Hiu Lead

**Role: Lead Caseworker - Mental Health Outreach**

**Location: East Sussex**

**Contract type: Permanent**

**Hours per week: 35**

**Salary: £27,500 Per Annum**

**We’ve got an opportunity**

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced caseworker to join the British Red Cross in East Sussex, working on an innovative NHSE programme that supports people who access health care more than expected (commonly referred to as High Intensity Use (HIU) of urgent and emergency care services, including A&E, Primary Care and Mental Health).

Based in the community in East Sussex you will work intensively with a rolling caseload, helping to identify and address unmet social needs that may be exacerbating physical and/or mental health. The people we support may have complex presentations, including mental health, substance misuse, multiple long-term conditions, adverse traumatic experiences, and they are often suspicious of formality and offers of support.

So, we are looking for someone whose ability to connect is exceptionally strong. You must be authentic, engaging and compassionate.

A large part of our role is to lower the stigma that is associated with this group of people and to change mindsets and behaviours that can adversely affect access and recovery. Building strong relationships with partners, such as the A&E department at Eastbourne General & Community Mental Health Teams, GP Surgeries, housing teams, the local voluntary sector, police and the ambulance service, you will advocate for equity and improve integrated working.

Lastly, most of your time will be spent out in the community; meeting people in their homes, in cafes or walking in the park, so you will also need to be confident of lone working procedures and able to keep meticulous support records whilst out and about. You will also need to be physically able to maintain face to face activity (within public health and BRC guidelines) during the CV-19 pandemic.

BRC are the largest provider of HIU services across the UK, with a 100% sustainability rate for our commissioned services. This project has every opportunity to be sustained past the initial period if outcomes are successful.

**Say hello to the team**

You will join BRC’s existing HIU services and will also be a part of our national HIU network, where we share best practice and problem solve together. You will also receive an extensive and bespoke induction and training package. Additionally, you will receive coaching and mentoring from the founder of England’s highly successful HIU programme.

**About you**

We are seeking a resilient, courageous, and kind individual who has a real appetite for helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society. You will be able to think ‘outside the box’ and have strong negotiation and communication skills to empower people to achieve ‘_what matters to them_’. You will be experienced in person centred support planning and dynamic risk assessing.

**We offer a wide range of staff benefits, these include**:

- 36 days holiday (including Bank Holidays)
- Option to buy an extra 5 days annual leave
- Up to 6% contributory pension
- Flexible working policy

**A little bit more about us...**

The British Red Cross help anyone, anywhere in the UK; get the support they need if crisis strikes. From hiring a wheelchair or dealing with loneliness, to adjusting to life in a new country - we're there when you need us.

Our organisation was born out of a desire to bring help without discrimination. Impartiality and neutrality have been central values for the Red Cross since we started.

At the British Red Cross, we are looking for the best people to help us provide support to millions of people affected by crisis in the UK. We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of; age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Diversity is something we celebrate and we want you to be able to bring your authentic-self to the Red Cross. We want you to feel that you are in an inclusive environment, and a great position to help us spread the power of kindness.

In the British Red Cross we will not tolerate any form of misconduct, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse. We have a code of conduct in place, and are committed to creating a culture of integrity in the organisation where misconduct is not tolerated, situations of abuse are quickly investigated and perpetrators are dealt with effectively.

As part of its recruitment and selection process the British Red Cross undertakes DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checking of all individuals who regularly work with or have access to children and vulnerable adults.

If driving is an essential requirement of the role, appropriate driver checks will be completed in line with current policy.

The British Red Cross,