Specialist Mental Health Idva

Role:               Specialist Mental Health IDVA

Based:            Hertfordshire based in Broxbourne or Baldock area

Rate:               £26,339.93 to £28,268 depending on experience and qualifications

Start Date:      ASAP

Duration:        Permanent

Hours:             37.5 hours Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm

Our client, a specialist Domestic Violence charity based in Hertfordshire is looking for a

specialist practitioner for their intensive support team which is a peripatetic team, to provide support, multiagency advocacy, case management support, to clients in refuges who are multiply disadvantaged.

Synopsis of duties:

• Carry out a complete and thorough family or individual needs assessment.
• With consent of the client, ensure the participation of all third-party agencies that should be involved in the case to safeguard a strong multidisciplinary working arrangement to support the family/individual. 
• Build a relationship with the adult and any children and work with the adult directly on a one-to-one basis by phone, in person or online
• Apply a trauma informed approach to establishing and maintaining effective relationships with each client through an understanding of the prevalence and impact of trauma and the complex paths to healing and recovery.
• Manage and co-ordinate support plans, maintaining the clients’ wishes and priorities at all times.
• Support clients to understand the range of options available to them for their Mental Health recovery.
• Provide and ensure interventions enhance a client’s strengths and increase their involvement in valuable activities in the community and within Safe Accommodation
• Ensure clients are supported to make choices and access the services identified. This may involve advocating on behalf of your clients for their rights and needs to be met.
• Provide emotional support, as well as practical support, and signposting to other resources. This may involve attending other services and appointments with them.
• Ensure support is provided to clients and their children living in the accommodation in line with a structured plan that is driven by the risks posed to the client and the needs and preferences of the individual client, which is regularly reviewed with the client and line manager to ensure it reflects their current situation and priorities across the caseload, using mandated best practice tools.
• Forge effective professional and close working relationships with colleagues and in third party agencies conducting yourself always in a professional manner.
• Ensure accurate records are set up and maintained for all contacts and activities following appropriate legislation and policy.
• Respond to crises, safeguarding issues, and complaints effectively.
• Oversee a case load of specific clients as directed by your manager, and act as a contact for client-related professionals whilst upholding GDPR personal data policies and procedures.
• Attend regular casework supervision session with your manager and team to discuss and reflect on client-related work.
• Take part in effective tasking and coordinating to manage risk, needs and choices of existing clients and referrals to best effect.
• Ensure clients have in place, and have continuously reviewed with them, robust risk management plans to support them living safely and ensure that they always have 24 hour access to support in the event that a crisis arises and they need to be made safe using additional support.
• All Safeguarding measures are delivered in respect of clients and their children and that at all times you adhere strictly to policies and procedures in respect of Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Work closely with external partner agencies, advocating on behalf of individual clients and the client group to ensure that those with specialist needs e.g. Mental Health, Substance Misuse, Legal etc. are able to receive a timely and appropriate service
• Support clients to improve their resilience and prospects by encouraging engagement with the various programmes and opportunities offered within the service such as specialist programmes for people who have experienced domestic abuse (Triple R), improving numeracy and literacy, ESOL, Employability and other programmes provided in house or by other community partners.
• To work flexibly within the shift pattern allocated by your line manager

Essential Requirements:

• Managing complex casework including risk and needs assessment, safety and support planning, particularly with clients with multiple needs / disadvantages
• Working within a multi-agency and legislative framework
• Working with clients who have Mental Health
• Have a good understanding of domestic abuse including the impact of domestic abuse on victims and their children
• Experience of working with vulnerable people, homelessness/destitution.
• Full Driving Licence with own Vehicle

Supporting Futures Consulting acts as both an employer and an agency.