Mental Health Specialist Worker - Homelessness
- SINGLE HOMELESS PROJECT
- Jul 29, 2022
Full time
Healthcare & Medical
Job Description
This Project is being trialled by the Local Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and the local CCG until March 2023, so this post is currently being advertised as a fixed-term contract position.
Our Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Services are comprised of one high support hostel and two medium support hostels, housing 23 clients who have experiences of mental health concerns, some with additional complex needs including substance use and offending behaviour. The primary role of the project is to enable clients to understand their emotional and mental health needs and manage these effectively.
As a response to the need to increase winter provision for clients leaving hospital, as well as the need to improve housing provision in the borough, Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Services are changing. One of the bed spaces at the high support hostel will be used as a rapid turnaround hospital discharge bed, the intention being that this is used for clients who have a home to go back to from hospital but there is a need for them to be discharged before their home is ready and so they require a short stay in a supportive environment.
As a Specialist Mental Health Worker, you will focus largely on supporting clients to manage their accommodation and sustain their tenancies. You will also provide support to manage their emotional and mental health, develop their living skills, develop and manage relationships, build social networks and access education, training and employment. This will be done by completing comprehensive needs and risk assessments with clients and identifying short-term objectives.
The role is envisioned as being a mixture of managing the hospital discharge process and working closely with the client residing in that room for the duration of their stay, alongside working with the clients in the community. This would comprise of a mixture of working in the high support hostel to facilitate this, as well as seeing clients in the community.
We are looking for someone who has:
Experience of working with people who have experienced or been threatened with homelessness including those who live in temporary or insecure accommodation.
An understanding of how trauma and adversity have the potential to create re-occurring incidences of multiple disadvantage and potentially impact on how people form relationships and relate to others
A strong grasp of the health and social care sector with the ability to navigate between and across various specialties whilst working with people to create multi-agency support and safety plans
Strong time management skills, ability to work on own initiative, manage competing priorities and maintain high standards.
Although the team responsible for working across the three hostels will work on a rota basis, you will work on a flexible 09.00 - 17.00 basis, Monday-Sunday, with one weekend of working out of four. You will be responsible for making sure that clients are actively involved in the process and that support offered is full and holistic.
Closing date: 3rd August 2022 (at Midnight)
Interviews to be held: 11th August 2022
This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed for the successful applicant.
Our attractive benefits package includes:
A salary increase after successfully completing six month's probationary period
A 37.5 hour working week including flexible working hours (core hours are 10am - 4pm) in non-accommodation services
25 days annual leave, increasing annually to the maximum 30 days (plus paid Bank Holidays),
A contributory pension scheme: Single Homeless Project will contribute the equivalent of 5% of your annual salary
Staff Health Cash Plan and discounts scheme
Comprehensive and integrated training programme designed specifically to develop the skills and knowledge involved in our work
Single Homeless Project is actively committed to equal opportunities and the promotion of diversity and inclusion, in all of our services and workplaces. We are also Disability Confident Committed and are IIP Silver accredited.
Our Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Services are comprised of one high support hostel and two medium support hostels, housing 23 clients who have experiences of mental health concerns, some with additional complex needs including substance use and offending behaviour. The primary role of the project is to enable clients to understand their emotional and mental health needs and manage these effectively.
As a response to the need to increase winter provision for clients leaving hospital, as well as the need to improve housing provision in the borough, Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Services are changing. One of the bed spaces at the high support hostel will be used as a rapid turnaround hospital discharge bed, the intention being that this is used for clients who have a home to go back to from hospital but there is a need for them to be discharged before their home is ready and so they require a short stay in a supportive environment.
As a Specialist Mental Health Worker, you will focus largely on supporting clients to manage their accommodation and sustain their tenancies. You will also provide support to manage their emotional and mental health, develop their living skills, develop and manage relationships, build social networks and access education, training and employment. This will be done by completing comprehensive needs and risk assessments with clients and identifying short-term objectives.
The role is envisioned as being a mixture of managing the hospital discharge process and working closely with the client residing in that room for the duration of their stay, alongside working with the clients in the community. This would comprise of a mixture of working in the high support hostel to facilitate this, as well as seeing clients in the community.
We are looking for someone who has:
Experience of working with people who have experienced or been threatened with homelessness including those who live in temporary or insecure accommodation.
An understanding of how trauma and adversity have the potential to create re-occurring incidences of multiple disadvantage and potentially impact on how people form relationships and relate to others
A strong grasp of the health and social care sector with the ability to navigate between and across various specialties whilst working with people to create multi-agency support and safety plans
Strong time management skills, ability to work on own initiative, manage competing priorities and maintain high standards.
Although the team responsible for working across the three hostels will work on a rota basis, you will work on a flexible 09.00 - 17.00 basis, Monday-Sunday, with one weekend of working out of four. You will be responsible for making sure that clients are actively involved in the process and that support offered is full and holistic.
Closing date: 3rd August 2022 (at Midnight)
Interviews to be held: 11th August 2022
This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed for the successful applicant.
Our attractive benefits package includes:
A salary increase after successfully completing six month's probationary period
A 37.5 hour working week including flexible working hours (core hours are 10am - 4pm) in non-accommodation services
25 days annual leave, increasing annually to the maximum 30 days (plus paid Bank Holidays),
A contributory pension scheme: Single Homeless Project will contribute the equivalent of 5% of your annual salary
Staff Health Cash Plan and discounts scheme
Comprehensive and integrated training programme designed specifically to develop the skills and knowledge involved in our work
Single Homeless Project is actively committed to equal opportunities and the promotion of diversity and inclusion, in all of our services and workplaces. We are also Disability Confident Committed and are IIP Silver accredited.
About SINGLE HOMELESS PROJECT