Job summary
A vacancy has arisen within National Deaf CAMHS, London for a Deaf Family Support Worker.
This exciting post is part of the South West London & St Georges CAMHS Directorate (Child, Adolescent & Mental Health service) specialising in Deaf Services (National Deaf CAMHs) covering the South East of England.
The team provides a highly specialist service to deaf children and adolescents with complex mental health needs including emotional and behavioural difficulties. The London team covers the region within the M25 orbital motorway but works closely with colleagues in the Cambridge & Kent teams.
Main duties of the job
The role of the Deaf Family support worker would be to provide support to the multi-disciplinary during clinical assessments by profiling and identifying the child's language and communication needs, participate in the development of treatment plans, promoting positive deaf awareness to professionals and families. Where necessary, being a deaf role model by supporting the child around deaf identity issues. Also, to provide specialist input during language and social communication assessments.
You would also be expected to work alongside both deaf & hearing colleagues and BSL/English and spoken language interpreters.
The successful post holder would also be expected to liaise with a range of professionals within both deaf and hearing environments. In addition, attend National Deaf CAMHs meetings nationally when required, as well as having access to own vehicle.
Required are BSL skills -minimum of level 3 required/ and or native BSL user, NVQ level 2 in Health & social Care (or be willing to work towards this qualification).
In return, the successful post holder would be have an exciting opportunity to develop existing skills and experience as well as being supported by small, but friendly multi -disciplinary team, receive regular supervision and training where required.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our location:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice
- To assist mental health practitioners to conduct initial assessments and develop plans of intervention in conjunction with young people, parents and professionals.
- To undertake specific work with children and their families as part of a multi-disciplinary treatment plan eg enhancing family communication, self-esteem work with children/young people.
- To work collaboratively with families and other professionals
- To be aware of the Children Act (1989), Mental Health Act and Safeguarding Children and how it affects the care of the children/young people as well as the use and implications of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995).
- To liaise with other agencies, referrers and carers, establishing working relationships with key staff eg CAMHS, schools and social services across England.
- To build and maintain links with deaf organisations nationally and locally.
- To contribute to the organisation and/or co-ordination of group work and community projects with appropriate direction and support in response to identified need.
- To provide information and advice to children/young people, families/carers on the maintenance of health and well-being, under the direction of the multi-disciplinary team.
- To offer advice, guidance and support to parents/carers in attending to the physical, emotional and social development of children.
- To contribute to the language and communication assessment of the deaf child.
- To assist in the implementation of language and communication therapy programmes and approaches, monitoring and supporting their use with families ie the use of signs, symbols, communication charts.
- To support the use of a range of alternative and augmentative communication strategies ie visual methods (symbols, PECS).
- To be an active participant of the multi-disciplinary team, communicating effectively to other members.
Education, Training and Development
- To work collaboratively to help create deaf friendly schools by working with school staff and the hearing peers of deaf pupils.
- To keep up to date with new research and developments relating to the mental health of deaf children eg child development, language and communication development.
- To promote awareness of Deaf culture and the Deaf Community to families/carers, staff and other professionals.
- To plan and record work effectively. Maintains appropriate written and electronic records and statistical information as required by Trust and local policies.
- To attend Team/Service staff meetings.
- To attend and actively participate in regular clinical supervision.
- To participate in the individual Development Review process.
- To contribute to staff development by providing training on communication strategies and sign language skills.
- To contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
- To aim towards achieving NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social care within the first year of employment and thereafter to NVQ Level 3.
- To undertake personal development to complete mandatory training, and British Sign Language (BSL) level 1 if not already achieved.
Communication
- To be qualified or to obtain qualification in British Sign Language Level 2 through study within 3 years of appointment.
- To continue to develop British Sign Language skills and achieve relevant standards according to service needs.
- To adhere to directorate policy that signing will be used at all times when there is a Deaf person nearby, whether or not they are directly involved in the conversation.
- To work with BSL Interpreter(s) and other language interpreters as well as other professionals within the DCFS as part of the day-to-day workings of the role.
