Link Worker
Link Up Women’s Support Centre is a women’s only project supporting women living with a mental health condition or illness and bridges the gap left in services between hospital admission and primary health care. Link Up aims to provide a safe and caring environment in the community where women can meet with each other, share experiences, try new things, develop new skills, build confidence and gain support to live a hopeful and satisfying life even in the continuing presence of illness.
Role: Link Worker
Hours of work: 7 hours per week
Salary: £13 per hour
Duration: Post funded for one year
Responsible to: Centre Manager
Place of work: Link Up Women’s Support Centre, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road, EH7 6AE
Disclosure Scotland/PVG: This role is subject to satisfactory completion of a PVG scheme check
Probationary period: 3 months
Role Purpose:
We want to enhance our ability to effectively signpost our Centre Members to organisations, services and events for additional support and to support women to engage with these opportunities. Additionally, the Link Worker will be responsible for establishing a small Peer Buddying pilot where volunteer Centre Members will offer support to women new to Link Up, to help them to settle and become part of our community.
Main Responsibilities:
• To identify the most suitable services, venues, events etc for Centre Members and to develop relationships with key staff from these organisations.
• To support women to access these opportunities including where necessary accompanying women to initial appointments/meetings.
• To bring to the attention of the team any opportunities or services which would benefit Centre Members.
• In conjunction with the Centre Manager and our Project Workers, to take the lead on developing a small peer buddying pilot with volunteer Centre Members supporting women who are new to the Centre to settle into groups and the organisation.
• To be an effective and supportive member of the Link Up staff team.
• To ensure services provided are non‐discriminatory with respect to gender, race, ethnicity and disability.
• To highlight any issues that might require policy or other organisational development.
• To take part in any training deemed, or advised as, necessary.
• To attend regular support and supervision sessions.
• To carry out evaluation exercises as required.
• To carry out any other duties from time to time which may be reasonably required.
Person Specification
Essential
• Experience of networking and engaging with Edinburgh based support agencies, services and events.
• An ability to be respectful of and responsive to the needs and feelings of the women in relation to issues, difficulties and support needs.
• Good communication skills and an ability to establish rapport and good working relationships with women and partner agencies.
• An understanding of the importance of women only services.
• Experience of engaging with vulnerable people.
• Understanding of mental health issues.
• Non‐ judgmental approach.
• Experience of managing and supporting volunteers.
• Ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and to be an effective member of the team.
• An understanding of confidentiality and data protection issues.
• Reliability, good timekeeping, good organisational and recording skills.
Desirable
• An understanding and/or experience of befriending, buddying, peer support.
To apply
Please complete our application form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring form and either post to our address or email to info@link-upsupport.co.uk
The deadline for applications is Monday 4th March 2019 at 12 noon. Interviews will be held on Friday 8th March 2019.
Further information
If you would like further information or to have an informal discussion about the post, then please contact Sharon Kelly, Centre Manager on 0131 661 9292.
