JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title:Regional Worker – London and SouthEast

Salary:£31,750 (including London Allowance)

Hours:Full Time

Contract Type:Fixed Term– until June 2015

Based:YoungMinds Office, London

Reports to:Youth Engagement Manager

Key relationships:Youth Engagement Manager,Director of Operations,Director of Media and Campaigns, Regional Worker – Leeds/Yorkshire, Regional Worker – Tyne and Wear/North East,YM Training and Consultancy Team,YM Media and Campaigns Team, local participation and youth groups, schools, CAMHs services and professionals, NHS structures,

Introduction

With rising numbers of young people with mental health problems and a dwindling level of mental health services, YoungMinds has launched a new project aimed at engaging children and young people to improve both the services they can use and the public’s understanding of mental health

The project will build on the success of YoungMinds previous participation programme, will run for two years, and will consist of four core activities:

-Developing a mass movement to improve children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health, centred on an on-going national campaign with a charter of young people’s demands for changes

-Influencing mental health commissioning and improving care, by building and embedding young people’s voice and participation into planning and delivery, for the sustained improvement of services

-Encouraging and enabling young people to make use of feedback mechanisms already in place to rate the services they use – so that services know what young people want, and respond by improving

-Training young people to become media champions, to tell their story and give their views to gain public recognition of the mental health needs of children and young people, and build public support and pressure to achieve the charter demands through the media.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and deliver a regional programme of activity to achieve the overall objectives of the project, contributing to overall impact by achieving and exceeding targets in all areas.
  • Coordinate young people’s campaigning and influencing activity across the region ensuring a coherent approach
  • Ensure diverse networks of young people are involved in the project, with representation from a range of targeted minority groups
  • Co-produce resources with young people and work closely with other YoungMinds staff to develop online activities
  • Work with young people to improve mental health services across the region and, where appropriate, centrally at government level
  • Develop and support relationships with external organisations in the region
  • Support young people to occupy positions of authority in NHS structures across the region and centrally
  • Carry out risk assessments following YoungMinds procedures and to ensure safeguarding and POVA (protection of vulnerable adults) is provided at all times
  • Ensure any safeguarding concerns are reported and dealt with using YoungMinds safeguarding reporting processes
  • Implement YoungMinds model of engagement and support, and assist in replicating it widely across all sectors
  • Provide training for young people to be fully active in the project - e.g. in leadership, campaigning recruitment, committee membership, public speaking, media training, and training the trainer (participation training)
  • Facilitate young people’s involvement in media work, assisting in the training and support of young people in all media relationsincluding all preparation pre and post interview and manage any issues arising.

General

  • To maintain and observe an appropriate level of confidentiality at all times
  • To prepare for and attend supervision and appraisal meetings with line manager
  • To work within all YoungMinds' policies and procedures, including the Equal Opportunities Policy, Safeguarding Policy and Mental Health Risk Screening.
  • To work flexibly including evenings and weekends
  • To form effective working relationships with all staff members, volunteers, child mental health agencies and relevant outside organisations
  • To work in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the Copyright Act
  • To work in accordance with the YoungMinds Vision, Mission and Values
  • Other duties that may from time to time be necessary, compatible with the nature and grade of this post.

REGIONAL WORKER- LONDON AND SOUTH EAST: PERSON SPECIFICATION.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities / Essential/Desirable
Strong analytical skills. / E
Excellent organisational skills and time management. / E
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including strong written skills and an attention to detail / E
Ability to think strategically and tactically / E
Ability to self motivate and self manage / E
Excellent leadership, facilitation and training skills / E
Ability to travel to meetings in the South East of England. / E
Ability to regularly work weekends and evenings in order to manage and attend events with children and young people. / E
Experience
Proven experience of empowering diverse networks of children and young people to take action, campaign and lobby to create positive change / E
Proven knowledge and experience of working in partnership with children and young people with experience of mental health issues, including delivering training / E
Demonstrable experience of engaging looked after children, LGBT young people, and BME young people / E
Demonstrable experience of working effectively with a range of external organisations and professionals, including senior managers and commissioners, to champion the views of children and young people and influence change at a strategic level / E
Proven experience of working to and achieving targets in all areas of work / E
Proven experience of working regionally to influence change both locally and nationally / E
Experience of using databases to record activity and demonstrate achievement of targets. / E
Knowledge/understanding
Understanding of how to use online communities to mobilise young people. / E
Understanding and knowledge of the children’s mental health field and CAMHs services. / E
Other Requirements
Adaptable and flexible able to react to opportunities / E
High level of integrity / E
Team player promoting YoungMinds mission and objectives. / E

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