Specialist Support Worker

Have you studied psychology, social care, substance misuse or criminology? Are you simply looking to make a difference? Tabard Court, Look Ahead’s Forensic Mental Health service, is looking for a sharp, ambitious, and enthusiastic Specialist Support Worker to join its team at the heart of East London.

Tabard Court is an accommodation-based service designed for 19 male residents aged 18-74 who are affected by complex mental health needs and have a significant offending history, from threats to manslaughter. Substance misuse is often one of these complex needs.

**Our mission?** We support often marginalised people to move towards greater independence as part of their recovery. We work to prevent or manage risks of reoffence or relapse and accompany them to move on to their own property in the community.

**About You**
- You love collaborating across teams and are personable, helpful, and incredibly organised.
- You deeply care about improving the access to opportunities for marginalised groups and enhancing their social welfare.
- You have exceptional communication skills that you seamlessly adapt when interacting with service users, peers or external stakeholder.
- You are naturally curious and passionate about the relationship between mental health and crime.
- You are deeply motivated by work that enables you and the people you will be supporting to learn and grow.

**With Us**
- You will work alongside a diverse and inclusive team who liaise worked on a near-constant basis with the NHS, the courts, prisons, police, health, probation services or local authorities.
- You will have access to learning opportunities such as Care Certificate courses, trainings in Mental Health, Physical Health, in Safeguarding Topics, Supporting Customers as well as in Personal Development, Office and Business Skills or Diversity and Inclusion and much more.
- You will be coached and led to grow not only as a professional on a career trajectory, but also as a person.
- You will have access to mentorship opportunities and professional development reviews.
- You will work in a service embedded in a strong sense of purpose and meaning in what it does.
- You will make a difference.

**What does a Specialist Support Worker do?**

All Support Workers help people retain or regain their independence, but Specialist Support Workers hold a caseload of 4 to 6 service users for whom they undertake keyworking responsibilities and lead with their support. This could involve supporting people with taking medication, or empowering them to claim benefits, find more permanent housing or rebuild meaningful relationships with friends and family. You could also help them learn life skills like budgeting or cooking, accompany them to appointments or social events, find purpose, get engaged in hobbies and a whole range of different tasks. Above all else, Specialist Support Workers at Tabard Court provide continuous assessment of residents’ needs and potential risks; they also ensure to develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community. No day is the same

**Key tasks**
- If a need arises, deliver all aspects of support to enable a customer to develop independent living skills as appropriate to the individual needs of the customer. In some services, this will include delivering personal and physical care as appropriate
- Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where customers have not yet developed the skills, to ensure they enjoy a high quality of accommodation
- Undertake the creation of Support Plans, Risk Management Plans and other appropriate documentation
- Carry out security duties to ensure the safety of the customers and premises
- Monitor the CCTV throughout the shift
- Enable customers to make full use of community facilities by providing support as directed
- Carry out support duties to enable customers to integrate into the community including e.g., accompanying the customer to attend benefit agency appointments and meetings, go shopping, to enquire at colleges about possible courses, to visit various public amenities
- Report any observations relating to customers welfare
- Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care, Support & Housing plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements
- Ensure Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times
- Maintain digital and physical records as required at the project under the direction of the Support Workers/ management
- Participate in team meetings/reviews and the general development of the service
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

**Development opportunities: where are some of Tabard Court’s former Support Workers working now?**
- Internal progression: in Look Ahead
- Team Leader
- Service Manager
- Service Improvement Manager
- Head