We are offering an exciting opportunity for a new member of staff to join our team and be part of a ground-breaking approach to mental health services!

Thrive Edinburgh brings together a collaboration of partner organisations who work together to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people across the city, with the aim of supporting people to live well and fulfil their potential.

We are looking for an experienced Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner to join our North-West Edinburgh Thrive Welcome Team, someone with at least two years of experience in delivering mental health support. This role is part of a multidisciplinary team, including Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners, Peer Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers. Together we deliver a multi-disciplinary approach, so people can access support when and how they need it.

You will support the delivery of regular Thrive Drop Ins in North-West Edinburgh. You will also deliver short-term individual support, improving people’s mental health and wellbeing, supporting self-management and community connections through the person-centred support you offer.

If you have experience of delivering mental health support and are interested in this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you!

Who we are

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. Our aim is to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. We provide support and information to people with dementia, their carers and families, we campaign for the rights of people with dementia and fund vital dementia research.

This is an exciting opportunity for a permanent role which will work across both our Registered Day Service and Community Support Services. The post holder will work closely with the Commissioned Service Lead to continue the work on shaping and delivering a service which meets the needs of people living with dementia and their carers across the Western Isles.

You will lead our commissioned high quality, therapeutic, Dementia specific registered day service, Solas, when the Commissioned Service Lead is off duty. This will include responsibility of promoting the services with key local stakeholders within Health and Social Care and other relevant organisations. The role will support Day Service Practitioners as well as managing the referral, assessment and personal outcome planning process. You will ensure safe practice and delivery of high-quality, person-centred therapeutic services, ensuring practice complies with Alzheimer Scotland’s policies and health and safety legislation. You will support with evidencing, reviewing and continually improving the quality of the services and will proactively participate in internal audit and Care Inspectorate inspections. Evidencing that services meet Alzheimer Scotland’s Quality Guarantees, Scotland’s Health and Social Care standards, Health and Safety Regulations and other quality frameworks including those of the Care Inspectorate where relevant.

This role will also deliver support within the community providing advice and information. You will plan and deliver a programme of group-based carer peer support and therapeutic groups. You will be the first point of contact for people living with dementia, their families, and carers and support them to navigate their way through the health and social care system.

What you will have

The successful candidate will have experience of managing a team in a social care, health or other similar setting or be able to demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of the key principles and good practice of effectively managing and leading a team.

You will have knowledge and understanding of the Health and Social Care Standards and SSSC codes of practice and the Care Inspectorate and their role in registered services. Alongside this, an understanding and knowledge of dementia, mild cognitive impairment and Brain Health and experience of working with or supporting people living with dementia and their families is required.

The successful candidate will have a recognised professional qualification in health, social work or related field, to SCQF Level 7 (SVQ 3)

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

For a full job description and person specification please visit the attachments section of this advert.

The successful candidate for this post will be required to provide proof of right to work in the UK and will also be subject to a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland.

If you have any questions about this role, please contact the recruitment manager Catriona MacRitchie (Commissioned Service Lead) on cmacritchie@alzscot.org or Karen Patience (Head of Services) on kpatience@alzscot.org.

At Penumbra, we strive to create a culture and environment where people feel valued and inspired to reach their own personal goals. Our fundamental priority is to provide support which is safe and promotes recovery, social inclusion and citizenship for people with mental health challenges.

This job is restricted to male applicants only. This is an occupational requirement as permitted in accordance with Schedule 9, part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

We recognise that the people we support have skills and experience that can bring about positive changes for themselves. Through an ethos of inclusion, equality and fairness, our staff are committed to promoting good mental health and wellbeing for people using our services.

Our ARBD supported accommodation is based in Bardowie Street in Glasgow’s Possilpark, and is an assessment centre for people who have been diagnosed with ARBD or possible ARBD. We provide a safe and positive environment in which people can develop the life skills and confidence to actively move towards and define their recovery.

The service provides bespoke and proactive support to identify and address the individual’s needs, placing them at the heart of their support. With an emphasis on independence and empowerment, people are helped to move toward self-identified goals. While there is an element of collaborative group work, this is at all times focussed on improving self-esteem and addressing issues such loneliness, social exclusion and addiction in a supportive peer environment.

You will be passionate about working in a person-centred way with adults from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of challenges. With a strong interest in people and a commitment to helping others, you will strive to make a positive impact on people’s lives and tailor support to enable people to fulfil their best potential.

A day in the life of a Mental Health & Wellbeing Practitioner…

A practitioner’s job is challenging but very rewarding, as you don’t only have the privilege to be part of and witness the development and recovery of the residents in your care but also the development of the team and individual workers you supervise.

Practitioners job is to ensure that the team are supporting the residents following the values and ethos of the organisation. As well as ensure that robust care plans are implemented and followed.

Practitioners train new workers on medication support according to the individual plan while following policy guidelines. Practitioners also provide support and supervision in line with organisational policy to several of the workers and will receive the relevant training and qualification required by the SSSC and Care Inspectorate.

Practitioners’ complete audits of the resident’s support plans to ensure that the quality of the support plans meet the standards required by the organisation.

As a practitioner in a service where no day is the same, it is important to be able to prioritise and delegate tasks, but it is also equally as important to make the environment both positive and welcoming for residents and the team.

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 Easter Ross, Highland locality, the post will be based within the Community Mental Health Team at Invergordon Hospital. 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.

The successful candidate for this post will be subject to a criminal check through Disclosure Scotland.