Lead Practitioner Peer Volunteer Coordinator and Mentor

Edinburgh
North East Edinburgh Recovery Service
Substance Misuse
Lead Practitioner
Full time
£19,657 - £22,039

Job Purposes & Core Details

To:

  1. work to the service and organisation's aims and values and promote the citizenship of the people we support.
  2. deliver support to people who use Turning Point Scotland's services and in so doing contribute to the provision of the highest possible quality of social care support which meets the service specification.
  3. operate at an advanced level of social care practice, which includes taking a higher level of responsibility for service delivery and development, and a leadership role.
  4. work to the company's values - Because People Matter
  5. undertake CPD (continuous professional development) and use appraisals and supervision fully.
  6. keep your registration and membership to relevant professional bodies up to date and valid.
  7. undertake any outstanding require qualification for registration, or if not working in a registered service qualify at SVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
  8. undertake any other duties or responsibilities as may be deemed appropriate to the post by the Service Manager (or nominated deputy).
  9. Provide, prompt, administer medication and healthcare & wellbeing support as required

Main duties and responsibilities

Support to people who use services - To:

  • provide support and assistance to people who we support in accordance with their support plans and service aims.
  • be responsible for undertaking initial and on-going assessments of people who we support.
  • advise people who we support in accordance with guidance from senior colleagues or in accordance with the service aims.
  • be a key worker for a person or people who have complex or multiple needs.
  • maintain professional confidentiality and boundaries at all times.
  • support and assist people who we support in crisis situations, and/or manage physical risk or behaviour likely to cause incidents, in accordance with the support plan or service protocol.
  • travel within the service area you are contracted for and supporting the travel and transportation of people who we support in accordance with their support plan (mobility, own car, service vehicles, public transport etc).
  • have an good understanding of the causes and effects of social exclusion as is relevant to the service and area in which you work.

 Planning, policies and record keeping - To:

  • devise, review and update support plans, record events and observations and keep appropriate records as require in the service.
  • contribute to the creation and maintenance of support plans and record keeping.
  • prepare paperwork for and participate in service user reviews as a lead person when required.
  • plan and co-ordinate elements of support in accordance with the support plan.
  • prepare and implement risk management plans, and follow and update risk assessments.
  • work with data in line with the data protection act.
  • work with and comply with standard operation (finance, operational, Health and Safety and Human Resources) and service procedures. 

 Interactions with other people - To:

  • support and supervise other staff administering or prompting medication and ensure that medication protocols are adhered to.
  • support new staff and volunteers/those on placement to show them how your practice complies with the SSSC Codes of Practice.
  • provide informal support to staff on a daily basis. 
  • have a collegiate approach, ask when you need support or guidance and team work with a diverse group of people.
  • manage and resolve conflict promptly and raise issues appropriately using the correct internal processes.
  • directly communicate with the families of the people we support as appropriate.
  • liaise with workers from other agencies when requested to do so by senior colleagues.
  • support others to comply with, and the service to meet with, the relevant legislation and National Care Standards.
  • support others to ensure they comply with SSSC Codes of Practice.
  • maintain confidentiality with shared information.
  • liaise with landlords and similar others on behalf of people we support if required. 
  • be aware of health and safety and contribute fully to keeping my work environment, community, people who use services and myself safe.

 Leadership - To:

  • provide leadership to staff to support people we support in accordance with their support plan and maintain people we support records correctly.
  • assist with the service manager to prepare information and the service for inspections.
  • provide on-the-job training and/or coaching to new staff. 
  • be the 'named worker' or shift leader or lead on a specific part of the service such as group work.
  • continuously seek service development and improvement. 
  • contribute to Turning Point Scotland.
  • keep abreast of the sector 'big picture', operational environment and changes.
  • appropriately challenge oppressive or potentially abusive behaviours or practices.

 Miscellaneous - applies only in certain services 

  • to undertake sleepovers, overnight and weekend working and occasionally participate in people who we support holidays as required.
  • to ensure the service\location's stock or goods are in place and replenish/order as required.
  • to undertake training that may be technical or specialised that will benefit the service.
  • to provide technical testing services (BBV/swab and similar) and/or to train others in emergency, risk reduction action and medications.
  • to be responsible for the dispensing of medication, in particular, when at work. 
  • to perform lone working for significant lengths of my work time undertaking tasks that require a high level of independence and initiative.
  • to provide formal supervision under the guidance of a senior colleague and with additional training or a qualification provided.
  • to have a good understanding of welfare in relation to how it will impact on your service user group.

#BecauseScotlandCares

Turning Point Scotland North East Edinburgh Recovery Services provides recovery focused psychosocial interventions to adults experiencing drug and alcohol related issues across North East Edinburgh. We work within a hub model with partners, including NHS Lothian, CEC Social Work and other voluntary agencies to ensure individualised packages of care to enable service users to achieve their recovery goals.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our team at the Leith Hub 5 Links Place Edinburgh EH6 7EZ. You will be providing the high-quality delivery of 1:1 and group recovery focused interventions to those we support. The   services are delivered from our main offices and on an outreach basis in pharmacies GP surgery and at  client's home where required.

