Specialist Support Worker

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Mental Heath service in Tower Hamlets.

£29,929.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
A Specialist Support Worker will provide intensive support (both practical and emotional) to people undergoing a period of mental health related crisis. Act as a positive influence on customers encouraging responsible behaviour and self-reliance to people in the service. Support people in a way that maximises their self-sufficiency and enables them to live independently on returning to their own homes.
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:
Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader / Manager.
Carry out initial assessments of potential customers and make decisions over access to the Crisis House
Undertake continuous assessment of needs and potential risks & agree levels of support and actions.
Create support / action plans for providing appropriate services based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable the customer to overcome their crisis
Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to return to their home to continue their recovery & to empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to.
Undertake support work in partnership with Tower Hamlet's Home Treatments Team to complement their interventions.
Fully liaise with Mental Health professionals, including psychiatrists, within the Home Treatment team and maintain excellent relationships with them.
To maintain good liaison with the clients' immediate community and family.
To act as a Shift Leader covering a rota consisting of early shifts (8am - 4pm); Late Shifts (2pm - 10pm) and Middle Shifts (10am - 6pm)
Maintain a safe and welcoming living environment at the Crisis House including some domestic duties.
Demonstrate excellent commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety to customers.

About you:
Relationships
- With key customers (end service users)
- Within team and organisation
- With external partners and agencies
Organisation
- Planning and organising workload
- Awareness of policies and procedures
- Time and resource management
Team membership
- Promote team ethos and values
- Positive contribution to team environment

What you'll bring:

Essential:
- At least an NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social care, or equivalent academic qualification. A minimum of one years' experience of supporting vulnerable adults with mental health / substance use or dual diagnosis needs.

Desirable:
- An understanding of care-planning processes and Models of Care within mental health.
- Knowledge of group and individual therapy and an understanding of risk management.
- Experience of working with vulnerable people who are undergoing a period of crisis.

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see our website for the full Job Description