Job Description Growworker (Trainee Position)

Job Description –GROWworker (trainee position)

12 month fixed term contract

This post is a developmental role for individuals who have previously accessed support services. The post will provide opportunities to learn and to develop new skills for future employment.

Job purpose

To provide support to adults (18 - 65) living in the community who have complex needs (significant multiple, often interdependent, health and social difficulties) and/or mental health support needs
To work as part of a team
Reporting to a Team Manager

Responsibilities:

To participate in assessing potential clients (referrals) and be involved in making recommendations about suitability for our services
To creatively support and engage clients with a wide range of support needs (for example mental health problems, homelessness or housing issues, social isolation, family breakdown, offending behaviour, challenging behaviour, finance and debt, alcohol and drug abuse) to achieve goals as defined in support plans that clients have developed
To act as an advocate for clients to ensure that their voices are heard
To support clients to access a range of agencies
To work within the team approach
To work as part of multi-agency team
To attend and participate in team meetings, planning meetings and policy reviews
To assist with our dutyservice
To maintain clear and accurate records
To manage expenses in line with policy and procedure
Other tasks appropriate to the role, as assigned by your Line Manager

Personal development

To work towards carrying a full case load of clients
To visit a range of agencies to learn what they provide and how they work with Elmore
To shadow existing staff to develop skills for working with Elmore clients
To attend and actively participate in supervision sessions
To attend and complete relevant training as agreed by your Line Manager

External

To work towards attendingand representing Elmore at external networking meetings
To attend multi-agency meetings regarding clients; for example, Child Protection meetings, mental health review meetings, problem solving meetings
To actively promote Elmore to stakeholders that you come into contact with

Person specification: we are looking for people with the following personal qualities and skills, or the ability to develop them.

Area / Essential / Desirable
Clients / Personal experience of mental health problems or problems related to drugs, alcohol, homelessness, offending behaviour, antisocial behaviour, teenage pregnancy, child protection or challenging behaviour / X
Understanding of the issues faced by people with support needs, particularly those which might arise when working in a community setting / X
Knowledge of appropriate services that Elmore clients may need support to access / X
Experience of working with people who are difficult to engage / X
Understanding of relevant legislation that affects clients including housing, the Mental Health Act and welfare benefits / X
Ability to assess risk and follow risk procedures / X
Experience of working in line with the recovery approach / X
Understanding of safeguarding procedures and what may constitute “abuse” / X
Team / Experience of working as part of a team / X
Organisational / Ability to keep accurate records and maintain filing systems / X
Ability to work within financial policies and procedures / X
IT literacy (Word, Excel,
Outlook and use of databases) / X
Understanding of the support needs of people of different gender, class, age, ethnic origin, sexuality, disability and HIV status in line with the Single Equality Act 2010 / X
Personal development / The ability to be flexible and adapt to change / X
The ability to learn from new experiences / X