Environment
- The post holder will be based at National Deaf CAMHS - London. However, there may be occasional need to travel to the other centres in Cambridge and Kent.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice
- To assist mental health practitioners to conduct initial assessments and develop plans of intervention in conjunction with young people, parents and professionals.
- To undertake specific work with children and their families as part of a multi-disciplinary treatment plan eg enhancing family communication, self-esteem work with children/young people.
- To work collaboratively with families and other professionals
- To be aware of the Children Act (1989), Mental Health Act and Safeguarding Children and how it affects the care of the children/young people as well as the use and implications of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995).
- To liaise with other agencies, referrers and carers, establishing working relationships with key staff eg CAMHS, schools and social services across England.
- To build and maintain links with deaf organisations nationally and locally.
- To contribute to the organisation and/or co-ordination of group work and community projects with appropriate direction and support in response to identified need.
- To provide information and advice to children/young people, families/carers on the maintenance of health and well-being, under the direction of the multi-disciplinary team.
- To offer advice, guidance and support to parents/carers in attending to the physical, emotional and social development of children.
- To contribute to the language and communication assessment of the deaf child.
- To assist in the implementation of language and communication therapy programmes and approaches, monitoring and supporting their use with families ie the use of signs, symbols, communication charts.
- To support the use of a range of alternative and augmentative communication strategies ie visual methods (symbols, PECS).
- To be an active participant of the multi-disciplinary team, communicating effectively to other members.
Education, Training and Development
- To work collaboratively to help create deaf friendly schools by working with school staff and the hearing peers of deaf pupils.
- To keep up to date with new research and developments relating to the mental health of deaf children eg child development, language and communication development.
- To promote awareness of Deaf culture and the Deaf Community to families/carers, staff and other professionals.
- To plan and record work effectively. Maintains appropriate written and electronic records and statistical information as required by Trust and local policies.
- To attend Team/Service staff meetings.
- To attend and actively participate in regular clinical supervision.
- To participate in the individual Development Review process.
- To contribute to staff development by providing training on communication strategies and sign language skills.
- To contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
- To aim towards achieving NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social care within the first year of employment and thereafter to NVQ Level 3.
- To undertake personal development to complete mandatory training, and British Sign Language (BSL) level 1 if not already achieved.
Communication
- To be qualified or to obtain qualification in British Sign Language Level 2 through study within 3 years of appointment.
- To continue to develop British Sign Language skills and achieve relevant standards according to service needs.
- To adhere to directorate policy that signing will be used at all times when there is a Deaf person nearby, whether or not they are directly involved in the conversation.
- To work with BSL Interpreter(s) and other language interpreters as well as other professionals within the DCFS as part of the day-to-day workings of the role.
Environment
- The post holder will be based at National Deaf CAMHS - London. However, there may be occasional need to travel to the other centres in Cambridge and Kent.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Sign Language (BSL) Level 1 or willingness to work towards achieving it
- NVQ Level 2 in Health or Social Care or willingness to work towards achieving it
Desirable
- British Sign Language (BSL) Level 2 or equivalent fluency
- Qualification in teaching British Sign Language (BSL)
- NVQ Level 3 in Health or Social Care
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in the deaf community and deaf Culture.
- Experience of working with deaf children and families
- Experience of working with professionals from other agencies and services
Desirable
- Experience or training in the assessment of language and communication
- Experience of working in a health/mental health care setting
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Sign Language (BSL) Level 1 or willingness to work towards achieving it
- NVQ Level 2 in Health or Social Care or willingness to work towards achieving it
Desirable
- British Sign Language (BSL) Level 2 or equivalent fluency
- Qualification in teaching British Sign Language (BSL)
- NVQ Level 3 in Health or Social Care
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in the deaf community and deaf Culture.
- Experience of working with deaf children and families
- Experience of working with professionals from other agencies and services
Desirable
- Experience or training in the assessment of language and communication
- Experience of working in a health/mental health care setting
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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.
Applications 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).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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.
Applications 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).
