Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
•To work with the Arfon Community Mental Health Team and service users in the community by following individual care plans, produced by care managers, service users and others, in accordance with good practice as outlined in the Mental Health Strategy and National Framework for Wales. To be part of a multi-agency service offered in Gwynedd by supporting and enabling people with mental health problems to live an independent, full and meaningful life in their communities as part of the New Work Connections project (funded by ESF).
Responsibility for functions
•Support and encourage people with profound mental illness to live independently in the community
•To undertake activities, via a care programme, that enable the individual to recover from the illness. The professional member of the team is responsible for providing a care programme.
•The support workers assist the Care Manager to treat the person through therapy in order to improve their circumstances and illness.
•Responsibility for ready cash for the beneficiaries of the project.
Main duties
•Offer support to individuals or groups in accordance with Gwynedd Council's Social Care Plan for Services to Adults with Mental Illness.
•Operate in a manner that respects the individual's dignity.
•Take reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the service user and themselves within and outside the homes in accordance with the care plan.
•Work in partnership with fellow workers in the mental health field, including mental health social workers, community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatric consultants.
•Take an operational role in the process of assessing, monitoring, planning and implementing activities in accordance with the needs of the service user as stated in the Care Plan.
•These activities may include participating in cognitive behavioural therapy, psycho sociological therapy and family interventions.
•Encourage and support service users to develop their social skills in order to enable them to live successfully within the community, by setting objectives, solving problems, systematic desensitisation and learn how to identify when people are starting to get ill.
•Attend regular supervision with the Support Services Manager to deal with work pressure management and practice, as well as attending the monthly Mental Health Workers meetings.
•Be responsible for maintaining all the administrative work in accordance with the guidelines set by the Service Support Manager on behalf of Gwynedd Council.
•Be responsible for maintaining a mental health portfolio including evidence of effective practice that can be used when preparing for an NVQ.
•Attend training activities jointly agreed with the Support Services Manager as part of continuous development.
•At all times respect and maintain confidentiality in accordance with Gwynedd Council guidelines
•In order to ensure appropriate boundaries, contact will be restricted to that stated in the Care Plan.
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
•Responsible for reporting any concern or suspicion that a vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special circumstances
•Promote a relationship with fellow workers in the Mental Health Team.
•Understand and encourage the promotion of Gwynedd Council's principles.
•Invest and improve knowledge and work when working with individuals with mental illness. You will be aware of research work and new methods of working.
•Working together in accordance with the team arrangements.
•There will be a need to work outside normal working hours .