Job Details
Description
Information and Options Worker
Salary: £24,333.75 per annum
Hours : 37 hours pw (full-time)
Contract: permanent
Contract: permanent
Location: Based in Aylesbury with travel across North Bucks and occasional working from home
Buckinghamshire Mind is seeking an Information and Options Worker (IOW) to support the longer-term mental health and wellbeing of people with serious mental illness. The IOW will achieve this by building relationships with individuals and encouraging them to use suitable community based services.
To be an IOW you’ll need to have skills and experience of working with mental health issues and of assessing individual’s needs, and an understanding of the relevant community services available. You’ll be highly relational and find it easy to get alongside people and encourage them on their journey towards better mental health.
Who we are
Buckinghamshire Mind works to support and represent people with mental health illnesses living across the county. We tackle stigma and discrimination head-on. We support our service-users to live safe, purposeful and fulfilled lives in our communities. We believe in their recovery and are hopeful about their future. Working together with National Mind we will not give up until everyone in our community gets the respect and help that they need.
Who we need
In addition to your skills and experience to work with people with serious mental health issues, you’ll also have strong interpersonal skills to work with other health professionals, and you’ll be well organised to manage your diary and your reporting requirements.
As this role is based in the community with travel between several locations, public transport links are not sufficient for this role in this area and you will need access to a vehicle (with appropriate vehicle insurance) to enable visits to multiple locations, work related mileage will be paid.
Why work with us
This role provides a real opportunity to develop your skills in working in the mental health charity sector and NHS Adult Mental Health Teams. You’ll be part of a supportive and dedicated multi-partnership team and have the opportunity to see your work bring about positive change.
You’ll receive monthly supervision and support with your personal and career development.
Please see job description for full details and a description of all the Bucks Mind benefits.
How to apply
Please send your CV and application form.
Closing date for applications – 28th July 2024
We will be assessing applications and interviewing on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to close the advert early if we fill the post. If you’re interested please apply early.
Buckinghamshire Mind is an Equal Opportunities and inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you meet all or most of the essential criteria we welcome your application as training and development can be provided to give you further skills. Any offer made relating to this post will be subject to satisfactory references and a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
Key Responsibilities
Purpose of role
The Information and Options Worker will help to raise patient awareness of alternative mental health and community services appropriate to personal need and circumstances as well as encourage and support service users to use these services to improve longer term mental health and well-being.
Working closely with the Aylesbury Community Mental Health Team the postholder will take referrals from patients across Oxford Health teams aged 18-65 for short term support and/or signpost to appropriate community support services – both within Bucks Mind and with other service providers.
The post holder will work closely with service users to understand their recovery goals and provide ‘handholding’ support to enable service users to attend services, groups or activities in the community. A high level of work will take place in the community as well as from the Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury, across varied short-term periods of work (often no more than 3 months with each service user).
Responsibilities
A Raising Patient Awareness
- Take referrals and support a caseload of patients through 1:1 support either from the Whiteleaf Centre, patient’s homes or in community locations, and to provide details of the range of (support) options available in the community, signposting, referring or supporting as required.
- Where needed take patients to the community groups/activities/services to promote their ability to attend the service regularly and independently.
- Provide individual face to face ‘options sessions’ for people who require signposting to community-based support services and/or activities.
- Liaise with Keyworkers to agree on patient chosen activity and discuss future community-based support options as required.
- Ensure patient’s electronic records are updated regularly and professionally.
- Ensure that the named Keyworker (or other referral source) is made aware of all recommendations so that they can be followed up.
- Providing a digital option for the service, if required by Government guidelines on social distancing. This may include providing weekly activity packs/care packages sent via post, Zoom meetings/social activities, Facebook engagement and wellbeing phone calls.
B Monitoring
- Monitor patient progress by liaising with CMHT colleagues and/or accessing electronic patient records.
- Report on service evaluation and outcome measures such as caseload, referral source, referrals, signposting recommendations, needs, progress measures and impact.
- Attend Multidisciplinary and Business meetings and any appropriate forum or team meeting, such as reflective practice, as requested by manager to discuss and share information around potential patients.
C Supporting and developing the Bucks Mind Information Service
- Support the development and provide updated information for the Buckinghamshire Mind Guide database and website.
