Support Practitioner – Mental Health Services

Closing date: April 4th, 2025

Job Title:

Support Practitioner

Responsible to:

Service Manager

Responsible for:

N/A

Hours of Work:

37.5 hours per week, shifts from 8am-8pm including weekends and bank holidays

Location:

YMCA Together – Newby House

Salary and benefits:

£27,111 per annum

33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum
Paid Medicash support
Birthday Day off
Spiritual Day off
Charity day of your choice
Well-being Hours
Cycle To Work Scheme
Refer a Friend Scheme
Company Pension Scheme 4%
Funded Training Opportunities

Shortlisting/Interview/Assessment Dates:

Shortlisting: 8th April 2025
Interview/Assessment Day 16th April 2025

YMCA is a registered charity and company Limited by Guarantee. We were founded in 1846 and so we build on a long history of providing a place for people experiencing challenging times in their lives.

YMCA Together is a truly value driven organisation. Our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future. We meet our vision by working within our values of Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness. These SHREK values run through all that we do from recruitment to how we work alongside people in our services to our partnership approach with other providers.

Our clear vision and values come together to help us in our mission to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the person and maximising potential.

Job Purpose

As a Support Worker at YMCA Together you will naturally be an empathetic and caring person wanting to provide unconditional support for those experiencing mental health issues. Your role as a Support Worker will be to create a safe environment that empowers residents to make positive changes in their lives.

Duties and responsibilities

Support Practitioners will be skilled in delivering a range of interventions to adults to build strength, enhance resilience and encourage progress. The post holder will be responsible for providing key work support to a small case load of individuals will have the primary role of providing and co-coordinating support interventions and multi-agency activity.

Welcoming new residents in line with the service’s policies and procedures, carry out risk assessments and support people to continue in their journey towards independence
Ensuring the basic needs of residents are met including good quality accommodation and facilities, healthy food, advice and guidance
Advocate for social inclusion of the people you support ensuring they are able to access health and financial support
Developing and reviewing written support plans with the your residents that reflect their own needs, changes and hopes for the future
Work alongside the people in our services to address their physical and mental health issues, including liaison with primary and secondary health teams
Carrying out the immediate support needs of residents as appropriate, providing crisis intervention where necessary and working with services
Ensuring all health and safety and maintenance issues are raised in a timely manner
Participating in team meetings, supervisions and reflective practice encouraging open, honest and transparent feedback where continuous improvement is encouraged.
Being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the service, ensuring our SHREK values runs through all of the work that you do
Promoting a supportive and inclusive culture within the service, valuing people and their diversity.

Health and Safety

To liaise with all emergency services when necessary
Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work
To conduct daily Health and Safety checks
To report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people
Conduct welfare checks as specified during the shift
Ensure adherence to YMCA Together visitor’s policy and procedure
To adhere to all risk management protocols.

Teamwork

To share information and expertise with the team, covering absence, and working together to provide a high-quality service
To contribute to the formulation of policy and procedures in relation to support services
To attend and participate in regular team meetings to ensure good communication.

Professional Practice and Development

Attend regular supervision sessions with the Service Manager in accordance with the supervision contract
Maintain good professional practice and ensure ongoing development, through use of supervision and training
Respect the confidentiality of clients using the service and be responsible for the security of personal and confidential information
Carry out all these duties within the organisation’s safety guidelines
Ensure personal records are correctly maintained
Ensure effective communication with staff within YMCA Together
Work flexibly to meet the changing needs of the organisation
Undertake any other duties that may be reasonably requested
To work within professional boundaries using knowledge of “hard” & “soft” boundary approach
Flexible and positive approach with all team members
Maintaining & displaying positive shared team values at all times
To be committed to learning and personal development both as an individual and as part of a team
Develop and/or maintain excellent and robust relationships, protocols, contacts and service level agreements with Merseycare, referring agencies, statutory services and wider stakeholders
Uphold and nurture YMCA’s Equal Opportunities policy of anti discrimination across all services
Ensure compliance with code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times.

It is recognised that the organisation is operating in a dynamic environment and as such this job description may be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the job.

Qualifications

Experience

Desirable

Ideally you will have a background of working within a charity, community project and/or previous involvement in the mental health sector. You will have knowledge around supporting people with challenging and complex behaviours including substance misuse and Mental Health within a 24 hour residential support service

Knowledge

Desirable

A basic understanding of relevant and appropriate legislation, including welfare benefits and housing law. An understanding of health and safety requirements in the workplace

Communication

Desirable

Excellent communication, fostering a respectful, collaborative and professional approach to the people who you work alongside ensuring confidentiality at all times

Commitment

Desirable

The ability to work in an innovative and solutions focused way, including reflecting and learning as you go, and a willingness to flex and adapt approaches as needed

Empathy and Respect

Desirable

The ability to empower people to make positive changes, showing empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries

Organisation

Desirable

Strong time management and the ability to manage to prioritise tasks

Computer Literacy

Desirable

You will be IT literate and have experience of working with multiple software programs such as Microsoft Office and Outlook.

Desirable

NVQ/L2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
Experience of working within a psychologically informed working environment
Knowledge of housing management and IT databases
Awareness of benefits and how they work including Universal Credit and other welfare systems

Even if you don’t feel that you have all of the relevant skills and “nice to haves” we would still like to hear from you and invite you to fill out our application form.

YMCA Together is an equal opportunities employer, values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

If you would like to apply for this role please click here APPLY NOW

To download a copy of our application form, please click here

If you would like to apply not directly through the website, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk

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