Job Title / Community Support Worker
Location / Antrim / Ballymena areas
Service / Department / Operations
Reporting to / Team Leader
Terms and Conditions
Hours
Salary Range (FTE)
Holidays (FTE)
Employment Status
Probationary Period
MindWise Grade
Notice Period (weeks) / 22 hours per week
£15,655 - £18,095 (spine points 9-18) pro rata
25 days (rising to 30) plus 10 public holidays pro rata
Fixed Term to cover Maternity Leave for 6 months (with possible extension)
6 months
G
4 weeks
Service / Department Description
Community support Service and Floating Support Service.
The Community Mental Health Support Service provides one on one support to individuals experiencing severe mental illness living in their own homes.
The service provides support, assistance and guidance to service users, enabling them to carry out daily living activities whilst encouraging and supporting themto live independently in the community.
Types of practical support provided include assistance with shopping and accessing local amenities, budgeting, practical and emotional support.
MindWises core principles convey our commitment to ensure that all those who use our services do so within the MindWise outcomes framework. This offers a Recovery based, holistic approach to managing the adverse impacts of mental ill health and support in achieving a better quality of life.
Job Purpose
·  To improve the lives of people experiencing severe mental health difficulties.
·  To encourage and support active participation of service users underpinned by the Recovery model.
Duties
To:
·  Work in partnership with the individual service user to develop recovery support plans based on individual needs and strengths.
·  Support the individual service user to implement their support plan based on the MindWise outcomes framework.
·  Support individuals to self manage and develop independent living skills.
·  Supporting individuals potentially in a stressful situation, people in crisis and individuals considering suicide or intending to harm themselves.
·  Work in partnership with the Health Social Care Trust and related agencies to deliver a programme of care that will meet the needs of the individual referred.
·  Assist with general office administration.
·  Participate in the monitoring requirements of the service by producing statistical and written reports accurately and concisely.
·  Work within the team around ongoing assessment and management of risk
·  Contribute to the day to day financial recording (for example petty cash) and monitoring of the service within MindWise financial regulations.
·  Report any issues to your line manager.
·  Work as part of a team to constructively share views and suggestions to improve the service.
·  Ensure Volunteers receive appropriate supervision, guidance and support.
·  Liaise with mental health professionals and other agencies on behalf of people who use our services.
·  Provide support and communication to carers and relatives when necessary.
·  Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade as allocated by your Line Manager.
Specific duties
·  Provide welfare advice and other advice to individuals and signpost to appropriate agencies
·  Support the service user with living skills within their own home, for example, cleaning and cooking.
·  Be registered with or eligible on appointment for registration with Northern Ireland Social Care Council
·  Ability and flexibility to work bank/public holidays.
Employees of MindWise are required to promote and support the vision, mission and values of the organisation and:
·  Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them.
·  Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with Health and Safety Policies, Quality and Statutory Regulations.
·  Participate in an effective and continuous development process, taking responsibility and ownership for supervision, appraisal and personal learning and development.
·  Work in accordance with MindWise operational policies and procedures and those of external regulators.
·  Ensure safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children.
·  Adhere to Equal Opportunities and the Equality and Diversity policies throughout the course of the employment.
·  Ensure the ongoing confidence of all stakeholders including service users and the public in MindWise service provision.
·  Engage in fundraising activities.
·  Comply with the MindWise Code of Conduct for Staff.
·  Act in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
·  Demonstrate their commitment to the Recovery ethos.
·  Work with basic computer packages for example, Microsoft Word, e-mail and the internet.
·  Support the service to continually improve in line with internal recommendations and plans and external regulatory requirements

(*This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive and is subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines. Those in all job roles are expected to adopt additional tasks when required; these tasks will be in keeping with the general profile of the role).

MindWise does not permit smoking by staff and volunteers in work. MindWise will protect staff, volunteers and others from passive smoking.

MindWise wishes to encourage applications from people with disabilities and commits to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities

MindWise Staff Competencies / Behaviours
NB: Underpins MindWise Values and applicable to ALL staff
Competency / Behaviour / Description
Communicating effectively / Fosters open communication, listens to others, speaks effectively and prepares written communication so that messages are clearly understood
Creative thinking and innovation / Develops fresh ideas that contribute to and provide solutions to organisational, service and client needs
Building and maintaining effective working relationships / Contributes to and builds successful working relationships with individuals, team members and key stakeholders
Personal Development (willingness to learn) / Displays an ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement
Adaptable and Flexible / Adapts to changing Organisational and service needs, conditions, and work responsibilities
Dignity and Respect / Earns others’ trust and respect through t honesty and professionalism, helping to create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity

Person Specification

REF / AREA / ESSENTIAL
ü / DESIRABLE
ü
1 / EDUCATION/ PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
QCF Diploma Level 2 Health and Social Care (or equivalent) / ü
(shortlisting)
QCF Certificate Level 2 Health and Social Care (or equivalent) / ü
(shortlisting)
2.0 / EXPERIENCE and KNOWLEDGE
·  Must be able to demonstrate a minimum of 6 months experience of providing support to people with a mental illness either in a paid or voluntary position.
OR
·  Demonstrate a minimum of 1 years experience of providing support in a paid or voluntary capacity in another care setting. / ü
(shortlisting)
·  Must be able to demonstrate a minimum of 12 months experience of providing support to people with a mental illness either in a paid or voluntary position.
OR
·  Demonstrate a minimum of 18 months experience of providing support in in a paid or voluntary capacity in another care setting. / ü
(shortlisting)
Knowledge of the main mental health diagnoses / ü
(interview)
Knowledge of working with people with a mental health diagnosis / ü
(interview)
Knowledge of working with multidisciplinary teams / ü
(interview)
Must be able to demonstrate experience of working with basic computer packages, the internet and emails. / ü
(interview)
3 / COMPETENCIES
Able to demonstrate good written communication skills. / ü
(shortlisting)
Able to demonstrate good verbal communication skills. / ü
(interview)
Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team / ü
(interview)
4 / ADDITIONAL
The successful candidate will be required to undergo a check via the Access(NI) Service and the Independent Safeguarding Authority before commencement of employment. / ü
(interview)
Be registered with or eligible for registration with NISCC / ü
(shortlisting)
4 / VALUES & BEHAVIOURS
Ability to demonstrate alignment with MindWise’s core values and organisational behaviours. / ü
(interview)
Be able to demonstrate reliability / ü
(interview)
Be able to demonstrate flexibility / ü
(interview)

MindWise reserves the right to use the desirable criteria for short-listing.