Job overview
Do you want to make a difference to people with mental health needs? Are you a caring and compassionate person with excellent communication skills? If so, we want YOU!
This is an exciting opportunity to work within the South Bucks Older Adult Mental Health Team (CMHT) based at the newly refurbished South Bucks mental health hub based in High Wycombe as a Support Time and Recovery (STR) Worker.
We are a supportive, dynamic and integrated team which, although busy, has many rewards. We care deeply about our patients and their families and carers. We believe in listening and responding as a team, piloting new models, supporting each other and developing and using new care approaches. We aim to improve patient care provided as well increase staff satisfaction and sense of achievement.
Main duties of the job
As a Support Worker you will be instrumental in our services and deliver recovery focused interventions (emotional and practical support) to service users in their own place of residence under the guidance and support of qualified mental health Clinicians and Team Leaders. You will need to be a dedicated, patient focused and highly motivated individual, who has some experience of mental health and support work working effectively as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team.
Regular supervision will be provided, and you will be encouraged and supported to undertake any training relevant to your interests and personal development.
Accessibility, responsiveness and excellence in customer service with the highest regard for service user experience will be at the heart of the service and Support Workers will use their skills and personal qualities to make this a reality.
As a Support Worker you must be able to demonstrate Trust values in delivering care to others. The successful candidate will be able to follow and initiate plans of care flexibly and dynamically in challenging and changing circumstances. Support Workers must have the skills and aptitude to work creatively and proactively with our third sector partners such as MIND and the Alzheimer's association.
Working for our organisation
The team is highly supportive and committed to delivering a high quality patient and carer journey.
You will be offered opportunities for professional development and opportunities to influence and contribute to service development. You will be provided with regular supervision, appraisal and support.
Benefits of working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust include:
1. Excellent opportunities for career progression
2. 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
3. NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
4. Staff accommodation
5. Competitive pension scheme
6. Lease car scheme
7. Cycle to work scheme
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Holding a Full drivers license and having access to a vehicle for business use is essential for this role.
The CMHT teams provide an assessment and treatment function. The successful candidate will be expected to work 9-5 Monday to Friday with the main base at Saffron House.
Please Note:
8. New starters have a 6 month probationary period. This, together with the induction process aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
9. Candidates not currently employed by the Trust who attend an interview for non-qualified Band 1-5 posts are required to undertake numeracy and literacy assessments.
10. Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
11. Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
12. We positively encourage applications from all areas of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation and we encourage applications from users of mental health services. This is part of our commitment to equality and reflecting the diversity of our population.
13. Oxford Health is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
14. Experience of working with people in the community
15. Experience of working with vulnerable people.
16. Experience of working in a team
Desirable criteria
17. Experience of working in a health care setting
18. Experience of mental health services (as a worker or service user / carer
Qualifications
Essential criteria
19. The post holder will be expected to attend and fully complete a nationally agreed induction programme and undertake an on-going training to achieve a minimum of NVQ2 / VRQ
Desirable criteria
20. NVQ level 2 or 3 or other relevant qualifications
Skills
Essential criteria
21. Ability to form positive working relationships with service users,
22. Ability to make a positive contribution to improving the quality of life for people with mental health problems
23. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing at all levels
24. Empathy and sensitivity to the needs of people with mental health needs
Other
Essential criteria
25. Able to travel within the geographical work area in an effective manner
26. Ability to access a range of settings including visiting people at home Able to work weekends/evenings as appropriate
27. Be committed to continuous development of job related knowledge and skills, including essential IT skills
Desirable criteria
28. Word processing and other IT skills.
29. All new starters have a 6 month probationary period. This, together with the induction process, aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale
30. Candidates not currently employed by the Trust who attend an interview for non-qualified Band 1-5 posts are required to undertake numeracy and literacy assessments.
31. Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
32. Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
33. We are ambitious in our pursuit of excellence, driven by the belief that a fair, just and fully inclusive organisational culture enables our teams to deliver the best quality of care and services possible and we work hard to ensure that our diverse workforce reflects the communities that we serve.
34. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, are an Equal Opportunities employer with a number of internal networking groups to support our employees and where possible will always look to make reasonable adjustments in order that you can fulfil the role to recognise your full potential. All our employees are committed to demonstrating through their behaviour our core values – safe, caring and excellent.
35. Oxford Health is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
36. Oxford is a world-renowned centre of excellence for research. Oxford Health works closely with the University of Oxford department of Psychiatry and the Department of Primary care, has a Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to improving mental health and the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at the Warneford site. The Trust also hosts the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) which carries out applied research that directly impacts patient health and wellbeing