Wellbeing Worker: Safe Haven (Oxford & Banbury) Oxford, England
Job description
WELLBEING WORKER: SAFE HAVEN
Hours: 28-35 Hours Per Week (Part Time) 3 positions available
Salary: £25,000-£26,906 Pro rata. Plus Unsocial Hours Allowance:
+33% of basic hourly rate for working between 8pm and 6am weekdays
+50% of basic hourly rate for working over weekends and bank holidays
Contract: Permanent
Base: Oxford & Banbury
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?
The Safe Haven Worker’s role is to work as part of a team and offer mental health crisis support to adults in Oxfordshire who are struggling to cope. This includes taking referrals, assessing risks, facilitating re-focusing activities, and conducting one to one support sessions focusing on person-centred listening, grounding, risks management, safety planning and exploring coping strategies. The team takes part in handovers, one to one supervision and complex case discussions to aid their ability to reflect, learn and support Safe Haven service users within the remit of the service.
Key responsibilities
- Supporting service users to improve or maintain their mental health and wellbeing
- Provide person-centred, one-to-one support and group distraction activities for people experiencing mental health crisis
- Conduct regular, dynamic risk assessments and respond with appropriate interventions for service users who present in crisis and/or at high risk of harm.
- Identify when escalating risks is essential and when it is important to support and empower service users to manage their own risks.
- Work well as part of a Safe Haven team and a bigger multidisciplinary Crisis Care Pathway Team to ensure consistent crisis management
- 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.
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 and take reflective approach to their practice.
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 as part of a team and communicating effectively
e) Experience of working in a demanding environment
f) Experience of working with individuals/groups 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) Good planning and organisational skills
j) Ability to confidently use IT systems and software at a basic level.
k) Adaptable and flexible in their approach
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 and national organisations
b) Knowledge of tools and approaches to mental health support and crisis support
c) A good understanding of the importance of confidentiality and GDPR and knowledge of how to work safely in this regard
d) Understanding purpose of project and how their work meets the overall aims
e) Experience of identifying and managing a risk, with the support of a manager.
f) Experience of supporting people with multiple or diverse needs
g) Experience of data collection and succinct, timely and accurate data entry to enable the measuring of outcomes and service impact
h) Experience of supporting training of staff or volunteers
i) Experience of applying safeguarding children and adults policies and procedures
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) Demonstrating professional approach and boundaries in all situations
o) Ability to work together as a team and develop positive inter agency relationships.
p) Strong commitment to the involvement of service users in the shaping of service design and delivery
q) A ’can-do’ approach to problem-solving and supporting the wider team
r) Enthusiasm and professionalism in representing Oxfordshire Mind to external agencies
s) Knowledge, understanding and demonstrating the values in the practice carried out with Service Users, Peers and the wider organisation.
Successful candidates will need to have the ability to travel between sites when required
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 23rd March
Shortlisting date: Friday 24th March
Interview date: TBC
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.
