Change Mental Health have an exciting opportunity in NHS Highland’s new Highland Community Link Worker service, for which we are proud to be the lead agency and delivery partner.

We are looking for Community Link Workers with a passion for supporting people to improve their mental and physical health outcomes. In this varied, new role you will be part of a large team across the Highlands that will take referrals from NHS Primary Care, supporting people whose health issues are rooted in social deprivation. The project will be embedded with Primary Care services and will develop links to community resources, ensuring that strong, working links are established between GP practices and their local communities. Working closely with GPs, Practice Nurses and other members of a Primary Care GP Practice or Practice Cluster, you will make links to community resources in order to help people improve their holistic health outcomes.

You will report to a Senior Community Link Worker and you will have responsibility for a caseload, using Personal Support Planning to work collaboratively with people you support to reach their health goals.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for people who are, ideally, educated to SVQ level 2 or have relevant experience of work in health and social care. You should be able to plan and prioritise a workload and be confident about liaising with statutory and non-statutory agencies.

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and the charity and are a “Happy to Talk Flexible” employer.

If you are passionate about enabling Change Mental Health to deliver a valuable service to the Scottish community and feel your profile matches this role’s criteria, then we want to hear from you!

Why join us

Change mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

Our person-centred approach puts the people we work with at the heart of what we do ensuring they have greater opportunity, can build confidence and social skills, and become more integrated into their communities. By building connections and support around individual needs, our team of nearly 200 staff and 800 members value the lived experience which informs the services we deliver. We look beyond illness by taking a holistic approach that ensures no one has to face mental ill health alone.

Benefits

• Professional development including funded opportunities.
• A generous 37 days’ holiday.
• Access to travel season ticket loan.
• A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.
• 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.
• Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements
• Paid Mental Wellbeing Days
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Blue Light Discount Card

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated individuals to join our DBI team. DBI Coordinators provide support, advice and personal support planning for people referred from front-line services, carrying out short-term work with people in distress to review the reasons for their distress, develop immediate coping strategies and link them into a range of appropriate community services and facilities.

The purpose of this role is to work with people in distress who are referred by front line services (including Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS24 and Primary Care) to the Level 2 Distress Brief Intervention team. The work includes: reviewing the reasons for distress, working with individuals to develop their Distress Brief Intervention Management Plan and using supported referral to link individuals into a range of appropriate community services and facilities as appropriate.

Training in Level 2 Distress Brief Intervention, specific to the post, will be provided.

The post holders will be required to join the PVG Scheme, or update their membership record for regulated work with protected adults. (The cost are met by the employer)

These posts are part time, working 28 hours per week, office hours of 9am – 5pm with some weekend working on a rota basis (approx. every 6-8wks) and Regular travel will be required once travel restrictions are lifted.

About the DBI Project:

Change Mental Health is the lead partner in the Highlands for the Scottish Government’s Distress Brief Intervention project (DBI). The DBI is a Scotland-wide project, testing a ground-breaking approach to addressing the emotional and psychological pain experienced by people in distress.

Working in partnership with frontline services, including Police, Ambulance service, Primary Care and mental health teams, the project provides rapid referral to focussed, short-term support, with the option of onward referral to longer-term support if required. As a DBI Coordinator, you will join this major, high profile Scottish Government project in a key role.

For further information about DBI and our involvement in the project, head to our website and visit DBI.scot.

Why join us?

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

Our person-centred approach puts the people we work with at the heart of what we do ensuring they have greater opportunity, can build confidence and social skills, and become more integrated into their communities. By building connections and support around individual needs, our team of nearly 200 staff and 800 members value the lived experience which informs the services we deliver. We look beyond illness by taking a holistic approach that ensures no one has to face mental ill health alone.

Benefits

• Professional development including funded opportunities.
• A generous 37 days’ holiday.
• A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.
• A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.
• 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.
• Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements
• Paid Mental Wellbeing Days
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Blue Light discount card

Are you a creative and motivated individual with the passion and drive to support people with a recent diagnosis of dementia to live well in their community?

If so, you can be part of a National Team of Post Diagnostic Support Link Workers (PDS Link Workers) providing high-quality, person-centred support to people living with dementia and their families for a minimum of a year following diagnosis in line the Scottish Government’s minimum guarantee.

The aim of the PDS National Service is to enable people to live well with dementia and is centred around Alzheimer Scotland's 5 pillar model so that people move on to a period of supported self- management.

The model includes understanding the illness and coming to terms with the diagnosis, peer support, connecting and maintaining links with their community along with planning for future care and decision making to develop an outcome focused plan to support their future hopes, desires and aspirations.

Supporting our Perth locality, the post will be based within the North Perthshire Community Mental Health Team. Alzheimer Scotland’s PDS Link Workers are required to be effective team workers and have the skills to build and maintain relationships with colleagues both within Alzheimer Scotland, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Skills in using digital platforms are essential as we use a blended approach to support people that involve some virtual meetings and on-line groups.

Applicants must hold a recognised relevant professional qualification, have a good understanding of dementia and how it affects people and their families along with excellent communication skills, a warm flexible approach, combined with skills in empathy and relationship building.

In addition, you should have skills and knowledge at the Enhanced Level of the Promoting Excellence Framework or be able to evidence you are working towards its completion.

This post requires a full driving license and access to a car.

We are looking for a dynamic and creative Senior Project Worker, to lead our Resource Centre in Easter-Ross.

This role involves provision of recovery-focussed and person-centred support to people attending the Centre, through individual and group-based work, as well as leading the Centre team and managing the service.

Ideally, the successful candidate will have some or all of the following: an SVQ Level 3 qualification in Social Services and Health Care (or an equivalent qualification), experience of leading a service and of providing support to people whose Mental Health issues seriously affect their lives. The post holder will be required to pass a PVG check.

This is one of a number of centres around Scotland where Change Mental Health welcomes people with a wide variety of mental health conditions and offers compassionate, creative, focussed support that can assist recovery. Our aim in these centres is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where people can find the confidence and trust that they need in order to engage with support.

As Senior Project Worker you will be the lead for a small team of Project Workers and Volunteers, providing line management, supervision and advice for the staff, as well as engaging directly in support work with people who use the centre. You will also have scope to use your creativity in developing the Centre, through cooperation with service users, the Centre staff and colleagues in stakeholder organisations. This role will be an opportunity to bring new energy and ideas to a service that already has a well-deserved reputation for providing an excellent service.

Why work with us?

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

Our person-centred approach puts the people we work with at the heart of what we do ensuring they have greater opportunity, can build confidence and social skills, and become more integrated into their communities. By building connections and support around individual needs, our team of nearly 200 staff and 800 members value the lived experience which informs the services we deliver. We look beyond illness by taking a holistic approach that ensures no one has to face mental ill health alone.

Benefits

· Professional development including funded opportunities.

· A generous 37 days’ holiday.

· A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.

· A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.

· 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.

· Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements

· Paid Mental Wellbeing Days

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Blue Light discount card