Family Support Worker

**HOME BASED - FLEXIBLE WORKING - WOULD BE COVERING A LARGE PATCH - LEASE CAR SCHEME INCLUDED - USUAL NHS BENEFITS (SICK PAY, PENSION ETC)**

**Applications from those whom are DEAF/Hard of Hearing or who have lived experience of caring for a Deaf person are strongly encouraged to apply**

Vacancy for a _**Deaf Family Support Worker**_, Band 4, 37.5hrs (1wte) per week

We have an exciting opportunity for a **_Deaf Family Support Worker_** to join the National Deaf CAMHS team for Central England, which covers the _**West Midlands, East Midlands and South Central regions (see map in link below). This post is for the South Central region covering Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Berkshire.**_ As this post covers a large geographical region you could live anywhere in the above regions. Applicants need to be willing and able to travel within working hours.

You will be joining the team in providing an excellent CAMHS service to deaf young people and families.

Post holders would be based at home and all travel would be in work time and paid from home. We are well resourced for remote working.

Applicants who are deaf are encouraged to apply.

**Main duties of the job**

**National Deaf CAMHS**

National Deaf CAMHS is an innovative community and inpatient mental health service delivering a pathway of care for 0-18 year olds across England. We are also piloting provision for 18-25 year olds in some regions. The national service is delivered by four NHS Trusts, and our teams link closely together. You will be working closely with our key partners where together we have an ambition to deliver an outstanding model of mental health care for the deaf children, young people and parents of England.

NDCAMHS is a unique and truly individual service We are continuously learning and evolving, as we work together to meet the mental health needs of children, young people and parents who are deaf.

You will be a strong team player, confident and motivated and well organised. Patience and commitment are essential, but above all you will be someone with a genuine desire to help others.

The post holder will be required to:

- Contribute to multi-disciplinary health assessments and development of treatment plans in collaboration with mental health professionals.
- Provide care under the direction of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Promote a positive view of deafness by being a positive role model.
- Advise and support others about deaf issues.
- Provide deaf awareness training to families/carers and staff.

**Working for your organisation**

We are a fully integrated multi-disciplinary team comprising Psychologists; Psychiatrists; Systemic Family Therapists; Nurses; Occupational Therapists and Family Support Workers. A key aspect of the role is working closely with clinicians/practitioners as part of a bi-lingual, bi-cultural multi-disciplinary team with deaf and hearing practitioners and BSL/English Interpreters. We welcome deaf applicants, and applicants who already have a high level of British Sign Language, however specialist training and development will be provided to develop knowledge and skills for working with deaf children and young people.

**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**

You would be work flexibly across pathways of care in a variety of community settings and work closely with clinicians/practitioners in multi-disciplinary teams including deaf and hearing staff and BSL/English Interpreters.

Our clients use a wide range of communication modalities including British Sign Language, Sign Supported English, various spoken languages and mínimal language.

You would support mental health practitioners to conduct initial assessments and develop plans of intervention in conjunction with young people, parents and professionals. You would work with a varied caseload, under supervision, which will include carrying out specialist assessment and therapeutic interventions, working flexibly across pathways of care in a variety of community settings, and to work closely with clinicians/practitioners in multi-disciplinary teams. We work both directly with families, as well as offering joint care with local CAMHS services, multi-agency working and consultation. Excellent problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills and a positive attitude towards working with deaf children, and their families, with complex mental health needs are essential.

The main office base for the outreach team is in Dudley, however clinicians are based from their homes across the whole of the Central England (West Midlands, East Midlands, South Central) region and you will be required to travel to a range of settings throughout the Central England region. You may be required to attend occasional national meetings with our colleagues in other areas of our NDCAMHS services across England. We have access to a lease car scheme and paid for accommodation if needing to be further from home. Clinical and office