Full Time Support Worker

£ 24,968.26 per annum (basic salary) plus £ 620 per annum (geographical allowance)

Kirtling House is a highly successful Residential Mental Health Recovery & Support Service in central Winchester, and due to our continued success, we are looking to add to our staff team.

We are seeking an inspiring and compassionate person, who can work creatively alongside people with mental health needs on their journey towards greater wellbeing & independence.

Utilising your passion for empowering people with complex mental health and social care needs, you will be supporting individuals to increase their independence & life quality.

Your role will be encouraging and assisting people to complete and learn daily tasks such as cooking, budgeting and exploring opportunities in the community as well as supporting with skills to self-manage metal wellbeing.

Experience is not essential as we offer excellent training opportunities and a chance to work within a dynamic, friendly working environment, competitive pay, career development & other benefits.

However, a passion for supporting people to take control of their own lives and a belief in mental health recovery is crucial.

Please note that preference will be given to those with experience of working within the social care and/or mental health sector.

Because of the nature of our work, you will be expected to work early/late shifts, alternate weekends and sleep-in duties.

We are currently seeking to recruit to 1 x 37.5 hours per week Support Worker.

Please note we offer paid overtime and an additional enhancement for sleep in shifts (the advertised salary includes an average of 1 sleep shift per week).

At Together we value and encourage diversity and inclusion within our workforce.

We are committed to creating a workplace where you can be your authentic self, welcoming applications from people from diverse communities and backgrounds who share our values.

As an employer, we are committed to making any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.

Given this role involves supporting vulnerable people, successful applicants will be subject to a DBS check and satisfactory references prior to being offered employment.

Regrettably, we are unable to provide sponsorship for non-UK nationals.

Functional Responsibilities

Establish and maintain relationships of trust with service users, to build engagement

Help service users to set, prioritise and achieve goals, managing their tenancies and move-ons

Work flexibly with service users in their homes and in the community

Carry out assessments and determine urgency of service user needs

Work with professionals from other agencies, and make onward referrals, linking service users into community opportunities

Carry out risk assessments, in order to keep service users safe and improve the quality of our support

Attend placement reviews

Work with service users on a 1:1 basis and in groups

Assist service users to; deal with financial issues and navigate the benefits and education systems; manage friendships and family relationships; manage their medication, in accordance with Together procedures

Accompany service users to appointments

Assist service users to undertake domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning, ensuring adherence to infection control (training provided)

Assist service users with personal care as and when required

Adhere to the Together policy on lone working

Make timely records which are concise, accurate, written for the service user to understand, using Together computer-based systems

Write clear word processed and handwritten reports (training provided) and records in English

Participate in mandatory and job-related courses and learning activities

Maintain professional boundaries in all aspects of work with service users

Essential

Experience in supporting vulnerable individuals gained from paid work and/or voluntary and/or life experience

Minimum of GCSE or Level II qualification in English, or equivalent

Basic competence in the use of email and word processing software

Demonstrate a non-judgemental attitude and able to be empathetic towards service users and create a trusting environment

Able to work in partnership with services users and establish and maintain professional boundaries in working with service users

Able to establish and maintain a safe environment

Willing and able to undertake domestic tasks with, and for, service users as necessary

Demonstrate problem-solving skills relating to welfare benefits, education and relationships

Open to - and willing to participate in - formal and informal job-related learning

Willing and able to collaborate with colleagues and other organisations

Able to use email and computerised systems for service user records and reports

Able to travel; have access to car/public transport

Able to work a varying pattern of shifts on a 24 hour 7-day week rota, with notice

Desirable

Lived experience of mental distress

NVQ Level II in Health and Social Care, or equivalent