Could you inspire hope for people who are struggling with their mental health?
Second Step is a leading mental health charity in the Southwest offering housing, support and hope to people with mental health and support needs. Our vision is that we believe in a world where everyone affected by mental health problems can create a positive future. We promote mental health and wellbeing by supporting people and communities to build brighter futures.
We are recruiting Recovery Navigators to join our Intensive Outreach Service Team in South Wiltshire, Swindon and BANES to provide personalised support to individuals who experience complex needs associated with multiple and severe disadvantage. The Intensive Outreach Service (IOS) adds value to the existing Intensive Services across Bath and Northeast Somerset, Wiltshire and Swindon by supporting individuals experiencing intensive mental health symptoms or crisis who require additional intervention beyond short-term clinical input. IOS compliments AWP interventions through a person-centred, trauma-informed approach that supports individuals to address psychological, social and relational difficulties, enabling longer-term stability and aims to reduce the likelihood of reassessing services.
About the role
We are committed to working with a recovery-based approach and supporting people to meet their individual needs. Why not join our team to support our clients on their recovery journey by:
* Hold a smaller caseload of clients within the service to provide intensive, trauma-informed and personalised support to individuals face-to-face, responding flexibly to acute mental health distress, crisis presentations and fluctuating levels of risk e.g. stabilisation and grounding techniques, crisis management and effective coping skills, safety planning, identifying networks of support.
* Support the Team Manager to oversee and line-manage Recovery Navigators. This will involve providing guidance around uncertainty, complexity or increased risk; awareness of caseload distribution, service pressures and referral flow; and support prioritisation and safe allocation of work.
* Apply clinically informed understanding to interpret presentations of own clients and RNs, in line with AWP formulation, using this to guide interventions, risk awareness and support planning, while maintaining clear and accurate evidence within case records to support ongoing and future clinical decision-making. Apply independent, clinically informed judgement in complex and high-risk situations.
* Support the Team Manager to maintain day-to-day oversight of the service and ensure adherence to and consistency with the service procedures and organisational policies.
* Support Recovery Navigators to develop within their roles confidently and strengthen decision-making and professional judgement skills.
* Offer professional containment in high-pressure or complex situations.
The Senior Recovery Navigator (RN) role is well suited to applicants seeking to build on existing leadership and relevant experience within mental health services, particularly those pursuing progression towards clinical psychology or related professional pathways. It is also appropriate for individuals with demonstrated experience of working with acute or high-risk mental health presentations, who are confident in applying their knowledge within complex environments and leading others to deliver safe, high-quality support.
Full details of this exciting opportunity can be found in the role profile.
About you
You will:
* Has demonstrated leadership skills within a clinical or crisis setting, including the ability to guide practice, influence decision‑making and provide clarity during periods of uncertainty or risk.
* Ability to apply clinically informed judgement in response to risk, complexity and changing presentations within defined role boundaries.
* Strong knowledge of mental health presentations, including acute distress, crisis and co‑occurring needs.
* Knowledge of working within multi-disciplinary environments and integrated systems, including the role of different services within care pathways.
* Experience of risk assessment, risk management and safety planning, including responding to changing or escalating presentations.
* Experience of undertaking elements of leadership or oversight.
* Knowledge of support planning and risk assessing.
* Commitment to trauma-informed, psychologically informed and recovery-oriented practice.
* Be passionate about improving the lived experience and health of people using mental health services
What we offer
* to be part of a friendly team, with direct support from a Senior Line Manager
* in-depth induction to Second Step and all the relevant training and support you need to do your job well.
* This is blended working with support taking place in the homes of people but will also require some office and home working.
* monthly one-to-one sessions with your line manager
* Group reflective practice with input from the Psychology Team.
If you are interested in this role but are concerned that you may not have the experience or knowledge please contact us for an informal conversation, we would very much like to hear from you. Please contact:
Jessica Chivers: IOS Team Manager on 07353099629 or email
About us
We are taking positive action to increase diversity throughout our organisation, and to nurture a culture of inclusion for all our people and the clients that we support.
We welcome applications from everyone who meets the criteria and strongly encourage individuals who identify as being of Black, African, Caribbean or Asian descent to apply as these groups are currently under-represented at Second Step.
To ensure fairness and consistency, all applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed so that shortlisting is based solely upon the suitability of the candidate’s skills and qualities.
Closing date: 29th June 2026
Interview dates: 8th July 2026
For more detailed information about these roles and to apply, please see our website www.second-step.co.uk. Second Step is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community and from people who have personal experience of using mental health services. Unfortunately, Second Step is unable to sponsor applicants from outside the UK