as well as inputting and contributing to the triage process along with your Advocacy colleagues. You will meet with clients by phone, email, Zoom and/or SMS; we can also facilitate communication by post if this is required. We are not able to offer home visits or face to face meetings.

What we can offer you:

We offer fully remote and flexible working with generous annual leave (30 days plus bank holidays, pro rata). The wellbeing of our staff is important to us, we offer a range of benefits to employees including (but not limited to) access to free counselling and voluntary wellbeing weekday sessions, examples of recent sessions include guided group meditations and a book club. 

To view the full job description, download the job pack, and apply for this role, please visit our Recruitee site (please note that we only accept applications via Recruitee; any application sent directly to an Action for M.E. mailbox will not be considered).

Should you have any questions about the role, or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment team, details of how to do this are contained in the application pack, "how to apply" section. 

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Fundraising and Engagement Officer
Post no: 591
Office base: HQ, Flitwick
Area covered: Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £24,720 per annum
Hours: 37.0 hours per week, Monday to Friday

About the Role

This role is an exciting opportunity to work for Mind BLMK as part of the Fundraising & Engagement Team. Acting as the first point of contact for all Fundraising & Comms enquiries and in line with Mind BLMK’s Fundraising and Communications Strategy, this is a busy role and will require excellent stewardship and donor care skills as well as meticulous organisation and innovative thinking. As an Ambassador for Mind BLMK, you will need to have a passion for mental health and an ability to operate at all levels.

The successful applicant will generate income and support all aspects of communication and marketing, to help to maximise local support, raise awareness of our work in the community, and by providing exceptional supporter stewardship, in line with Mind BLMK’s Fundraising and Communication strategy.

Key Duties

• Act as the first point of contact for all fundraising enquiries and provide stewardship and donor care for Mind BLMK’s individual givers, corporates, groups, volunteers and other supporters of the charity, in line with the fundraising strategy.
• Act as first point of contact for all marketing, PR and event enquiries.
• Send donors bespoke information and materials to support their fundraising at Mind BLMK.
• Ensure supporter interaction points (telephone, post, email) adhere to the highest standard.
• Support existing and develop new partnerships with corporates, organisations, and individuals, to support income growth.
• Develop and maintain relationships with philanthropists and encourage legacy giving.
• Help with the co-ordination of fundraising volunteers, as requested or as appropriate.
• Help to identify and develop potential areas of fundraising growth and process improvements, in line with the Fundraising Strategy and supporting net income growth.
• Write and send outgoing thank you letters to all income streams.
• Help maintain an up-to-date and accurate supporter database, finance log and fundraising and communications materials.
• Support the implementation of marketing strategies and targeted campaigns; plan, develop, and ensure the production of multi-media communications, PR, and marketing materials and compelling stories.
• Work closely with external organisations in order to raise awareness of services available locally and increase access to provision for individuals across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Westfield Health Plan – includes access to everyday healthcare and indemnifies towards the cost of routine health care.
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)

If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: 5pm Thursday 11th April 2024
Interview date: TBC
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

Administration and Systems Manager 

£35k p.a. 

Location: initially remote working but to be hybrid based in W/NW/SW London.

We are looking for an experienced Administration and Systems Manager to join our enthusiastic and friendly Operations team. Help Counselling is a small Mental Health charity providing one-to-one counselling, both in person and online to adults over 18.  We are also a well-established clinical training placement provider for trainee counsellors and psychotherapists studying with prestigious training organisations in London.

About Help

Help Counselling is well-established Mental Health Charity with a heritage of over 50 years. We provide training placements for clinical supervisors, counsellors and psychotherapists who need to gain clinical experience to qualify (or further qualify) and be registered with one of the industry professional bodies such as, BACP or UKCP. For ethical reasons, the work trainee counsellors / psychotherapists do is unpaid, i.e., they must volunteer their time.

This volunteer model enables Help to fulfil its charitable aim of providing low-cost counselling services. It can take between 3-5 years to qualify, and our training placements are for minimum of 12 months meaning we can also provide clients with long-term help. Having consistence and continuity plays a pivotal role in building a safe, therapeutic, and trusting alliance between the counsellor and client. 

