Specialist Support Worker

We’re looking for a compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker’s to join our Mental Health service located in Tower Hamlets. No experience or personal care required, just the right values.

£31,748.77 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Fixed Term Contract for 1 year.

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.

Our benefits include:

• 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)
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training
• ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
• Online wellbeing resources
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff’s commitment and contribution
• Free DBS 

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Post-holders will be required to demonstrate strengths in all the indicators set out in the relevant Look Ahead Competency Model.   More specifically, the post-holder will:  

• Provide intensive support (both practical and emotional) to people undergoing a period of mental health related crisis. 
• Act as a positive influence on customers encouraging responsible behaviour and self-reliance to people in the service. 
• Support people in a way that maximises their self-sufficiency and enables them to live independently on returning to their own homes. 

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.

• Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader / Manager. 
• Carry out initial assessments of potential customers and make decisions over access to the Crisis House 
• Undertake continuous assessment of needs and potential risks & agree levels of support and actions. 
• Create support / action plans for providing appropriate services based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable the customer to overcome their crisis 
• Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to return to their home to continue their recovery & to empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to. 
• Undertake support work in partnership with Tower Hamlet’s Home Treatments Team to complement their interventions. 
• Fully liaise with Mental Health professionals, including psychiatrists, within the Home Treatment team and maintain excellent relationships with them. 
• To maintain good liaison with the clients’ immediate community and family. 
• To act as a Shift Leader covering a rota consisting of early shifts (8am – 4pm); Late Shifts (2pm – 10pm) and Middle Shifts (10am – 6pm) 
• Maintain a safe and welcoming living environment at the Crisis House including some domestic duties. 
• Demonstrate excellent commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety to customers. 
• Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive customer records to professional standards. 
• To engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills. 
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned. 
• To attend and participate in weekly staff meetings, meetings with other professionals and in supervision and training as required. 
• To stay up to date regarding development and research in the mental health field, in housing support and in welfare benefits. 
• To always act in accordance with the aims, philosophy and practice of the project. 
• To undertake any other duties consistent with the basic objectives and duties of this post. 
• To use IT packages and systems to facilitate the smooth running of the project and to produce clear, concise and accurate information and reports. 
• To adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures. 

About you:

• Promote team ethos and values 
• Positive contribution to team environment 
• Personal development in team context 
• Assist customers to achieve Support Plan goals 
• Achievement of local business objectives 
• Financial awareness 
• Planning and organising workload 
• Awareness of policies and procedures 
• Time and resource management 

What you’ll bring:

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social care, or equivalent academic qualification. 
• A minimum of one years’ experience of supporting vulnerable adults with mental health / substance use or dual diagnosis needs. 

Desirable

• An understanding of care-planning processes and Models of Care within mental health. 
• Knowledge of group and individual therapy and an understanding of risk management.  
• Experience of working with vulnerable people who are undergoing a period of crisis. 

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.