Support Worker

Role:Support Worker (Community connector - Engagement team)

Location:High Wycombe

Salary: £22,010

Full Time, 37hours Per Week.

Summary

Support Workers (Community Connector Engagement Team) will provide advice, support, advocacy, key work for recovery plans and undertake elements of assessment and case management as directed.

Support Workers (Community Connector Engagement Team) are expected to work not only from Aquarius offices but also in primary care, arrest referral, hospital and youth settings and other outreach settings as required by the service specification.

Training and support will be provided by our internal training lead, as well as being supported by our multidisciplinary and experienced staff team. As part of your induction you will be allocated a buddy to support and enhance your learning and development. Both Aquarius and Inclusion offer an extensive range of training opportunities. We currently have vacancies in our High Wycombe and Aylesbury sites.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working in a way that recognises and values diversity, understands the functional model of substance misuse, the Recovery Agenda and problems caused by alcohol and drug misuse, support worker will:

• To work within the ORB Engagement Team completing ORB psychosocial assessments with service users to determine the appropriate treatment psychosocial treatment pathway.
• To support in the delivery groups to service users.
• To provide a needle exchange service.
• To ensure effective brief interventions are facilitated by staff and Recovery Supporter Volunteers.
• To signpost to local services and empower service users to build their community networks and recovery capital.
• To promote visible and contagious recovery in the hub.
• To work collaboratively with all service users/partner agencies/stakeholders to identify the barriers that prevent people from all communities accessing a full range of services, including substance misuse mental health wellbeing and primary mental health services.
• To create and maintain a local Recovery Assets Register.
• To provide effective supervision to Recovery Supporter Volunteers in the hub and ensure their development needs are met.
• Ensure all clients have scheduled appointments according to their needs and discern when issues are/are not an emergency which requires immediate action.

Empower service users to develop their networks and recovery capital.

Service User Work

• Complete ORB psychosocial assessments with service users.
• Engage service users into treatment and through their Recovery Journey
• Complete screening and asset based mapping to identify appropriate recovery focused interventions.
• To support in the delivery groups to service users.
• Support clinics.
• Complete recovery plans with service users that are SMART goal focussed.
• Identify andeffectively manage risk with service users
• Deliver a range of tailored brief interventions including CBT based brief solution focused therapy and motivational enhancement techniques.
• Provide harm reduction advice, information and support with an emphasis on safer drug use, safer sex, HIV, Hepatitis A, B and C and other blood borne infections.
• Provide a needle exchange service and distribution of Naloxone.
• To assist and support prescribing regimes.
• Demonstrable commitment to service user involvement
• To work with a range of professionals in ensuring service users needs in terms of safeguarding and mental health are met.
• Support and supervise Recovery supporter in their role and be an advocate for visible recovery and community reintegration.

Administrative

To receive calls and respond appropriately.

To keep up to date records and information for the purpose of internal and external evaluation.

To assist with processing referrals and closure of cases.

To process data information and assist in providing reports.

General

a) To understand and work with the ethos, aims and objectives of ORB and Aquarius.

b) Keep accurate records and the necessary data for reporting and evaluation purposes.

c) To undertake training as required by the organisation.

d) To participate in supervision as required by the organisation.

e) To attend meetings as required by the organisation.

f) To work within Aquarius policies and procedures.

g) To undertake such other duties as required by the organisation.

h) To notify the manager of any untoward occurrences which may affect the service, both at a professional and administrative level.

i) To provide written records and reports as required by the organisation.

j) To be flexible with regard to working hours to meet the demands of the post.

k) To be willing to travel to locations as required by the service.

There is a demand to provide a flexible service to meet client need and therefore there will be an expectation to work evenings and weekends as required by the service. The exact pattern of work will be determined by service need and may be subject to change.

Holiday entitlement is 32 days plus 8 Bank Holidays.

The salary for this post is £22,010 per annum (pay award pending) with the possibly of progression, subject to the post-holder meeting the eligibility and performance criteria.

A pension scheme is available.

All Aquarius staff are employed on an initial probationary period of 6 months. During this period, notice of termination by either party will be one month.

An enhanced DBS check will be required for this post.