Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Older People's Community Mental Health Team for a Community Support Worker. In helping us deliver outstanding mental health care you’ll be making a real difference to residents and their families within Oldham every single day, with support from the organisation and your colleagues every step of the way. As part of our vibrant culture you’ll build lasting professional relationships that will take you further, whatever your career goal.
Oldham Older People's Community Mental Health Team supports people over the age of 65 who have severe and complex mental health needs both of organic and functional in nature. The team in primarily made up of Mental Health Nurses, an Occupational Therapist and Psychologist however we work closely with our partner colleagues in Social Care.
Main duties of the job
To work as part of the multidisciplinary team and provide support on both an individual and group basis to individuals experiencing mental health problems to enable them to achieve their full potential through accessing resources available within their wider communities and equipping them with the skills and confidence to enable them to manage their lives independently.
Oldham Older People's Community Mental Health Team is a friendly team which works with people over the age of 65 who have a moderate to severe mental disorders, who may present with behaviours that challenge and have associated complex needs and risks.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to provide a high quality mental health service based on the Recovery Model.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
To provide support to an allocated group of service users, promote their recovery and
help to maintain them in their community environment.
• To assist qualified practitioners in assessment, planning, implementing and evaluating
individual care plans.
• To ensure that service users engage effectively with the agreed Care Plan and access
appropriate services.
• Positively promote independent living of service users within the community
• Provide support and interventions to service users in their own homes and the wider
community based upon their assessed needs.
• Assist service users to make full use of community resources.
• Support service users to become involved in social activities in line with their assessed
needs and planned care.
• Support service users to establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships.
• Provide regular and practical support for service users and their carers’ in managing
dignity and independence.
• Provide support with activities of daily living.
• Help service users gain access to resources required to meet their needs.
• Provide information on health promotion and support physical health management.
• Help to identify early signs of relapse by monitoring the service users progress, level of
functioning and mental state and to alert the appropriate staff involved in the service
users care.
• Report regularly to care coordinators and keyworkers.
• To promote independence and choice.
• To maintain adequate records as required by existing procedures, entering appropriate
details on the service users case notes as necessary.
• To attend and actively participate in training sessions, team/care planning review
meetings and supervision as appropriate.
• To contribute to the ongoing development of the service
• To ensure that electronic care records are efficiently maintained.
• To contribute to audits as required, providing relevant data as required in line with
performance monitoring targets.
• To deal appropriately with clinical incidents and complaints from patients, relatives and
members of the public, via line manager, in accordance with Trust policy.
• To assist qualified practitioners in undertaking physical health checks
• To undertake such other duties as may be determined from time to time within the
general scope of the post.
This job description is not exhaustive, but is intended to give an overall picture of the role. Other duties within the general scope of the post may be required from time to time. The duties of the post and job description can be reviewed through the agreed process.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Good standard of general education including good numeracy and literacy skills.
* Evidence of recent further development / training.
* NVQ 3 or equivalent
* Commitment to undertake Continuing Personal Development
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of undertaking a supportive role.
* Experience of working with individuals with mental health needs
* Experience of working with individuals in distress
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Understanding of mental health issues and how these impact on individuals.
* Understanding of confidentiality and data protection issues.
Desirable criteria
* Awareness of local services.
* Knowledge of benefits / employment systems.
* An understanding of the mental health system.
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria
* Ability to listen effectively
* Good written and verbal communication skills
* Ability to empathise with service users
* Ability to implement care plans for individuals with the support of others as appropriate.
* Ability to create innovative solutions to help empower service users.
* Ability to work unsupervised in a range of settings.
* Ability to form positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers.
* Willingness to make a positive contribution to improving the quality of life for people with mental health problems using the Recovery Model.
* Ability to acknowledge diversity and promote anti-discriminatory practice / equal opportunities.
* Ability to provide practical support with daily living activities.
* An ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour.
* Basic IT Skills
* Ability to work flexibly and to prioritise workload
* Ability to work as part of a team, to support the development of the service including the development of an Assertive Out Reach Service