The six-month fixed-term AOT Support Worker post is in Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust's Assertive Outreach Team/Pathway, serving North East Essex. It offers practical support to people with severe, enduring mental health needs, promoting personalised recovery, independence and social connection. Work spans homes, community and inpatient settings, with daily North East Essex travel and occasional nationwide travel; job shares are welcomed. Applicants need experience working with people with mental health problems, access to transport and availability for two five-day induction programmes; the start date will be one of two academy dates agreed during recruitment.
What the job involves
- Build supportive therapeutic relationships and engage flexibly with service users in their homes and community to improve their quality of life and functioning
- Support personalised care, crisis and contingency planning with service users and care coordinators, promoting recovery, dignity, independence and daily living
- Provide practical support to service users and carers in community or inpatient settings, including appointments, benefits forms, medication collection and access to educational or recreational activities
- Help service users build social networks, reduce isolation and pursue meaningful activities such as employment, education, volunteering, training and leisure
- Support carers with education, training and practical help
- Take part in group activities, record and report what happens, and alert the care team to concerns
- Attend meetings and CPA reviews, and provide written and verbal updates to care coordinators and other professionals
- Advocate for service users within agreed boundaries, and help them understand who is involved in their care and how to contact them
- Promote health through information and activities on healthy eating and exercise, and support food preparation and cooking skills
- Identify health and safety risks, including fire, food hygiene and cleanliness
- Recognise signs of relapse and report them to the manager or care coordinator
- Attend supervision and training, maintain professional development, and undertake training in physical health assessment, including venepuncture, ECGs and observations
Experience
- Experience working with people with mental health problems
Other
- Address concerns promptly, directly or through the line manager or relevant Trust process
- Access to transport and ability to travel daily across North East Essex and occasionally throughout the country
- Attend the five-day Monday-to-Friday HCA Academy induction at Brentwood Community Hospital and the five-day EPUT welcome and mandatory training
Nice to have
- Previous experience in a community or inpatient mental health service
- Experience designing and facilitating activity or skills-based group work
What's offered
- 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service
- Pension contribution of up to 14.5% of pensionable pay
- Blue Light Card, NHS discounts and other staff benefits
- Interest-free season ticket loans for tram, rail or bus travel to and from work
- Supervision and support for personal development
- Staff engagement events and equality or champion networks
- Mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling
- Job-share applications welcomed
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