The blend of low-cost and long-term talking therapy is much needed in a time of increasing demand for mental health support and increasing complexity of presenting issues.

About the job

The purpose of this role is to manage the daily administrative operations and a small administration team of 2 people. The objective being to ensure that we meet our monthly targets, are compliant with the requirements of BACP, run efficiently and deal with exceptions in a timely, ethical, and effective manner.

Currently our client volumes are between 250-350, we have approximately 90 counsellors and clinical team of approximately 20. 

We operate a number of cloud-based IT systems and have outsourced HR and Finance functions.

Key responsibilities

Team management
Directing the team to make sure work is scheduled, fully completed and managed efficiently.

Line managing and coaching team members to achieve their objectives and develop their skills, confidence and abilities. 
Systems management.

Managing the impacts and interactions between processes and systems which can be complex and far reaching. 

Monitoring and ensuring all systems used are accurate and up to date, performing, interpreting and following up on system audits.  
Information review, reporting and continuous improvement.

Create, review and report on operational data and use this information to solve potential problems or strengthen business performance. 

Evaluate processes and policies, look for and make improvements as necessary. Ensure that processes and policies are easy to understand and up to date. 

Stakeholder management

Provide a point of escalation and decision-making for queries arising from clients, counsellors, supervisors, training organisations and other stakeholders.

Quality of service 

Ensure all queries and contacts are dealt with professionally, accurately and promptly. 

Manage all aspects of the administrative tasks and process required.

The Candidate

Education & experience: 5-6 years’ administrative, operations, customer service and supervisory experience, ideally within the charity or not-for-profit sector.  

Skills:

· Ability to analyse information and develop practical solutions.
Planning, critical thinking, problem solving, and task and time management skills.

· Interpersonal, line management, coaching, and verbal and written communication skills.

· Technical expert on MS Office suite and hands-on experience of CRM and / or clinical management system.

· Knowledge / experience of JotForm (Powerforms or equivalent), Stripe and DocuSign will be advantageous. 

About you:

· Self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative.

· Well-organised with ability to analyse information and problem-solve, work at pace, work flexibly and prioritise effectively.

· Excellent attention to detail, thorough and accurate. 

· Proven track-record in high quality customer service skills, confident on the telephone.

· Quick to learn new systems and proficient with technology. 

Job Title – Registered Manager - West Midlands

Pay - £52,939 per annum + £750 Homeworking Allowance per annum + £1,500 Out of Hours Allowance per annum.

Hours - 35 Hours per Week

Contract - Permanent

Location – Homebased - working with our team across West Midlands.   Occasional travel will  be required.

As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. TACT invests all surplus income into staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to establish expert in-house support services such as our TACT Health and Education Services and create TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for care experienced young people and adults.  New staff will join us as we  embark on a journey to become a wholly trauma-informed organisation with the aim of increasing our effectiveness and improving outcomes for the children and young people in our care.

We pride ourselves on our flexible working opportunities, an extensive wellbeing programme and our benefits package, all curated to support a healthy work-life balance for all our staff. We will also invest in your learning, supporting you to grow and develop during your employment with TACT.  You will be encouraged to attend personal and professional development opportunities and will have access to learning and resources to empower you to advance your knowledge and skills.

We are currently the 4th Best Charity to work for and the 16th Best Mid-Sized Company in the UK according to The Best Companies criteria and our survey results have evidenced “outstanding” levels of engagement amongst staff in recent years. You can view our Best Companies summary video here.

Reporting into the Director of Children’s Services, the post holder has Registered Manager responsibilities for a wide-reaching geographical area which will have a staff team of Social Workers, Family Finding Worker, Engagement & Activity Practitioner, Consultants, Panel Members and Administration team. The post holder will prioritise trauma informed and therapeutic methodologies and actively support and encourage diversity and inclusion within all aspects of the role.

TACT offer an excellent employee benefits package including:

• 31 days paid holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata if part time).
• Flexible working arrangements (including compressed hours, flexibility around core hours, and volunteer days policy).
• Family-friendly policies.
• Homeworking ‘bundle’ including annual allowance of £750, IT equipment and a loan for home office set up.
• Stakeholder pension scheme (salary sacrifice) and life insurance from day one.
• Employee Assistance Programme (including free CBT counselling, remote GP appointments, physiotherapy, mental health support and second opinions).
• Fantastic professional learning and personal development opportunities.

