Roots Wellbeing Support Worker

Kings Park Hospital

Closing date: Friday 25th October 2024

ROOTS:     To gather, nurture and sustain people affected by mental ill health in the      joint purpose of cultivating local gardens of those who cannot do it for themselves, and by recognising the importance of wellbeing through gardening.

This is a new role offering a stimulating opportunity for someone who has a concrete desire to support positive change for people and green spaces through providing a service that touches on all of the NHS ‘Five steps to Wellbeing’ for the volunteers in its’ delivery.

Working with Roots means being part of a team that provides a gardening service that embodies Help & Care’s vision and values and a successful candidate would be expected to take an active role in that delivery while also taking a lead on the ‘wellbeing and coaching’ aspects for the volunteers through supporting them utilising the CRM and appropriate platforms such as ‘Wellbeing Star’ or the ‘My Wellbeing Plan’ for example, to record baseline data, attendance, burgeoning skill sets and impact assessments.  For some of our longer-term volunteers this could be as simple as helping them to maintain their equilibrium and stay out of crisis or for those coming to us with vocational aspirations provide a record of attendance, training and skills.

OBJECTIVE:                        To provide support to the volunteers in devising and maintaining their recovery plan and in meeting the Roots service obligations to their customer base.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide one-to-one and group health coaching support for people, based on what is important to them, with the aim of: empowering people to manage their own health, improve their health outcomes and daily living skills.
• Supporting the volunteers, in accordance with their needs and priorities. It is vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when, what the person needs is beyond the scope of the support role – e.g. when there is a complex need requiring the volunteer to be referred to specialist support.
• Support local health, social care, and voluntary sector professionals to make appropriate referrals to the service. Promote and raise awareness of the service particularly to groups and communities that experience barriers to
• Participate in regular support supervision, and continual learning. This may include, but is not limited to, any or all the following:
  • Regular contact with service supervisor
  • Refresher training sessions
• e-learning to revisit or deepen training
• On-going improvements to systems and processes

• To facilitate person centered planning and support for the volunteers of the Roots, Cultivate, Nurture, Sustain Services to achieve identified goals.

• To maintain the volunteer support logs and records, as instructed and to the agreed standards

• To assist with the practical day to day running of the service, including asset maintenance, and upholding of health and safety standards

• To provide a professional gardening service to our customers whilst working with our volunteers

• Maintain good relationships with volunteers, customers, colleagues, and the wider community

TASKS:

Volunteer Support

• Welcome and support all new volunteers in their placement with Roots Service. This will include assisting in their initial induction, assessment, and training plans.

• Provide on-going support and facilitate goal setting, utilising appropriate platforms such as outcome measurement tools for example Outcome Star or My Wellbeing Plan.

• Help volunteers to maintain their own personal development records where appropriate.

• Support volunteers to engage with ancillary services, for the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of their recovery and development with goals that lie outside of the scope of Roots Services delivery.

• Liaise, where appropriate, with volunteers’ clinicians, support services or referrers with volunteer health or welfare related concerns or relapses in wellbeing

Gardening Service

• Work alongside other Roots Services staff and volunteers to provide a professional gardening service to our customers.

• Work from the weekly calendar, ensuring jobs are completed in a timely and ordered manner

• Supervise small groups of volunteers to complete gardening work to an agreed standard

• Prepare vans, machinery and other provisions – such as PPE – as needed for the jobs described for that day

• Help maintain all machinery, tools and other assets, ensuring safety standards are met

• Drive the Roots Gardening Services van to gardening jobs, ensuring safety of volunteers and equipment

• Uphold all safety regulations in accordance with the HSE, related to work carried out by Roots Gardening Services

• Support the recruitment of new volunteers through promotion of the service to Clinicians, Help & Care Health coaches and other health related services where appropriate

• Willingness to learn and use Digital technology systems.

• Accessing and handling personal client data via the CRM in line with GDPR regulations

• Carry out other duties as may be required by the Senior Garden Services Worker with the Roots Volunteers, Chief Executive and Trustee Management Board which are consistent with the duties and responsibilities of the post.

CONDITIONS

The other conditions of service and other current procedural agreements will be enclosed with the post-holders Contract of Employment.

The working week shall be up to 22.5 hours per week (days to be agreed) to be worked over 3 -4 days during standard office hours. Start time and finish time (to be agreed) with 30 minutes for lunch (unpaid break) with some flexibility to meet the needs of the service.

There will be an assessment of competence to practice during induction and 6-month probation period.