Volunteer Mental Health Support Worker Jobs in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We’re looking for a Housing & Income Officer to join our Landlord Services team based locally at our services in Bracknell, Windsor and Maidenhead.
£32,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.
Want to feel in control of your career? 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.
Look Ahead manages a number of young people services in Bracknell and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Look Ahead is looking for a highly motivated and committed Housing & Income Officer for an initial 6-month placement to work alongside our support workers and deliver a good quality intensive housing management service to our customers.
The successful applicant will be responsible for all aspects of housing management within the service. This will include rent arrears management, occupancy agreement management, ASB management, void management and some compliance and repair reporting responsibilities. This is not an exclusive list.
You will be based at our local offices in Bracknell, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. You will have significant daily contact with our customers and staff.
The successful candidate needs to be able to meet challenging targets for arrears and voids, have excellent problem-solving skills and be prepared to “go the extra mile”.
The role is based on site at two of our young people's schemes- visiting customers in their homes and having a presence in the community. This role covers Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead region.
This role is a Fixed Term Contract, lasting 6-9 months.
This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.
What you’ll do:
• Sign up new customers to the appropriate occupancy agreement and ensure housing benefit claims submitted and maintained correctly.
• Be responsible for monitoring and updating all relevant information on Look Ahead`s housing management database including inputting all new customers and ending occupancy agreements in a timely way.
• Proactively monitor rent accounts and take timely and effective action to deal with increasing rent and service charge arrears.
• Ensure all customers are supported to have the most appropriate payment method (rent payment cards, direct debit etc.) for their individual circumstances to ensure easy payment of their rent and/or arrears.
• Lead on making back-dated claims for housing benefit and appealing over-payment deductions.
• Ensure that all customers are kept informed of their rent account status regularly and that action plans are agreed with customers to address any arrears or other rent related issues promptly.
• Issuing arrears warning letters, monitor payment agreements and escalate arrears enforcement action.
• Serve accurate notices for possession, complete court paperwork and represent Look Ahead in court cases in the county court.
• Requesting rent adjustments and repayment of housing benefit over-payments
• Ensure that there are effective and on-going liaison processes in place with key agencies such as the housing benefit service, Department of Work and Pensions and local police.
• Develop and promote financial inclusion initiatives in the service such as advertising credit unions and local debt management advice services.
• Act as the lead role for void management in services – ensure void inspection forms are completed, void reporting systems are maintained and that there is effective liaison with the organisation’s void team and contractors. Ensure that void turnaround times are in line with Key Performance Indicators and post inspections are completed and reported.
• Support local staff to ensure occupancy levels at the service are as high as possible and escalate issues where necessary.
• Lead on ASB enforcement across the portfolio ensuring early intervention techniques are utilised. Ensure timely and appropriate actions is taken against perpetrators including issuing warnings and serving notices where appropriate.
• Maintaining systems and spreadsheets associated with all housing management functions and producing reports and data where requested.
• Act as the lead role for reporting repairs in the service both in communal areas (internal and external areas) as well as in customer rooms. Ensure all works are post inspected and reported. Liaise with contractors to ensure access is granted.
• Act as the lead officer in completing all required compliance tasks within the service including call point and fire alarm checks, fire door checks, fire evacuation drills, health and safety inspections, carrying out living standard checks. This list is not exhaustive.
• Make sure all compliance records are maintained to a good standard and that KPIs are being met. Liaise with the scheme manager regarding underperformance against compliance targets.
• Participate in team meetings, 1:1 meetings with the manager and undertake any training required for the post.
• Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/Manager
• Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support, those specific to the project including any statutory requirements.
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
About you:
• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement.
• Approachable and open behaviour. Can work independently and as part of a team.
• 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.
• Exercises decisions and discretion in a non-judgmental manner.
• Is assertive and will challenge others.
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised.
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments.
• Demonstrates significant confidence and high levels of self-esteem.
• Is respectful, articulate, and sensitive in style of communication.
• Is passionate and enthusiastic about his/her career and job experiences.
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can-do attitude.
• Committed and passionate about improving the life chances of vulnerable customers.
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour.
What you’ll bring:
Essential:
- Experience of monitoring rent accounts and managing rent arrears
- Experience of using computerised rent systems to monitor arrears and record information.
- Ability to track and manage void properties and ASB cases.
- Knowledge of managing ASB and lettings and be able to explain good practice in this area.
- Extensive knowledge of welfare benefits, especially housing benefit.
- Experience of liaising with housing benefit departments, the DWP and other external agencies.
- Confidence in interpreting rent accounts and using IT packages to run and create reports, identify priorities, and update records.
Desirable:
- 1-2 years’ experience in housing management.
About us:
Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
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.
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.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
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
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.