MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE USER INVOLVEMENT Service User Involvement Project Worker The job description does not form part of the contract of employment Salary: SCP 14-16 Hours: 37.5 hours per week Reports to: Service User Involvement Manager Manages: N/A Job information Community Options is the trading name, for the mental health services within Heritage Care. Heritage Care is a registered UK Charity and provides a range of care and housing services for older adults, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health needs. We recruit people who both embody and share our values: People that always behave with integrity and that seek to inspire everyone they come into contact with. People that respect diversity and value inclusiveness. People that constantly innovate to meet the needs of those we serve and impact lives in a positive way. The Inspire Consortium consists of 7 organisations working together to provide the Recovery and Wellbeing Services within Tower Hamlets. Community Options leads the Consortium which has been commissioned to provide the Recovery and Wellbeing Services for the next 3 years. The Consortium s Recovery and Wellbeing Services provide a range of different services to people with mental health needs including: First Point of access, Assessment & Short Term Intervention Service: Providing a comprehensive assessment, signposting to appropriate services both within Inspire and across the borough and where required provide time limited (8weeks) one to one support. Longer term (up to 2 years) 1-1 Support Range of time limited support and activity Groups Work & Wellbeing Hub: Helping people back into employment, education or volunteering and setting up social enterprises. Service User Involvement: Peer support and co-production supporting all partners across the services to embrace and practise effective involvement and co production. This team also supports service user to develop service user led groups and bid for grant support from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The aim of the Recovery and Wellbeing services is to support people to be self-managing, reducing their need for statutory services. This is done by increasing people s self confidence and self worth, and then providing people with the skills, resources and support mechanisms in order to manage their wellbeing and live a valued life within their community. Page 1 of 5
Peer/User Led Groups: The Tower Hamlets Mental Health user led grants programme currently funds 27 user led groups. The groups provide a wide range of social and therapeutic activities which promotes social inclusion, well-being, and independence for adults with mental health needs. The Service User Involvement services ensures that these groups are adequately supported and integrated across the Recovery & Wellbeing Services. Role description The Service User Involvement Project Worker s (SUIPW)s role is to work with service users to have a voice, to support the existing Peer/User Led Groups and to work with service users to develop new peer support user led groups. The SUIPW will facilitate the Support User Network Steering Group meetings 6 times a year. The postholder will also support service user led groups through the developmental programmes to meet identified needs around group management and personal development. The SUIPW will work one day a week with the Working Well Trust. Working Well Trust is a consortium member who provides the IPS work support programme within Tower Hamlets which is separate to the Inspire Recovery and Wellbeing Service. The work will involve supporting the service to work co-productively and to embrace effective involvement. The SUIPW will be working with all partners across the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. They will be based with the Recovery College 4 days a week and 1 day at Prichard Road Centre with the IPS services. Job descriptions are reviewed annually and may be amended in accordance with the needs of the service. Main duties and accountabilities: 1. Work with Service Users: a) To facilitate the running and development of the Support User Network (SUN). This is run approximately 6 times a year. b) To consult with service users about their current involvement in the group activities and feedback to commissioning. c) To support service users and groups through grant and monitoring processes and to source additional income. d) To consult service users about their training needs and develop a training programme that promotes social inclusion, user involvement and group management skills. e) To deliver facilitation and group management workshops every year including but not limited to: Conflict resolution; Fundraising and budgeting; Membership and promotions; How to complete monitoring returns. f) To support service user led groups in the development of policies and procedures around their activities and promoting good practice within these groups. g) To promote the involvement and participation of BME and hard to reach groups. h) To support the Project Coordinator in facilitating the quarterly forums. i) To enable individual and group involvement and participation in the quarterly forums. Page 2 of 5
2. Administration: a) To collect information and opportunities for service users involvement. b) To communicate updates and information through various mediums (text, phone, emails, post). c) To establish and maintain a database for the project. d) To prepare reports to commissioning about service user group performance and support. e) To publicise involvement opportunities (sun), and training events to our networks. f) To be involved in the recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers. g) Overseeing and management of limited budget. 3. Communication Effective communication with all stakeholders e.g. Commissioners, trainers, managers and other professionals. 4. SUN Network management & Training (1 per quarter) a) Organising Meetings / Reminders/ Agenda / Actions b) Identify, design and or facilitating workshops (Needs Analysis) c) Group support for 29 Active one to ones & drop in sessions d) Updating flyer and contacts e) Out of Hour Visits evenings and weekends & regular communication f) Booking and promoting ULG surgeries (one held every month) g) Supporting the development of groups that are hard to reach fill current gaps h) Source additional funding for ULG Groups 5. Commissioning Support with SUN a) Grant Process and revising terms and conditions b) Application Support c) Sun Direction being their voice d) Grant Review Process ( Monitoring and feeding back on performance result) e) Support around Complaints (Providing information upon request) f) Reporting to Commissioners about ULG group update 6. Training Programme Delivery a) Identify needs from monitoring and respond accordingly b) Organize and promote Recovery Workshops-(Source external support ) c) Organize and deliver group Management Sessions d) Identity specific Training (Quarterly) 7. Volunteer Management a) Promotion, recruitment b) Volunteer supervision c) Continued management and Support Page 3 of 5
8. Networking and promotions a) Identify opportunities to promote service and opportunities b) Gain contacts c) Contribute to opportunities list d) Attending forums e) Booking and running stalls at relevant events f) Promotion of other Community Options Projects and events. 9. Your Say Your Day (YSYD) a) Support in planning of event and on day 10. Co-Production & Peer Support a) Partnership working across INSPIRE Consortium b) Working one day a week with Working Well Trust developing the IPS (Employment Sevice) c) Supporting the Peer support workers and peers d) Co-Designing resources with other partners Page 4 of 5
PERSON SPECIFICATION - Service User Involvement Project Worker The person specification is a statement of the minimum standards required for the post to be performed at a reasonable level. In short listing for interview, preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate that they meet all the criteria for the post, however, this will not necessarily guarantee an interview as there may be a large number of candidates applying. When completing the application form it is advisable to show how you have met the criteria, rather than simply stating that you have done so. For example, rather than stating I have good verbal and written communication skills you might state I have made presentations on a number of occasions, regularly produced written reports and so on. Experience Essential Desirable Experience of using mental health services Experience of developing service user led groups or similar project development activities Experience of supervising / managing volunteers Skills and qualities Ability to communicate effectively with service users, voluntary and statutory service providers, trustees and colleagues Ability to work on own initiative and demonstrate the ability to organise own workload and set priorities Ability, understanding and willingness to work as part of a team Ability to engage with and motivate people who use mental health services Ability to write clear reports Ability to use the computer to produce reports, presentations and relevant documentation Ability to facilitate groups Qualifications Research and Development Understanding and knowledge Understanding of mental health service provision in Tower Hamlets Understanding of service user representation and involvement Understanding of national developments in service user involvement A respectful attitude to difference and an understanding of the diverse cultures within the borough Personal attributes Commitment to promoting good practice in community engagement Willingness to learn and to undertake training Willing to negotiate and can handle confrontation effectively and professionally in a solution focused manner. Flexible in approach Page 5 of 5