Mental Health Prevention and Wellbeing Officer – Mental Health Social Work Discharge Team – Horsham

Job Description

Job Title : Mental Health Prevention and Wellbeing Officer – Mental Health Social Work Discharge Team – Horsham
Job Category : Social Care – Unqualified
Location : County Hall North, West Sussex County Council
Hours Per Week : 37.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:30
Pay – Grade 7
Salary: £13.17

Location – Office base County Hall North – Horsham
Working arrangement’s – Mix of both – office based 3 days a week and the rest from home

Job Description : The Mental Health Prevention and Wellbeing Officer’s role will have a distinctive contribution to make to the current challenges faced in mental health services. The role holder will need to fully understand and implement a strength-based approach that will ensure that all customers are supported in this manner. This approach would be applied in all elements of social care including assessment, planning, implementing, and review of customer’s care. You would also need to understand The Mental Capacity Act and how to apply it to social care. You will need to be aware of WSCC safeguarding procedures and ensure that these are followed. West Sussex County Council value customer involvement and promote autonomy, therefore you would be expected to ensure that individuals have choice and control throughout the process. The role consists of working with social workers closely across services, both internally within Adult Social Care, and externally with our partner organisations such as Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust and other third sector agencies. The post holder would need the ability to maintain and build on relationships with several agencies to ensure effective support is provided to customers using mental health services. You will need to be able to network with third sector agencies ensuring cost effective resources are sought and to build a portfolio of services which can also support with mental health as a service to all customers. You will need to work with other preventative services to ensure effective resources and support are provided to customers with mental health needs in West Sussex.
The role holder would be working with customers who need short, intensive support that will enable them to live meaningful and independent lives, as well as undertaking the more traditional work such as assessment, support planning and review. You will be supporting customers in the community and those being discharged from hospitals.
You will be working with customers who may be in crisis and this will require an ability to work under pressure. You will support people by providing effective strength-based solutions that will enable them to manage any change in circumstances. What you’ll need to succeed You’ll have previous experience of working within a social care or health care setting, with individuals who have complex mental health needs. You will need to be resilient and flexible and able to adapt to changing situations.
You will be able to maintain a calm approach in the face of emotionally stressful events. You will be passionate about enabling individuals to live an independent and meaningful life that meets their personal aspirations.
You’ll be able to develop and deliver creative and innovative solutions for individuals, to ensure they are able to engage with community assets and minimise the need for long-term formal support. You will challenge discrimination and oppression and promote inclusion and diversity.
You’ll demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team, while also being able to use your initiative and act autonomously, seeking support from your manager when appropriate.
Key Skills:
1. Ability to analyse and interpret complex data and information and prioritise needs to make recommendations / decisions which will have a positive outcome.
2. Highly developed communication skills to persuade, negotiate or influence within or outside the organisation to achieve challenging / sensitive objectives and ensure implementation of solutions.
3. Ability to challenge existing practices and identify innovative solutions, setting timescales and objectives, and reviewing effectiveness of service delivery.
4. Ability to work in a multi-agency working environment that contributes to improvements for individuals and/or services.
5. Ability to make sound pragmatic problem solving decisions, which may have a wider service impact and could be business critical, including the ability to tackle difficult problems of a technical, professional, resource or people related nature using existing policies, procedures and knowledge to devise approaches.
6. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, and to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.

Qualifications and/or experience:
⦁ GSCE English and Maths, or equivalent qualification or experience demonstrating that level of literacy and numeracy.
⦁ Experience of working within adult social care, or a care provider or health provider, with experience of working with individuals who have complex mental disorder.
⦁ Up to date knowledge and experience of safeguarding, assessment and review processes, policies and legislation.
⦁ Working knowledge of financial eligibility for statutory services and benefits.
⦁ Knowledge of a variety of associated legislation, for example Care Act, Mental Capacity, Mental Health Act.
⦁ Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multi-agency setting.