Specialist Support Worker - #1774986

Job Overview

Woodfield Trauma Service is seeking to recruit a committed and highly motivated support worker to join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team. WTS offers practical support and psychological therapy for adult refugees and asylum seekers with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We are looking for someone with both the skill set and the passion to serve our patient population, many of whom have unique and complex practical support needs. The purpose of the support worker is to assist patients to stabilize their practical needs, and so enable them to engage more fully with the psychological work on offer.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a candidate with Level 3 Health and Social Care training and equivalent previous working experience working in a community mental health setting in a support work role.

Your role will be to support the practical needs of our patients – this will involve helping them navigate the housing, benefits and immigration systems as well as signposting and connecting them to local services such as ESOL, community groups, etc. You will also be tasked with building new links between our service and community services and stay abreast of new developments or changes in statutory provision that impacts our patients. The successful candidate will be committed to working creatively and compassionately to provide a responsive service that is integrated with the rest of the team.

Working for our organisation

The team is based in North Westminster (Harrow Road W9) and serves a culturally diverse community. It is a psychology-led service; you will be joining an experienced and very friendly multi-disciplinary team made up of clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists, an occupational therapist and psychology trainees. We offer a supportive and flexible working environment where supervision is prioritised and where there is a strong commitment to staff training and development.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Woodfield Trauma Service (WTS) is a small but busy team who work with refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants who have experienced trauma and who suffer with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. While it is primarily a psychology service, the service also supports the numerous practical needs that our patients have and the support worker role is a crucial post in the team, offering advice, signposting and practical support to all patients for a large range of issues. By helping patients stabilize their practical needs, they are enabled to engage more fully with the psychological work on offer.

• Provide practical advice and support to refugees and asylum seekers on issues such as housing, welfare benefits, immigration, education.
• Ensure that the clients are linked to other relevant services both in the community and within statutory services.
• Have a good understanding of the legislation and issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers. An ability to speak more than one language would be an asset.
  
  

Main Responsibilities:

Work as a member of the core team of the Woodfield Trauma Service.

Carry and maintain a caseload of clients with practical and social care needs.

Take part in regular supervision and case discussions.

Assist in all necessary aspects of the development of the service, including making links with third sector agencies that can support our clients.

Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and maintain close working relationships with team members.

Carry out assessments of social needs and discussions with the service on ways to meet those needs.

Take part in joint work with staff from local refugee groups, CMHTs, and other organisations working with our patient group.

Work with interpreters as and when required.

Maintain accurate and legible records of clients which will help to facilitate the review and evaluation of the service.

Keep up to date with the changes in legislation and practice as they affect refugees and asylum seekers and disseminate these to the team.

Respect clients’ ethnic, cultural, religious and any other related needs and expectations.

Assist in administrative tasks, answering telephones, making and re-scheduling appointments as required.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent experience
• One year minimum experience of working with service users suffering form mental health problems
• One year minimum experience providing practical support and advice to service users
• Good working knowledge of UK benefits and social housing systems
• Experience of working with forced migrants
• Knowledge of services in the community for refugees and asylum seekers.
• Awareness of the difficulties facing refugees and asylum seekers and of the possible after effects of torture, persecution and exile
• Demonstrate effective organisational ability over a wide range of tasks.
• Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Any training & courses relating to the patient population and their needs.
• Experience of working with agencies working with refugees and asylum seekers.
• Working knowledge of the UK asylum process
• Experience liaising with a variety of relevant organisations on behalf of service users.