An Enhanced DBS clearance is required for this role and will be processed by TACT on your behalf.

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 12th May 2024.

Interview Date: Monday 27th May 2024  (via Microsoft Teams)

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.

TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.  TACT reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

NCS Grow Your Ambition Programme Leader

If you want to change lives, call us - we want to hear from you!

Job Description

Job Title

 · NCS Grow Your Ambition Programme Leader

Salary

· £33 - £38,000

Position in the Organisation

· Reports To: Programmes Manager

· Working With: Other members of the wider A4Y team, schools, key partners including the management partner, young people and parent/guardians.

 Main Purpose and Scope of the Role

 This programme is part of a consortium bid via the NCS Community Grant scheme and will run from September 2023 until the end of March 2025. NCS is a government-funded initiative that brings together schools, community organisations, businesses and individuals to build a stronger and more cohesive society.

This role will work independently to deliver the Grow Your Ambition programme for young people aged 16/17 years across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. The programme will be delivered in partnership with local schools, during term time, and includes three experiences; Grow Your Life Skills, Grow Your Employability and Grow Your Community. This role is a fixed term contract until the end of March 2025.

Each young person engaged in the programme must participate in all three experiences, totalling 48 hours. Key phases of each experience include preparation, session and curriculum planning, liaising with schools and external partners and actual programme delivery.

 Each programme consists of:

Grow your Life Skills

· A two day, one night, residential experience at our outdoor education centre, Caldecotte Xperience in Milton Keynes.

· Two outdoor adventurous activities on site that focus on teambuilding, communication and problem solving.

· Delivery of Life Skills sessions such as a cooking challenge, money skills, First Aid, mental resilience and more

· Total 24 hours

Grow Your Employability

· Two days based in school, delivered in line with the school day

· Delivery of a variety of Employability sessions such as personal presentation, confident speaking, CV writing and interview skills

· Total 12 hours

Grow Your Community

· Two days based in school, delivered in line with the school day

· One day delivery of a variety of sessions based on social action and community engagement

· One day volunteering with a local charity

· Total 12 hours

Duties and Key Responsibilities

 · Contact and recruit schools from across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to sign up to the programme

· Organise delivery dates and programme timetables for their students within the contractual requirements of the programme

· Plan each programme and create a timetable of activities for students to follow

· Deliver sessions to groups of students as per each experience

· Stay overnight for the Grow Your Life Skills residential

• Work with local community organisations to host volunteering days

· Work within a set budget to deliver the programme, ensuring each experience is delivered to a high standard

· Enter data onto the NCS/ Action4Youth CRM system

· Deliver a high quality programme to young people across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes as per contractual requirements

· Report to the programme management partner and collect personal details of young people for reporting purposes

· Attend meetings with management partner and other organisations within the consortium

· Prepare and deliver reports for funders and the Action4Youth Senior Management Team (SMT)

· Develop positive relationships with schools across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to ensure commitment to the programme

• Act as an Ambassador for Action4Youth at all times

General Responsibilities

· Support events and meetings when required.

• Support the continued development of quality standards as specified by Action4Youth.
• Support in other areas of the organisation as required by the CEO

· To have regard for the vision of Action4Youth and to display a commitment to equal opportunities and to the protection and safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

• Report any behaviour, conversations or comments which are inappropriate within a setting for children and young people.

· To carry out any other Action4Youth duties as required by your Line Manager, CEO or Directors.

· Administering own workload which includes meeting targets and deadlines in line with the Action4Youth Performance Management System.

· Attending relevant CPD training events in line with Performance Management appraisal.

· Undertaking responsibility, as part of the team, for all Health and Safety work related matters.

· Working within the guidelines of Action4Youth policies and procedures.

Closing Date for Applications: Friday 3rd May. Action4Youth will be actively interviewing for this role as applications come in.

Interview Dates: To Be Confirmed

Action4Youth

5 Smeaton Close

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire

HP19 8UN