Recovery Worker-Dual Diagnosis

Thank you for your interest for the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT), it is an exciting time to join us and being part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through the North London Way, as we:

• Collaborate at every level by living our Values to create the right conditions for us all to work together.
• Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care.
• Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes.
• Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high-quality care across all our services.
• Ensure that research, Quality Improvement, and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services.
• Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do

We proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer. We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.

The North London Way to deliver, Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/

Job overview

The North London Forensic Service is a NHS tertiary forensic mental health service based at Chase Farm Hospital in the London Borough of Enfield.

We provide care and treatment to people aged over 18 who have a primary diagnosis of mental illness or learning disability and who are liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act (1983). The service supports those whose risk of harm to others or escape from hospital cannot be safely managed in other mental health settings and therefore require care and treatment within a secure mental health service.

The post holder will assist the Substance Misuse Lead to develop and maintain high quality standards of care.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work alongside the other members of the Substance Misuse team to offer evidenced based interventions to service users in the in-patient services. The post holder will assist the Substance Misuse Lead to develop and maintain high quality standards of care.

The post-holder will be responsible for the assessment, planning and implementation of motivational & relapse prevention based interventions for a small caseload, the post holder will work very closely with their supervisor

The job involves delivering 1:1 and group interventions to service users.

The key skill and requirement for this post is the ability to be able to develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with those with complex presentations such as comorbid mental health and substance misuse issues.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

1. 1. To support the development and implementation of treatment within the field of dual diagnosis (mental health and substance use/misuse) for service users identified as potentially having a dual diagnosis within NLFS.
2. 2. To carry out substance misuse assessments, as appropriate
3. 3. To provide one to one sessions with service users, ensuring that care and recovery planning in relation to Substance misuse is conducted on an individual basis according to the specific needs of the service user.
4. 4. To communicate highly sensitive information requiring the development of persuasive or re-assurance skills to service users and colleagues.
5. 5. To establish, sustain and disengage from therapeutic relationships with individuals.
6. 6. To interact and co-operate with service users, relatives, and other professionals within NLFS and any community services as appropriate.
7. 7. To have professional responsibility for promoting equality, diversity, and rights.
8. 8. To work closely with ward-based nursing teams and multidisciplinary teams to support the implementation of substance misuse care plans

The job- holder will be expected to carry out other duties assigned by the team, which are appropriate to the grade and the training program.

The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of the progress of the programme. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the jobholder.

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

• • NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent).
• • Training in vocational work, career advice or equivalent experience gained through work in the field.

• • Evidence of recent study
• • An awareness of the role of CPD and Reflective practice in effectively working in this setting.

Experience And Knowledge

• • Experience working with people with mental health problems.
• • Awareness of risk issues with this forensic client group.

• • Experience of contributing to multidisciplinary team’s risk assessment and discharge planning processes.
• • Awareness of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act and its significance for service users and impact on clinical practice.
• • knowledge of evidence-based interventions to support people who are recovering from mental illness
• • understanding of the care programme approach (CPA)
• • Basic counselling skills

Skills And Abilities

• • Ability to engage service users in physical and mental health promotion activities. Demonstrates awareness of personal safety in relation to lone working
• • Able to work sensitively and compassionately with service users who are often scared of moving
• • Able to help service users work through fears in a way that fosters independence.

Personal Qualities

• • A keenness to make a positive contribution to improving the quality of life for people with mental health problems.
• • Ability to acknowledge diversity and promote anti- discriminatory practice/equal opportunities
• • An ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
• • Empathy, compassion, and patience
• • Reliable, trustworthy, and enthusiastic
• • A caring, responsible and • positive approach

• • Ability to inspire others

Other Requirements

• • Effective IT skills able to use Word, case note software etc.
• • Ability to work independently.
• • Willingness to learn
• • Good general health record

• • Car driver/ability to travel to different sites