Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
To work alongside and assist Personal Advisors working with care experienced young adults (care leavers aged 18-25yrs) who present with complex mental health needs. To provide consultation and advocacy in assisting these young adults in accessing mental health resources in the community so that they receive the appropriate support. To work in co-production with a range of statutory and non-statutory partners to maximise access to community and wellbeing resources in support of person centred recovery planning. This will include person centred assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of actions plans in collaboration with Personal Advisors and multi-agency partners. To ensure that resources are utilised effectively, to empower the people who use our services and to safeguard and promote their welfare.
The post holder should understand the Care Leavers Act and other relevant legislation that applies to care experienced young adults, such as the Social Work Act 2017 and have an appreciation and understanding of “corporate parenting”.
The Postholder may need to hold a small case load of complex cases (presenting acute mental health issues). They will need to provide high quality advice and support to service colleagues and Personal Advisors, help share and manage risks in relation to complex mental health cases.
This will include providing advice to senior managers to assist in appropriate service and case planning and may include attending panels to review cases.
Main duties of the job
·To take a leading role in developing strong links with primary and secondary care statutory partnership organisations, and the voluntary sector to offer an integrated response to people who use our service and carers.
·To promote independence and empower individuals to develop their own recovery plans and to prevent the need for ongoing involvement with statutory mental health services in line with the Care Act, the Children Leaving Care Act and the Children and Social Worker Act. To represent the 18+ Leaving Care Service in promotion of these links.
·Manage in co-production with Personal Advisors, a case load of high complexity, diversity, and risk. This will include the assessment, development and review of care and support plans, community care and residential packages, in collaboration with primary and secondary care colleagues.
·To carry a small case load of complex cases (acute and enduring mental health issues).
·Provide consultation and advice to senior colleagues when considering high-cost placement options to ensure the most effective deployment of resources to meet young people’s needs and support requirements.
·Assist social care staff to deliver an effective and well-informed service within an integrated team setting which meets the requirements of Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and Human Rights legislation and Children’s social care legislation.
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Working for our organisation
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High-Cost Area Supplement
This post also attracts payment for High-Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941) pro rata for part time staff.
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Deliver specialist mental health assessments and evidence-based interventions.
Collaborate with social care professionals, personal advisors, and health colleagues to provide holistic, trauma-informed care.
Act as a clinical lead, offering guidance and reflection to personal advisors.
Ensure continuity of care across local authority and NHS services.
Contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives.
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
1. We are kind.
2. We are respectful.
3. We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
4. Degree in Social Work or equivalent including a recognised mental health qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
5. The post holder should be working at the level of capability set out in the Professional Capability that accords with a senior practitioner/ advanced practitioner.
6. Experience of research in evidence-based practice and leading on the evaluation and improvement of services
7. Experience of seeking and acting on feedback from people who use mental health services and carers to improve the patient experience
8. Experience of providing consultation, mentoring, and developing colleagues and liaising with other service providers
9. Substantial post-registration experience in community mental health, CAMHS, or working with care leavers.
10. Skilled in trauma-informed practice, safeguarding, and risk management.
11. Confident working across organisational boundaries and in multidisciplinary teams.
12. Strong communication, leadership, and organisational skills.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
13. Good working knowledge of all relevant Mental Health and Social Care legislation and Codes of Practice
14. Good working knowledge of directorate and corporate procedures and joint working practices relating to Mental Health
15. Good knowledge of local and national policy and initiatives in social care and mental health
16. An understanding of The Children Act 1989 and related Acts such as the Care Leavers Act 2000. Including an understanding of and appreciation of the values of corporate parenting
17. Good working knowledge of models of mental disorder treatments, and approaches to mental health based interventions including complex understanding mental health dynamics
18. Understanding of data quality and validation issues and ability to ensure accurate inputting of data and information to maintain its integrity and store it safely and correctly
Skills
Essential criteria
19. Ability to work within an integrated partnership environment and to contribute to working groups and the dissemination of information consistently across the Directorate
20. Ability to manage a complex case load and act as lead professional
21. Ability to assess and effectively manage the performance and development needs of leaving care staff
22. Ability to act as a mentor and demonstrate teaching skills
23. Effective negotiating and interpersonal skills
24. Ability to identify ways to overcome issues that threaten delivery of services, escalating risks where appropriate and dealing with emergency situations
25. Ability to contribute to research and monitoring of the service’s functioning and effectiveness
26. Ability to travel across a wide geographical area in a timely and flexible manner at various times of the day
27. Computer literate with good written skills for report and assessment writing and presentation.
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
28. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
29. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
30. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
31. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.