Please note all staff are expected to be able to work across both Leith and Craigmillar sites when required.

As a busy established recovery hub we are seeking candidates who already have some knowledge of drug and alcohol harm reduction and treatment options and can demonstrate experience working with this client group.

  • Has completed a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level 6 (SCQF) or higher or HNC in Health and Social Care (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes).

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications:

  • A willingness to complete a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level  7 (SCQF) or higher (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes) and if not already registered, to register with the SSSC within the timescale required, where relevant.  Additional PDA units may be required.

Experience:

  • Must have had direct professional experience of supoprt people, who have a wide range of support needs and personal aims on a person-centred basis.
  • Has experience of working with people who have barriers to social inclusion and supporting them to become more socially integrated.
  • Has direct experience of working with people who are at times chaotic and marginalised, whose behaviours can challenge services, and supporting them to become more socially integrated and able to access services.
  • Has strong experience in working with organisational policies, recording systems and support planning including using IT.

 Values:

  • Must be able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the values that underpin social care focussing on inclusion, person centred approaches and citizenship.
  • Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the need to maintain professional boundaries between social care workers and people who use services and the role of a professional social care worker.
  • Must be wholly respectful towards all service users and colleagues and address issues constructively.

Other skills and knowledge: 

  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of and the skills to operate to the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers. 
  • Must be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in order to communicate well with service users and colleagues at all levels in the organisation.
  • Be able to demonstrate an accomplished level of skill used when directly supporting people. 
  • Must be willing to develop skills used when supporting people through reflective practice, active learning, personal and professional development, supervision and feedback.  
  • Knowledge of relevant safeguarding and adult or child protection.

Experience

  • Has taken a lead role within a team on a professional social care project or activity such as group work.
  • Has experience of working in a lone working environment.
  • Has had a coaching or mentoring role.
  • Has strong experience in risk assessment.

Other skills and knowledge

  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of and the skills to operate to the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.
  • Must be to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in order to communicate well with service users and colleagues at all level in the organisation.
  • Be able to demonstrate an accomplished level of skill used when directly supporting people.
  • Must be willing to develop skills used when supporting people through reflective practice, active learning, personal and professional development, supervision and feedback.
  • Knowledge of relevant safeguarding and adult or child protection.

We are a large, stable national provider and a charity. As we are not for profit there is ongoing investment into our staff training and development, a good GPP pension scheme, and annual leave and sick pay that significantly exceeds the statutory minimum.

We also have a brilliant employee assistance programme (independent advice, information and support online, by phone and in person), a group reward scheme to help your money go further and access to a contributory ‘hospital’ fund. We have a relationship with a credit union and promote saving directly from salary.

We aim to provide a working environment where opinions and ideas are valued and arrangements are in place to ensure that there is a high level of staff representation and that people are encouraged to make their views heard and to participate at service and organisational levels.

As a leading national social care provider our breakthrough and forward-thinking models of practice and service are well recognised. Examples of this recently have been: Housing First, Psychologically informed environments (PIE), Citizenship and both Scottish and International research and evaluation of a range of projects. We work across a wide range of types of services and the organisation provides pathways for development: a career development workshop; appraisal; learning and training options; internal forums and project groups; and opportunities for internal secondment, temporary acting up or sideways roles and career progression.

The salary scale for the post will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts, the full time equivalent is a 37 working hour week)

  • £19,657
  • £20,156
  • £20,724
  • £21,387
  • £22,039

The annual leave entitlement will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts and will include a proportional entitlement to public holidays)

25 days per year, plus 8 public holidays and 2 local holidays.

This is an established lead practitioner role with primary focus on recruitment, training, support and development of peer volunteers within the hub . You will be responsible for integrating peers within the hub to ensure recovery is visible through facilitating peer involvement in  all aspects of service first point of contact, café clinics, assertive outreach  to those who have dropped out of the service and promotion of hubs within local community. You must be open to all models of treatment  harm reduction , stabilisation and abstinence based without prejudice. A primary part of the role is to work within an asset based community  model to actively challenge stigma and mobilise community assets bridging the gap between treatment services, mutual aid and wider local  community to support longer term sustainable recovery.

This is not a normal 9 to 5 job you should like to on the move and flexibility will be  required around working hours, some evening and occasional weekend working will be required. In order to provide flexible support individual will be required to hot desk from a wide range of  primary care settings, including  TPS premises Leith and Craigmillar.

 A peer is in a unique position to offer support by virtue of relevant experience: he or she has ‘been there, done that’ and can relate to others who are now in a similar situation. Because of their personal experience, peer workers and / or peer supporters have expertise and real world knowledge that professional training cannot replicate.’ (FEANTSA, 2015)

We are seeking individuals who have lived experience and a track record of effective community engagement, assertive outreach and knowledge of national standards for community engagement.

http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/national-standards/

Applicants with a background in Community Education / Community Development would be advantageous.

This post requires lived experience as essential part of the role.

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Should you have any queries, please call our freephone recruitment line on 0808 164 3100

This opportunity is closed to applications.