We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Mental Health service in Ealing.
£28,500.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.
Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.
Specialist Support Workers within Look Ahead are required to have either an extra dimension of experience or a higher qualification level as determined relevant for the particular post.
This role is set for 9-month, ending on 12 January 2026, with the possibility of extension.
The Specialist Support Worker role involves early shifts (8:00-16:00) and late shifts (14:00-22:00) throughout the week, including some weekends each month.
What you'll do:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with young people and creating a positive atmosphere
- Carrying out holistic assessments which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to support young people in their journey
- Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks within an attitude of 'positive risk taking
- Supporting young people to access relevant services and empower them to self-manage their medication through informed consent and decision making
- Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to compliment their interventions
- Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
- Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety t0 customers
About you:
- Ability to advocate for young people in different professional and community spaces
- Values working collaboratively with young people to ensure the service best meets their needs.
- An understanding of peoples' contexts and how this might be impacting them their lives and mental health
- Cultural awareness and respect for the many different ways a person might make sense of their experiences and distress.
- We welcome applications from people with lived experience of some of the challenges that this service aims to support with for example, mental health difficulties.
- Plans and encourages involvement in local activities.
- Approachable and open behaviour
- Recognises the value of both 1:1 working with young people and the importance of working as part of a group or team
What you'll bring:
Essential:
- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience supporting young people or people experiencing mental health challenges.
- Specialist knowledge relevant to supporting young people with a Mental Health diagnosis.
Desirable:
- Experience of working in a complex mental health environment
- Demonstrable experience of trauma-informed practice
About us:
Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.
Please see our website for full Job description
Thank you!
Ex Cathedra is a world-class ensemble that leads the choral sector in the fields of performance, learning and wellbeing. Thanks to a recent donation, we are excited to create this new role for a skilled fundraiser to join our team to help us identify, recruit and manage a pipeline of individual donors capable of giving upwards of £5,000 to support Ex Cathedra’s agreed strategic priorities. You will join a supportive, dedicated staff team, which includes an Individual Giving Officer and freelance trusts fundraiser plus access to an external mentor if desirable.
We believe that the benefits of singing are for everyone, and seek to reach and engage as many people as possible through outstanding vocal experiences. We do this by exploring, commissioning and performing the finest choral music, nurturing young singers, and delivering an extensive, inspirational learning and wellbeing offer for participants of all ages – engaging 80,000+ people every year in a range of venues, schools, hospitals and communities, including through our acclaimed Singing Schools and Singing Medicine projects.
It is an exciting time to join us and shape this new role. Over the next 5 years we will celebrate the legacy of founder Jeffrey Skidmore OBE and welcome a new artistic director. We are enjoying audience growth, our projects are being recognised at Award ceremonies, and we already have an established individual giving scheme which we hope you will help us grow.
Find the full application pack on our website. The following is extracted:
Key responsibilities
The Individual Giving Manager will contribute towards Ex Cathedra’s ongoing sustainability and success by maximising philanthropic income:
Strategy and research
• build, maintain and continually seek to expand a pipeline of prospects capable of making gifts at a high 4-, 5- and 6-figure level, making sure that all progress is tracked, monitored and reviewed on a routine basis
• explore our existing data to identify major gift prospects, working in line with data protection law and fundraising regulations
Individual giving
• work closely with the General Manager and Individual Giving Officer to further develop and implement strategies that will increase major gifts and legacy donations to Ex Cathedra, dovetailing with the Trusts and Foundations consultant where appropriate
• arrange and conduct face-to-face meetings with prospects and donors to help build and progress meaningful relationships through regular dialogue
• use their judgement to involve the artistic director, trustees and colleagues where most beneficial/advantageous
• align prospective donors with high-value funding opportunities for the performance programme, education and participation work, or area of greatest need according to the interests of the donor
• promote and encourage giving towards the establishment of an Endowment Fund that will provide long-term financial sustainability for the organisation
• meet agreed targets for activity (i.e. number of prospect meetings and solicitations) and income generation (i.e. funds raised)
• personally manage the portfolio of higher level donors and prospective donors.
Communications
• manage the delivery of specific appeals to prospects and donors
• work with the General Manager and freelance designer to devise and produce materials in support of Ex Cathedra’s fundraising aims
• create and refresh inspiring copy for inclusion in print, on our website and other relevant materials
Other
• record and maintain progress, ensuring that income can be projected as accurately as possible, liaising with the Finance Manager as appropriate
• carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, as requested by the General Manager
About you
You will be a skilled fundraiser, able to help us identify, recruit and manage a pipeline of individual donors, capable of giving upwards of £5,000 to support Ex Cathedra’s agreed strategic priorities.
You will join a supportive, dedicated staff team, which includes an Individual Giving Officer and freelance trusts fundraiser plus access to an external mentor if desirable.
The ideal candidate will have:
Experience
• demonstrable experience in a similar role
• direct experience of securing gifts and donations at 4- and 5-figure level from individuals by initiating, building and stewarding relationships
• experience of developing engaging and attractive gift opportunities; and scoping, developing and articulating fundraising projects
• experience of working in a target-driven environment
Knowledge
• knowledge of the principles of major gift fundraising and Donor Relations (including stewardship)
• knowledge of the Arts and/or Charity funding landscape and UK philanthropic trends
• knowledge and understanding of donor motivations, and how to align philanthropic interests with organisational priorities
• a sound working knowledge of data protection legislation and national fundraising best practice
Skills and abilities
• good organisation and planning skills, with an ability to prioritise the things that matter most
• excellent communication skills with an ability to persuade and influence with tact and diplomacy
• an ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• an ability to adapt communication styles to different audiences
• an ability to think both creatively and tactically about the relations between potential donors and fundraising goals
• good listening skills
Attributes and attitudes
• a strong team player, who enjoys building and maintaining productive relationships with others
• pro-active, results-oriented and ambitious, with a determination to succeed and improve
• resilient, focused, tenacious and confident
• a creative thinker, with a keen interest in trying new approaches to bring about enduring, positive change
• a willingness to work outside normal hours and travel when required
• a genuine affinity and passion for music and the Arts, and their transformational power
How to apply
Full details on how to apply can be found in the Application Pack, which is available from our website. We welcome informal, pre-application conversations, and details on how to arrange this with Peter Trethewey, General Manager, are also set out in the pack.
Application deadline: Thursday 1 May, 5pm
If you have any access needs relevant to your application, please contact Peter.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
We seek to reach and inspire through outstanding vocal experiences - in performance, by nurturing talent, through education and participation projects
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.