Job Title: Telephone Support Worker Hours of work: Full time x 3 positions. Helpline works to a rotating shift pattern, covering our 24/7 service opening hours on a full time, or part time basis Salary: £25,958 with progression to £28,662 per annum (salary will be pro-rata for part time hours) Location: Hybrid – Day shifts at Waterside House, Sunderland. Night shifts and weekends are home based (All staff work across a 4 week rotating rota basis, available positions all include night shifts and you will have a set rota) Do you have experience and passion for supporting people who might be going through a difficult time? Do you truly want to make a difference to people’s lives? Our Mental Health Helpline provides a vital listening ear and crisis de-escalation on behalf of a number of NHS Trusts and we are looking for empathetic people to join us in providing this life changing support. Ideally the successful candidate will hold a Counselling Certificate at a minimum Level 2, with a willingness to work toward a Level 3 Diploma within the first 6 months. You will have some experience within the mental health industry, in either a voluntary or professional capacity. Experience in other social care sectors such as substance misuse and housing will also be considered. If you do not have Level 2 Counselling qualification, but have extensive experience working in a social care field that involves care planning and risk assessing of emotional support needs, please consider applying and we will review your application. It is important that you can demonstrate experience of assessing and acting upon risk as well as providing emotional support to individuals in distress. Please outline how your experience matches the person specification in your supporting statement. Office shifts can start as early as 6.45 am, please consider your method of transport before applying. 2 x Full time rota’s consists of a mixed of days, mid and night shifts across a 7 day period. About us Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a national charity with over 40 years of experience in delivering high-quality mental health and social care services. We have a positive impact on the lives of people living with mental health needs in our local communities. We provide services across England, from Northumberland to Plymouth, led by a highly motivated and enthusiastic workforce who are committed to delivering the best quality services to those in need of support. Everything about MHM is people focused, our people are central to delivering the highest quality of service and care to people who access our services. About the role Our Helpline is a 24/7 telephone crisis management and support service. We provide confidential emotional support to callers and provide advice and guidance around mental health and other issues. Our services also include web chat and SMS text support. The Helpline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You will provide a range of telephone support, signposting, advice, and guidance to adults experiencing mental health distress. Other responsibilities include: • To make decisions under pressure whilst communicating with the individual. • To assess a situation and determine the degree of crisis, needs of the individual caller, and appropriate response. • To accurately record referrals and details of calls on relevant electronic systems. • To work in line with performance targets and key contractual requirements. • To communicate with external stakeholders as required. Please refer to the attached job description for full job details. About you We are looking for a candidate with proven communication skills and a confident manner. You will be articulate and hold a Counselling Certificate Level 2, or equivalent, and be willing to complete Counselling Level 3 within the first 6 months of your employment. The ideal candidate will have experience of providing a service over the telephone to a range of individuals, including those in distress. If you do not have Level 2 counselling but have extensive experience working in a social care field that involves care planning and risk assessing of emotional support needs, please consider applying and we will review your application. You will have an excellent telephone manner and be able to actively listen, question and respond. For this role you will need to have genuine empathy towards mental health issues and be keen to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. Our Helpline service operates 24 hours per day, all 365 days of the year and our staff work on a rota basis, covering days, evenings, night shifts and weekends. Part time hours, to include all shifts, are also available. Please refer to the attached job description for full details on person specification for this role. What we offer You will go through our comprehensive, (mostly) in-person training program in your first 4 weeks of employment which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role, as well as offering a great opportunity to get to know your new colleagues. *Please note you must be available to attend the minimum 4 week (mostly) in person training programme, Monday – Friday 9am-5pm, at our offices in Sunderland* In addition, you will receive: • A minimum of 25 days annual leave per annum, plus statutory holidays, rising with length of service • A 5% contributory pension scheme, with the opportunity to increase contributions. • A holistic approach to your health and wellbeing, including Employee assistance programme and personalised wellbeing action plans. • Enhanced family friendly policies, pay and leave. • Cycle to work scheme. • Discounted gym membership. • Healthcare cash plan. • A discount platform covering online, high street and supermarket purchases. • You will receive a tailored induction and probation review program which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role • Our structured career development pathways and support from our accredited Learning Team will provide you with advice and guidance on how to access development to allow you to flourish in your chosen career How to Apply We operate Safer Recruitment processes, so if you are interested in this role, you will need to apply via our online application form. Please ensure you answer all of the shortlisting questions to demonstrate how you meet the Person Specification criteria. If you have any additional supporting information you would like to include, you can add this into your application form. We are an equal opportunities employer. We really value diversity and are committed to ensuring our processes are inclusive. We may ask some personal information during the application process, however, everything we ask is to ensure we can offer fair and accessible opportunities for everyone. If you would like to have an informal conversation about this role, please contact: Clair O'Connor COConnor@mhm.org.uk