Bank Safe Haven Crisis Support Worker

**Post Title**:Bank Safe Haven Crisis Support Worker

**Rate of Pay**:£12.28 per hour

**Location**:Aylesbury on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

High Wycombe on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

**Hours of Work**:6.00pm - 1am with a 30-minute break

**Purpose of the Role**

To provide service cover ‘as and when’ to the Aylesbury and High Wycombe teams when required from either of our two service venues.

The Safe Haven Support Worker will work as part of the Safe Haven team based in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, supporting individuals experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis, offering support in a calm, safe and empathic environment. In recent times the service has periodically been delivered remotely by telephone and video calls, although the following aspects of face-to-face service delivery still apply:
The aim of Safe Haven is to provide out of hours mental health support and deliver the following key outcomes:
- To provide a warm and welcoming environment for those people facing a mental health crisis; treating service users with respect and providing personalised support focused on individual need.
- To prevent the escalation of the mental health crisis and thereby reduce A&E attendance and avoid hospital admissions.
- To raise patient awareness of alternative mental health services appropriate to personal need and circumstances, and encourage their use to improve longer term mental health and well-being and reduce social isolation.
- To increase independence and good self-management skills of those people accessing the service.

**Main Responsibilities**

**_Supporting Service Users_**
- Working as part of the Safe Haven team to contribute to the smooth running of the service as a whole**.**:

- Provide emotional support to individuals referred to the Safe Haven.
- Welcome new referrals to the Safe Haven; carry out initial assessments and maintain accurate case records within the required data collection and reporting system.
- Offer light refreshments and help create a relaxed atmosphere.
- Utilising the online Bucks Mind Guide to help people to develop self-management strategies and to make the best use of the local resources around them, signposting or making referrals as required.
- Ensure the wellbeing and safety of service users, reporting any concerns to your line manager.
- Keep up to date with best practice and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service.
- To ensure Safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately in line with Buckinghamshire Mind’s Safeguarding Policies.
- Assist in monitoring the quality of the service and the outcomes achieved.
- Communicate effectively with other team members ensuring that relevant information is passed on appropriately.
- Ensure that the named care coordinator (or other referral source) is made aware of recommendations so that they can be followed up.
- Monitor patient progress by liaison with AMHT colleagues and/or accessing electronic patient records.
- Attend staff meetings as required.

**_Interpersonal skills_**
- To communicate appropriately and effectively with service users who may sometimes be in distress.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork with other Safe Haven colleagues.
- To recognise, challenge and be responsive to stigma and discrimination of all kinds.
- To represent the organisation in a professional and appropriate manner at all times.
- To work creatively, looking at new possibilities, bringing new ideas to the team and respond appropriately to the needs and views of both current and potential service users.

**_Other_**
- To work within Buckinghamshire Mind’s policies and procedures including Performance Management, Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Service User Involvement, Health and Safety and the Professional Boundaries policy.
- To keep informed about other projects, events and related issues regarding Buckinghamshire Mind.
- Inform Buckinghamshire Mind colleagues if Mind Guide information needs revising or if any additional services are identified for inclusion.
- To prepare for supervision and use it effectively.
- To keep line manager up to date and informed.
- To work in a flexible way to take on other responsibilities as appropriate

**SUPERVISION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT**
- Supervision is provided by both allocated managers on a regular basis.
- Buckinghamshire Mind has a system of annual appraisals.
- Buckinghamshire Mind is committed to training and allocates training according to a clearly defined annual training needs analysis

**Person Specification**

**_Post: Safe Haven Support Worker_**

**_General_**
- Supports the aims and work of Buckinghamshire Mind and Oxford Health NHS Trust (E)
- Maintains strict confidentiality concerning all Buckinghamshire Mind and Oxford Health NHS Trust matters (E)
- A positive attitude towards people with mental health problems, in particular people’s ability to develop and change. (E)
- Strong com