Job Description
Position: Family Safeguarding Recovery and Wellbeing Worker
Reporting to: Operations Manager
Contract: Fixed-term to 31 March 2027, extension, funding dependant.
Hourly rate: £14.50 - £15.57 depending on experience
Actual Salary: £26,390 - £28,337 depending in experience
Hours required: 35 Hours
Location: Taunton and West Somerset
Holiday: 23 Plus Bank holidays
Pension: Up to 9% (non-contractual)
Job Purpose
The post-holder is responsible for individual and group work with adults whose behaviours mean their children are at risk of harm. They will ensure that parents who come into the Family Safeguarding programme, and have a mental health concerns, are provided with holistic, strengths based support, focusing on the individual needs of the parent and family, linking with wider Open Mental Health offer of support as required.
Main Responsibilities.
- Take on a caseload as guided by the Somerset County Council Family Safeguarding Team Manager and deliver time-limited, goal focused interventions for parents coming into contact with the Family Safeguarding project, safely and effectively.
- Assess individuals against needs, strengths and risks as they come on to the caseload and provide outreach services, including home visits. Deliver 1-1 key working sessions as well as semi structured and structured groups as a part of their personalised programme of support and activity.
- Provide psycho-social interventions to parents involved in the service – drawing on CBT and DBT techniques, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused working, skills and behaviours coaching, parenting skills and boundary setting.
- Actively engage those people introduced in recognised social, therapeutic, creative, practical and community activities.
- Share information within the Open Mental Health Network and develop and implement personal action plans as appropriate, always working within the boundaries of confidentiality and data protection.
- Attend core Open MH locality weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings in order to ‘warmly transfer’ parents to additional support from clinical colleagues, or from Open MH partners organisations.
- Create a safe, positive environment that supports and enables individuals and groups to participate, achieve and flourish.
- Build relationships of trust with individuals and groups that maintain appropriate boundaries.
- Accurately record individual, group and session notes, including on Somerset County Council’s systems. Collect, collate and input information for monitoring and evaluation purposes in line with the requirements of the post, including inputting to purpose built databases and/or systems.
- Attend and actively participate in care planning and review meetings and attending child protection conferences/other case conferences or Family Courts, as required and identified by the Family Safeguarding Team Manager.
- Escalate any clinical risk to Somerset Foundation Trust in line with agreed protocols
- Follow all Somerset Council Family Safeguarding protocols, including escalation of any altered risk to the family.
- Engage in regular clinical and case management, individual and group supervision with The Family Safeguarding Team.
- Engage in co-production with Open Mental Health co-production manager – to learn, develop and evolve the service and offer.
- Keep abreast of mental health, wellbeing and related and relevant therapeutic matters, initiatives and policy at local and national level. Be responsible for own CPD.
- By agreement and negotiation with relevant parties (as necessary) use the resources of the community, natural, physical and human, to further the development of recovery and wellbeing activities.
- Work constructively and creatively with other team members and partners to meet the agreed targets and outcomes of Open Mental Health and of Family Safeguarding.
- Take on any other duties which may reasonably be requested to further the aims of Open Mental Health or The Balsam Centre.
Person Specification
The post holder will need to be flexible in terms of meeting and working with beneficiaries. The job may occasionally involve lone working or home visits. A reasonable level of physical fitness will be required to participate in some activities.
Essential
- Substantial mental health and therapeutic experience and associated qualifications.
- A proven, successful track record and substantial experience of multi-disciplinary team working in a mental health or wellbeing environment.
- Experience of working with complexity and using a trauma informed approach.
- Proven experience of working with people with multiple needs (e.g. mental health, domestic abuse, alcohol/drug dependency, long term conditions).
- Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures relating to children, young people and adults.
- Excellent people and communication skills.
- Excellent time management and flexibility.
- A responsive, resourceful and pro-active approach.
- A personal commitment to making a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of beneficiaries.
- Ability to develop and maintain effective working partnerships at all levels.
- An understanding of key concepts such as co-production, peer support, inclusion, recovery and wellbeing.
- The ability to plan and provide practical opportunities for different therapeutic individual and group activities.
- Familiarity with vulnerable adult safeguarding principles and procedures. Knowledge and understanding of relevant health, safety, legal and ethical frameworks.
- Ability to function effectively both independently and as a member of the team.
- Ability to engage positively and authentically in group and individual clinical supervision.
- Confidence and humour.
- Sound general IT skills.
- Traveling throughout the area required.
Desirable
- A professional counselling Diploma and associated experience.
- Experience of using psycho-social interventions such as Motivational Interviewing or Brief Solution Focused Therapy (not essential as training will be provided).
- Group work facilitation experience and skills.
- Relevant specialist skills, interests or knowledge.
- A knowledge and understanding of the challenges of life in a rural community.
Equal Opportunities:
Mind in Somerset is fully committed to the principle of equal opportunities in employment and opposes all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination, direct or indirect. All employees and volunteers are expected to promote and work fully in line with the company’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
Mind in Somerset is a Disability Confident employer and welcomes applications from disabled people. If disabled applicants meet the minimum criteria for the job, they can request and will be offered a guaranteed interview. Should applicants require reasonable adjustment support for the interview, please contact the HR Team.
Criminal Record and Right to Work Check
Due to the safeguarding nature of our work, the successful candidate will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to starting with us. A criminal record will not automatically mean withdrawal of an offer; however, to safeguard our staff, volunteers and service users, further discussion or investigation may be required so that an informed decision can be made as to your suitability for this role.
The successful candidate will also need to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.
Changes to the Role
This job description is not exhaustive and needs to be flexible to respond to the changing needs of the service and of Mind in Somerset. It should be read as a current representation of the role and will be subject to periodic review. Any changes will be discussed with the post holder at review.
Pay: £26,390.00-£28,337.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Life insurance
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
