Wellbeing & Emotional Support Practitioner (Worcester)

About ONSIDE

ONSIDE is a charity working across Herefordshire & Worcestershire and the surrounding areas to ensure people are heard, supported and empowered to make choices about their lives. Through advocacy and wellbeing support services, we work alongside people who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged or facing difficult circumstances, helping them understand their rights, have their voices heard and access the support they need.

Whatever your role at ONSIDE, you’ll be part of an organisation that is passionate about making a positive difference in people’s lives.

About the role

Join ONSIDE and discover the role as a Wellbeing & Emotional Support Practitioner and work within an organisation and be part of team of professionals working within Melo community hubs across Worcestershire to support children and young people (aged 0-25 years old) with their mental health and wellbeing.

A Wellbeing & Emotional Support Practitioner will work with children and young people providing early intervention and preventative emotional wellbeing and mental health services. Providing children and young people with the skills and techniques to better manage their own emotional wellbeing and improve their confidence and self-esteem. This will result in children and young people coping better with stress, anxiety and life challenges, to enable them to participate fully in life

Key responsibilities

• Provide one-to-one and group-based support to children, young people and families to improve mental health, wellbeing, resilience and personal aspirations.
• Complete holistic assessments and develop, implement and regularly review personalised action plans to address identified needs and improve outcomes.
• Manage and prioritise an individual caseload, ensuring timely and appropriate support based on assessed need and risk.
• Deliver early intervention and preventative support, including teaching coping strategies and self-help techniques for low-level mental health concerns such as anxiety and low mood.
• Facilitate access to and delivery of group programmes, workshops and community-based activities that promote confidence, self-esteem, wellbeing and positive social connections.
• Support children, young people and families to make informed decisions about the most appropriate interventions and services to meet their needs.
• Act as a consistent point of contact, building trusting relationships and providing coordinated support throughout programme engagement.
• Work collaboratively with parents, carers and families to strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Signpost and refer individuals to statutory, voluntary and specialist services, coordinating multi-agency support where required.
• Work in partnership with professionals and agencies within the Children and Families framework, including the i-THRIVE model, to deliver joined-up support for those requiring additional or targeted interventions.
• Provide support to children, young people and families experiencing crisis or at risk of escalating need, working alongside statutory partners where appropriate.
• Promote meaningful service user involvement, seeking feedback and adopting a co-productive approach to service development and delivery.
• Maintain accurate records and provide written and verbal reports on outcomes, service impact and performance.

In addition, all ONSIDE employees are expected to

• Work within the organisation’s stated principles and values, adhering at all times to the organisational policies, procedures and guidelines
• Take responsibility for safeguarding appropriate to your role and raise any potential concerns with the ONSIDE’s Safeguarding and Professional Guidance Lead
• Contribute to the growth and ongoing sustainability of the organisation
• Demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities, social inclusion and individual empowerment
• Show a commitment to personal, professional and organisational development
• Take responsibility for your wellbeing, accessing the support and resources in place to support you and your wellbeing
• Contribute to organisational promotional and networking activities

Requirements

We are looking for someone with experience of working with children and young people ideally in a behavioral change or support role context. As well as, have a passion for ensuring children and young people have access to the support and interventions needed to improve their lives and ensure that their best interests are at the heart of everything you do.

Qualifications and knowledge

• Relevant qualification relating to working with children, young people, families, mental health, education, health or social care.
• Good standard of general education.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, confidentiality, GDPR and professional boundaries.
• Understanding of emotional health, wellbeing and mental health issues affecting children and young people.
• Knowledge of person-centred approaches and empowering individuals to achieve positive outcomes.
• Understanding of issues affecting disadvantaged children, young people and families.
• Knowledge of local support services, including statutory, health and voluntary sector provision.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Experience

• Experience of supporting children, young people and/or families in a paid, voluntary or informal capacity.
• Experience of providing emotional wellbeing or mental health support to children and young people.
• Experience of working with individuals experiencing social, emotional, behavioural or mental health challenges.
• Experience of empowering young people and families to build resilience, confidence and coping strategies.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records, monitoring outcomes and producing reports.
• Experience of working in partnership with a range of professionals and agencies.
• Experience of managing competing priorities and working independently.

Skills and approach

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to build positive, trusting and professional relationships with children, young people, families and partner agencies.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage caseloads, priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Ability to work independently while recognising when to seek support or escalate concerns.
• Ability to use a solution-focused, strengths-based approach to support individuals.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office, email and database systems.
• Ability to network, collaborate and influence effectively across organisations.
• Creative problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Desirable

• Health, social care, youth work or related qualification.
• Training in care planning, mental health support, CSE, CCE, Domestic Abuse or Prevent.
• Experience of supporting children, young people and families with complex needs.
• Experience of delivering targeted early intervention, outreach or therapeutic support.
• Experience of mediation, family support or relationship-based interventions.
• Experience of working within multi-disciplinary teams and contributing to service development and evaluation.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK or be able to independently obtain this by the start date. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Benefits

• 26 days annual holiday (pro rata), plus Bank Holidays
• Your Birthday Off
• Supportive working environment & good work/life balance culture
• Support with continuous professional development
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Company Sick Pay Scheme (after qualifying service)
• Additional Maternity & Paternity Pay (after qualifying service)
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to premium Calm App
• Time off to volunteer
• Employee Engagement Forum to ensure our employee’s voices are heard