- Liaise with outside organisations, individuals and the community at large to build good working relationships that benefit patients and ensure the information we hold and distribute is correct, up to date and appropriate.
- Work with Bucks Mind colleagues to ensure that the online Bucks Mind Guide is well promoted and utilised across partner and community organisations.
- Monitor gaps in services and feedback to Bucks Mind and Oxford Health supervisors to inform service development.
D Other
- Communicate appropriately and effectively with service users and professionals across Bucks Mind, Oxford Health and the wider community.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork with the Recovery Worker, Information and Options Worker South and Navigator team to ensure quality of service provision, attending weekly peer support where possible.
- Recognise, challenge and be responsive to stigma and discrimination of all kinds.
- Represent the organisation in a professional and appropriate manner at all times.
- Work creatively, looking at new possibilities, bringing new ideas to the team and respond appropriately to the needs and views of both current and potential service users.
- Work within Buckinghamshire Mind’s and Oxford Health’s policies and procedures including Performance Management, Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Service User Involvement, Health and Safety and the Code of Conduct.
- Keep informed about other projects, events and related issues of Buckinghamshire Mind.
- Share ideas, issues, information with the team and in the wider Mind forum.
- Prepare for supervision and use it effectively.
- Keep line manager up to date and informed.
- Work in a flexible way to take on other responsibilities as appropriate.
- Attend both internal and external meetings for Buckinghamshire Mind and the CMHT as requested by managers.
This job description is intended as a basic guide to the scope and responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive. It will be subject to regular review and amendment as necessary in consultation with the post holder.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
General
Essential
- Supports the aims and work of Buckinghamshire Mind and Oxford Health NHS FT
- Maintains strict confidentiality concerning all Buckinghamshire Mind and Oxford Health matters
- A positive attitude towards people with mental health difficulties, in-particular people’s ability to develop and change.
- Ability to travel around the area with access to a vehicle for use during working hours, clean driving license, and with appropriate travel insurance (work related mileage will be paid).
Desirable
- Access to own vehicle with appropriate travel insurance (work related mileage will be paid)
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Experience working with at risk adults and/or with mental health needs.
- Educated to A level standard or equivalent in a relevant subject area to the role.
- High level of ICT skills, and administration skills, including understanding and experience of using databases and data protection issues.
- Ability to write clear, concise and relevant notes pertaining to meetings with service users.
- Ability to prioritise work appropriately, meet deadlines, keep timely appointments and manage a varied diary.
- Sufficient knowledge to set up and provide support via digital online mediums, such as Microsoft Teams, Facebook and Zoom if a remote service is required.
Desirable
- Educated to degree level or above in a relevant subject area to the role.
Communication and Interpersonal skills
Essential
- Ability to respond appropriately to people in distress and maintain appropriate boundaries.
- Work with patients/service users in a person-centred way
- Be able to support people professionally and build positive rapport via various mediums, i.e. face-to-face, telephone or digitally online.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
Desirable
- Experience and understanding of the importance of team working across varied community services.
- Understanding and knowledge of other mental health and related services, both voluntary and statutory, in the North Buckinghamshire area, and be able to signpost service users accordingly.
Other
Essential
- Ability to work within Buckinghamshire Mind’s policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality and Safeguarding.
- Ability to prepare for and use supervision and team meetings well.
- Ability to take responsibility for your work and conduct and to make yourself accountable.
Supervision and learning and development
- Supervision is provided on a monthly basis by both Oxford Health and Bucks Mind
- Buckinghamshire Mind is committed to your learning and development and a plan will be put in place between you and your manager to support your L&D
Benefits
Please visit our website for more information our company benefits.
Buckinghamshire Mind is an independent charity providing high quality services to support and represent people with mental health needs in the local community. We work to provide a voice for people with mental health needs, to fight stigma and campaign to influence policy and decision making locally. We are committed to making sure our services are inclusive and meet the diverse needs of people in Buckinghamshire and East Berkshire.
Buckinghamshire Mind is run by local people for local people and is responsible for its own funding and the services it provides.
We are an independent charity that is proud to be affiliated with national Mind and to adhere to its quality standards of governance and service delivery. Buckinghamshire Mind is part of a network of over 100 Local Minds, which provide trusted mental health services to our communities.
