Position: Crisis Support Worker
Location: Port in a Storm, Harwich and Dovercourt Hub
Hours: Wednesdays 6.30pm-9.30pm
Salary: £12 per hour. Mileage paid at 45p per mile
Contract Type: 1 year fixed term, to be extended depending on first year pilot
Closing Date: TBC
Interviews: TBC
We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of
race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
Please send a covering letter explaining how you meet the essential criteria outlined in
the person specification to: keaton@reachoutfmh.co.uk
ONLY APPLICATANTS WHO CLEARLY MEET THE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE
PERSON SPECIFICATION WILL BE SHORTLISTED FOR INTERVIEW. ASSUMPTIONS WILL NOT
BE MADE ON JOB ROLE.
The Charity
Reach Out for Mental Health (ROFMH) is a suicide prevention service operating in Essex set
up to reduce the number of attempted and completed suicides in the area. Sadly, Essex is
home to two areas consistently with a higher than the national average rate of suicides Tendring and Colchester. We are excited and honoured to launch a new out of hours non clinical crisis service (Port in a Storm) to support residents of Harwich when they’re feeling
suicidal, hopeless or overwhelmed with life. It’s a safe, respectful and non-judgemental space
for people to talk to a trained member of staff for up to an hour, with the option of using the
social area for peer support afterwards.
All staff, volunteers and our Board of Trustees have their own personal lived experience of
emotional distress/suicidal thoughts, have supported a loved one or have sadly lost
someone to suicide. ROFMH was set up to support individuals who were feeling suicidal,
overwhelmed or felt like they’d just hit a wall with life. All staff are trained in suicide
prevention and are here to offer a containing, respectful and trusting environment to anyone
who feels unable to cope.
Purpose of the job
A Port in a Storm is open Wednesdays 7pm-9pm. The role of the Crisis Support team
is to provide a range of practical and emotional support to people in acute mental
health crisis.
Responsibilities
Work with Visitors
- • Providing one to one support sessions to people in crisis.
- To work in a person centred, trauma informed and empowering way for visitors to
- Port in a Storm. This will involve enabling visitors to determine how they will be
- supported.
• Working with people in acute states of distress and who use a variety of coping
mechanisms. This may involve working with people who use substances and people
who self-harm.
• Supporting people who are expressing suicidal thoughts and feelings.
• Alongside the team, managing the shift to ensure the maximum number of visitors
can access the service and gain support; whilst maintaining the safety of the house
and its ambience as a place of sanctuary.
• Working within the organisation’s policies and procedures regarding the
safeguarding of children and adults at risk of abuse.
• Working with the team to ensure that the services are accessible to visitors from
minority groups, including people from culturally diverse communities and LGBT
communities.
• Referring people on to other services where appropriate. This may involve other crisis
and/or emergency services.
Organisational:
• Undertaking administrative duties necessary for the smooth running of the services.
This will include inputting the details of visitors on to a database and maintaining
records in relation to support, risk management and health and safety.
• Attending quarterly supervision meetings with your line manager, monthly group
clinical supervision and monthly reflective practice meetings with the team.
• Attending internal and external training events in order to improve your practice and
update your knowledge and skills.
• Contributing to the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project.
• Undertaking other duties appropriate to the post as required by the manager.
Person Specification
Detailed below are the types of skills, experience and knowledge which are required of
applicants applying for the post. The ‘Essential’ requirements indicate the minimum
requirements and applicants lacking these attributes will not be considered for the post. The
points under ‘Desirable’ are additional attributes, which are not essential, but may be used to
distinguish between acceptable candidates.
Skills and abilities
Essential:
• The ability to engage people and form collaborative, warm and empathic
relationships with people in mental health crisis; including people from minority
groups.
• The therapeutic and personal skills to provide person centred one to one support to
people in acute distress, including people who have attracted a ‘personality disorder’
label.
• The ability to facilitate choice amongst people using our service, including personal
responsibility and participation in decision making about the kind of support they
receive.
• The ability to communicate effectively with people in crisis, staff, volunteers and other
professionals.
• The ability to work calmly and sensitively with people who self-harm and/or who
have suicidal thoughts and feelings.
• The ability to reflect on your own attitudes towards mental health and your own
practice.
• The ability to work as part of a team and to provide support to colleagues and volunteers.
• To manage basic record keeping on a database
Knowledge
Essential
• In depth knowledge of the impact of trauma and complex trauma on mental health.
• An understanding of the issues faced by visitors from minority groups, including
people from culturally diverse communities and LGBT populations.
• An understanding of the principles, philosophy and practical applications of the
Person Centred Approach.
• An understanding of the concept of empowerment as it relates to mental health.
• An understanding of self harm and the functions it has for people.
Charity Number 1199647 4
• Knowledge and awareness of your own support needs.
Experience
Essential
• Either personal experience of emotional distress/crisis/suicidal feelings or having
supported someone else E.G family member or a friend
• Experience of working with people who self harm.
• Experience of working with people who experience suicidal thoughts and feelings.
• Experience of working as part of a team.
Desirable
• Experience of using mental health services.
• Experience of working in a survivor led service.
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems, including people
from culturally diverse communities and LGBT populations. This could include
experience of providing support over the telephone or face to face
• Experience of involving people using services in making decisions about their own
support needs.
• Experience of working with those who have attracted a ‘Personality Disorder’ label.
• Experience of working in a person-centred service.
Qualifications
Desirable
• A counselling qualification
• A health and social care qualification