Job description
WELLBEING WORKER: PRIMARY CARE
Hours: 37 Hours Per Week (Full Time)
Salary: £25,000-£26,906 Salary dependent on skills, experience and knowledge.
Contract: Permanent
Base: Practices based in Oxford City with some Home Working
Who we are, and what we do
- We’re Oxfordshire Mind, the mental health charity, operating across Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.
- Our passionate employees and dedicated volunteers are helping people with mental health issues find somewhere to turn for advice, information, and support.
- We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health issue gets both support and respect.
- Find out more about our vision, mission and values here: https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/about-2/what-we-do/
- Find out more about our services here: https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/support-for-you/our-services/
Why work for us?
- We offer a friendly working environment and are committed to staff wellbeing.
- We are devoted to equity, diversity, inclusion, and equality, with staff working groups and support groups.
Here is a taste of what we offer:
- Generous holiday allowance, 28 days plus 8 bank holidays, increasing after 5 years
- Contribute to pension scheme
- Flexible working including; hybrid working, part time, compressed hours
- Ensuring growth and development of our staff along their career journey
- Free support package from Health Assured for you and your family
- Great discounts and cash back card schemes
To find out more click here: https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/jobs-2/benefits/
What will you do?
Primary Care Wellbeing Workers take a person-centred approach in the delivery of 1-to-1 sessions for people who are experiencing mental health issues or other social or lifestyle issues that are impacting on their wellbeing. The support provided aims to encourage and enable people to link in with existing support services, use the support available in their local community, and develop tools to increase their ability to manage their own wellbeing. The service offered is based on a social prescribing model and the role works very closely with Primary Care as an embedded worker within GP Practices.
Specific teams/roles may also make specific mention of:
- Triage work
- Community Alliance facilitation
- Outcomes work.
Wokingham service users are 18+; all other teams it’s 16+
Key responsibilities
- Support service users to improve or maintain their mental health and wellbeing
- Collect and accurately record service user data onto a secure database in a timely manner.
- Liaising with colleagues, partner organisations and professional agencies to support service user needs.
- Keep up to date with the various services offered by NHS and third sector providers to enable appropriate information and signposting.
- Conduct regular dynamic risk assessment and take appropriate and timely actions to manage the risks in relation to staff, service users and buildings.
- Receiving and responding to referrals from a variety of sources (e.g. GPs, community organisations, self-referrals) and ensuring people receive an excellent person-centred service via an initial assessment and follow-up sessions as required.
- Working collaboratively with primary care staff and external agencies, promoting the service to ensure it is well-understood and easily accessible and contributing to efforts to benefit local mental health and wellbeing.
- Tailored signposting and use of support tools and techniques to work productively with service users towards their own hopes and goals.
- Writing tailored follow-up letters and emails outlining support options for service users.
We expect all our employees to:
- Understand and implement all safeguarding policies and procedures in relation to working with children, young people and adults at risk of harm
- Enhance equity, diversity, inclusion and equality within our work
- Involve people with lived experience of mental health problems in every aspect of our work
- Support and supervise volunteers and peer supporters as agreed with your line manager
- Attend regular meetings and supervision as required
This is not an exhaustive list and employees may be required to perform activities not listed here.
Who you are
Open - Are you open to help people realise their potential?
Together, partnership - Are you a team player?
Responsive - Are you a good listener?
Independent - Do you have the confidence to speak out fearlessly?
Unstoppable – Do you have a positive, never give up attitude?
If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you!
Applicants should respond explicitly to each of the points listed in the Person Specification / Selection Criteria below. The shortlisting panel make their decisions based on this information and no assumptions about your skills or experience will be made.
Essential Experience
a) Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, and the needs of people living with mental health problems
b) An understanding of good practice in safeguarding Children and Adults
c) Experience of working within mental health, wellbeing or similar environments
d) Experience of working in a demanding environment
e) Experience of working as part of a team and communicating effectively
f) Experience of working with individuals, enabling them to identify their own goals to support personal wellbeing and recovery, and helping them to pursue these
g) Ability to work both collaboratively and independently
h) Excellent listening and interpersonal skills
i) Ability to confidently use IT systems and software at a basic level
j) Ability to travel to different sites to deliver face-to-face sessions
k) Good planning and organisational skills
l) Knowledge/Understanding of our values:
- Striving to make mental health services more human
- Working alongside people to help them realise their potential
- Raising awareness, promoting understanding and challenging stigma
- The importance of community and the benefits of mutual support
Desirable
a) Working knowledge of the range of services offered by Oxfordshire Mind and relevant local/national organisations
b) Knowledge of a range of tools or approaches to mental health support
c) A good understanding of the importance of confidentiality and GDPR and knowledge of how to work appropriately in this regard
d) Understanding purpose of project and how their work meets the overall aims
e) Knowledge and application of good practice in safeguarding Children and Adults
f) Experience of providing proactive, outcome-focused support, and working creatively and flexibly to meet people’s needs.
g) Experience of supporting people with multiple/diverse needs
h) Experience of identifying and managing a risk, with the support of a manager
i) Experience of data collection and succinct, timely and accurate data entry to enable the measuring of outcomes and service impact
j) Ability to utilise a range of tools and approaches to empower service users
k) Ability to effectively use safety planning tools in line with prevention of suicide and self-harm
l) Taking responsibility for own health and wellbeing to cope effectively with the pressures of the post and to use the support and supervision provided
m) Effective organisational, planning, administrative and IT skills
n) Ability to establish positive inter-agency relationships
o) Demonstrating professional approach and boundaries in all situations
p) Actively attend working groups/training in the wider organisation and provide appropriate feedback to the team
q) Knowledge, understanding and evidence of ‘living’ the values in the practice carried out with Service Users, Peers and the wider organisation
r) Strong commitment to the involvement of service users in the shaping of service design and delivery
s) A ’can-do’ approach to problem-solving and supporting the wider team
t) Enthusiasm and professionalism in representing Oxfordshire Mind to external organisations
Oxfordshire Mind is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We therefore require a Disclosure and Barring Service check, for all our roles. The level of which will vary depending on the nature of the role.
Closing date: Thursday 4th May
Shortlisting date: Friday 5th May
Interview date: Friday 12th May
Interview location: Online, via MS Teams
We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.