Support Practitioner

Closing date: March 6th, 2023

Job Title:

Responsible to:

Service Manager

Responsible for:

N/A

Hours of Work:

37.5 hrs per week

Location:

Stepping Stones & Nightingale House

Salary and benefits:

£25,555 per annum
33 Days Annual leave including holidays per annum
Paid Medicash support
Birthday bonus
Charity day of your choice
Well-being Hours
Cycle To Work Scheme
Refer a Friend Scheme
Christmas Voucher
Company Pension Scheme 4%
Funded Training Opportunities
Hardship/DTH Loan

YMCA Together 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

To provide stepped up, crisis care to people to prevent an initial hospital admission. YMCA Together are able to adapt and flex our current provision to enable a safe and therapeutically beneficial environment to support service users in crisis.

We provide crisis accommodation (stepped-up care) & delayed discharge accommodation (stepped-down care) within Stepping Stones and Drop In provision.

This support service will offer a creative but assertive approach to accommodating individuals with mental health and complex needs it will offer a wide range of support and assistance including supporting welfare benefits applications to liaising with statutory and voluntary partners.

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.

To work as part of the daytime Support Team
To provide an accommodation-based support service to people in a period of crisis within a psychologically informed environment that is underpinned with a Trauma Informed Care approach
To recognise that all people who access the service will be in a period of mental health crisis and will need a considered and planned response
To ensure each service user will receive personalised support taking into account their identified risks and personal needs
To provide a high level of therapeutic support to individuals in mental health crisis & professionally diagnosed complexities of needs
To provide a safe, welcoming environment with excellent standards and an ethos of service delivery that encourages all service users to engage with support on offer
To facilitate access to service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
To respond to emergency referrals and/or situations
To offer a safe space with temporary support, whilst alternative arrangements for support & safe return to own accommodation are put in place
To Support service users transitioning from Hospital Wards to achieve their goals and targets as defined/ agreed within the projects Multiple Needs Assessment Tool & Framework
To safely facilitate a return to the home for clients accepted into the crisis accommodation-based support
To implement practical, feasible &effective resettlement planning & support for clients accessing the delayed discharge accommodation-based service.

Specific Duties

Receiving referrals for clients in mental health crisis & accommodation based social crisis (through Meresycare) via Crisis Resolution Home Support Team (CRHT), Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) Care Coordination & Integrated Hospital Discharge Teams
Responding to referrals within set timescales (1 hour)
Assess any referrals to determine suitability to the service & if accepted arrange for move into the accommodation
Undertake initial needs & risk assessments
Preparation of room prior to move in being completed
Carry out induction to all new clients of the service
Completion of housing benefit application and YMCA Together License Agreement
Complete the welcome process to the service – which may include supporting with the preparation of food & drink
Make arrangements for client to attend meetings with Crisis Resolution Home Support Team (CRHT) or Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) Care Coordinator
Support with effective pathway & resettlement planning – what needs to be in place for clients when they return home or access their own independent accommodation
Carry out evening welfare checks during every shift
To monitor clients emotional & mental wellbeing
To contribute to & to follow a 7-day reoccurring timetable for clients
To contribute & follow every clients Wellness Plan – this covers 6 domains:

Wellness Tools, Triggers, Early Warning Signs of Distress, Decline, Crisis Planning,

& Post Crisis Planning

To facilitate &/or attend regular three-way meetings between ourselves, the service user, the Crisis Resolution Home Support Team (CRHT) or Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) to ensure progress and problems are discussed in a timely fashion.
To work with a range of statutory and voluntary sector partners to address any identified needs
Ensuring all clients are registered with a GP and dentist
Referring & linking clients to specialist services & other community services where appropriate
To provide client activities each evening in line with the set service activity timetable
To socially engage with clients outside of designated timetabled activities to reduce social isolation & promote inclusion
If required, in the event of an acute mental health episode/crisis, to follow the agreed service pathways with Merseycare & Crisis Resolution Home Support Team (CRHT), to ensure clients receive appropriate support
To display a willingness to work with clients who display challenging behaviours which may include verbal aggression
To deal promptly with all serious incidents, complaints and safeguarding/abuse disclosures
To creatively support and engage with clients that have a wide range of complex and challenging support needs
To provide appropriate support for referred “drop-in” clients who are unable to access our accommodation-based service, but require short-term overnight support, whilst suitable arrangements are made for their on-going support
To provide 24/7 crisis telephone support for anyone who accessed the service previously or anyone referred via CPN to avoid attendance at A&E
To monitor rent & personal service charge payments using housing management systems
To support & facilitate effective resettlement planning sessions to enable clients to successfully move-on from the service
Assisting service users in their personal hygiene and the general up-keep of their room
To support in the turning around & cleaning of void rooms within limited timescales
To provide “drop-in” support when required to clients of OUR House.

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
Flexible and positive approach with all team members
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.

Person Specification – Support Practitioner

Qualifications

Desirable

Educated to level 3 in mental health, housing (CIH or equivalent) or Qualification or working experience in homelessness, mental health, housing or advice

Experiences

Essential

Experience of supporting people in a work environment
Experience of partnership working
Experience of formulating risk assessments
Working experience of maintaining up to date electronic records and calendars

Desirable

Experience of working within a psychologically informed environment (PIE)
Experience of Trauma Informed Care and of working in a therapeutic environment

Knowledge

Essential

A working knowledge of providing support
A working knowledge of Health & Safety issues
A clear understanding of complex needs support issues such as mental health, homelessness, substance misuse and offending
Knowledge of safeguarding protocols
Understanding of how to deal with challenging and chaotic individuals

Desirable

Knowledge of health interventions
Knowledge of welfare rights

Skills

Essential

Computer literate, competent in working with Microsoft word, outlook, windows
Excellent communication, engagement and interpersonal skills
Excellent administration skills

Desirable

Analytical, data collation and reporting skills

Behaviour/ Attributes

Essential

Committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs
Committed to own personal development and CPD planningCreative and dynamic approach with the ability to “think outside of the box” when providing solutions
Energetic, highly motivated with a reputation of being held in high regard by peers
Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills
Excellent negotiation/ mediation skillsCommitted to own career development
Ability to work within & have commitment to YMCA ethos, philosophy and SHREK values, Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness
Energetic, dynamic and self motivated

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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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