Job summaryThe community connector is a brand new role within the City and Hackney Home Treatment to help support people to achieve better mental health and wellbeing, increasing independence and reducing reliance on services.The community connector role is part of a wider transformation project in East London to redesign community mental health care, with the aim of supporting more people closer to home, reducing the stigma and fragmentation in existing services.The Community Connector role will be based in City and Hackney Home Treatment Team but they will link in with a wider integrated team of voluntary sector, mental health, and primary care staff.The post-holder will work with adults under City and Hackney which is a service supporting individuals with a first episode of psychosis, enduring mental health illness, and individuals who present with self and suicidal symptoms between the ages 18-65.The community connector role will link service users to voluntary and community sector organisations based on need and provide support with engagement.As the role is new, the successful applicant needs to be innovative and proactive in engaging service users but also forming links with local external agencies.Main duties of the jobOffer focused support to individuals and groups with the aim of building knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience in people, as well as encouraging people to access local activities and services.Challenge stigma attached to mental health especially psychosis and raise awareness of the importance for everyone to look after their mental wellbeing.Work within the Home Treatment TeamAccept referrals via agreed protocols within the service (HTT). Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the team referral protocols.Attending meetings with service users in informal and formal settings to encourage engagementGroup facilitation, Coaching, building trust and motivating people in their recoveryDirect individual support to patients on a case-by-case basisProvide support with engagement, as well as linking in with further education providers and their counselling/mental health services to engage with student populations where there is unmet needDevelop a list of providers in the local area for service users to link in with.Provide personalised one-to-one support to individuals referred to the service.Develop trusting relationships, giving people time and focus on 'what matters to them'Provide non-judgemental support, respecting diversity, and lifestyle choices.About usOur mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesKindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.Person SpecificationEducation/ Qualificatio n/ TrainingDesirableMental Health First Aid or equivalent experienceLevel Two to Three training in NVQ in CareTraining in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experienceUniversity degree and/or professional qualificationExperienceEssentialExperience of developing and maintaining good working relationships with organisations and individuals. Including experience of promoting and raising awareness of a service.Experience of meetings in informal and formal settings to encourage engagementExperience working directly with people with mental health issues or complex lives. Experience of direct individual support to patients on a case-by-case basisAbility to meet agreed/specified service targets, and to manage own caseload and timeKnowledge and SkillsEssentialDemonstrates an understanding of mental health difficulties especially psychosisDemonstrates good understanding and experience of Safeguarding and protectionAbility to reflect on own working practice and its impact upon service usersDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).Employer detailsEmployer nameEast London NHS Foundation TrustAddressCity and Hackney Centre Mental HealthRaybould Centre, Homerton HospitalLondonE9 6SREmployer's websitehttps://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)