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Job summary

Main area
Nature Based Interventions for Community Mental Health Services
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This role will require cross city working at The Greenway Centre (North Bristol) The Speedwell Centre (East Bristol) and Petherton Resource Centre (South Bristol))
Job ref
342-BR212-0924
Employer
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Speedwell Centre,
Town
Bristol
Salary
£28,407 - £34,581 per annum (Pay award pending)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
23/09/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust logo

Band 5 Connecting with Nature Coordinator - Bristol

NHS AfC: Band 5


Job overview

We are recruiting for a 'Connecting with Nature Co-ordinator' for our Bristol  Recovery  Teams. We have Recovery Team bases  in North Bristol (Greenway Centre), Central & East Bristol (Speedwell Centre) and South Bristol (Petherton Resource Centre) and the role would cover all 3 sites. 

We are passionate about delivering nature based interventions to our service users with mental health needs and have allotment projects in Speedwell and at Petherton which have established groups running.

This is a unique opportunity to lead on the development of delivering Nature Based activities across the city, setting up a new service in North Bristol.

Main duties of the job

  • To oversee and maintain allotment projects, currently within Speedwell allotment and Petherton Resource Centre.
  • To initiate, develop and facilitate Nature based 1: 1 activities and groups to Service Users within Recovery teams throughout the Bristol Locality.
  • To active educate, facilitate and motivate service users of the benefits to their Health and Wellbeing through access to green projects and activities.
  • To Co-produce and work alongside our lived experienced colleagues in all development and maintenance activities.

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care. 

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.  

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached JD for full details

Clinical:

  • To design, implement, monitor and adapt nature based activities and programmes, on an individual and group basis, as appropriate.  This can be with support from the relevant Recovery team. Observing and monitoring progress of the sessions and making adjustments to interventions.
  • To promote, participate and create resources for health promotions and campaigns.
  • To deliver specified wellbeing-focused nature/green interventions, in line with best available evidence, under close support of Recovery Teams.
  • Chair Local meetings to review and continue to build on the provisions. Meetings to be co-chaired and produced with Service Users and Lived Experienced colleagues.  To include link nature workers within Recovery.
  • Engage calmly and with sensitivity and empathy to support service users in highly distressing or emotional circumstances.
  • To set collaborative goals for intervention with service users based on achievable goals within the individuals strengths.
  • To work in collaboration with the individual service user and Key Worker to develop supports that are strength based and aligned with current care provision.
  • To attend Multi-Disciplinary reviews, where appropriate and act as advocate and key worker for the Nature Based activities.
  • Involvement with the ICB/Nature and Health Networks and Partnerships – Attendance of the network meetings and forums to support ongoing practice development and relationships within the community.
  • To devises and maintain rostered work for staffing the activities, ensuring coverage and safety. This will incorporate working alongside paid lived experience colleagues.
  • To be able to build therapeutic relationships with those acutely mentally unwell, using well-developed communication skills and overcoming barriers to communication such as cognitive ability, altered perception and language.
  • To liaise with other health and care providers, including third sector agencies and primary care, to ensure business continuity, community links and onward support for service users.
  • To develop Risk assessments for accessing the groups and nature spaces ensuring co-production. To decide when to escalate issues to registered staff (e.g. new, emerging or changing risks or red flags) and take appropriate action to non-routine situations.
  • Resource, organise and/or manage fundraising opportunities and source wider scope for funding. This includes communications and marketing.
  • To be responsible for identifying issues regarding the safeguarding of others who may be at risk, and reporting all such concerns in accordance with Trust safeguarding procedures.
  • To form professional relationships with service users and communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.
  • To be responsive to service users’ needs and choices; and uphold their right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Communications:

  • To communicate in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and that their individual communication needs are met.
  • To liaise with other professionals and non-professionals working with the clients.
  • To demonstrate good communication skills.
  • To communicate effectively with service users with mental health conditions, overcoming barriers to understanding by effective listening and observation and adapting communication accordingly.
  • To provide support to service users at times of extreme emotional distress; this may involve being aware of traumatic histories and events.
  • To be responsible for maintaining appropriate boundaries with service users and within your scope of practice.
  • To deal with endings appropriately and safely with service users, highlighting onward supports within sphere.
  • To monitor and record progression, highlight concerns and report any perceived changes in service users’ wellbeing to the appropriate Recovery team.
  • To demonstrate effective communication skills in discussing highly sensitive and complex information appropriately with people whose understanding may be temporarily or permanently impaired.
  • To provide relevant information, written and oral, for records and reviews relating to service users’ progress under supervision from a suitably qualified member of the team.
  • Provide highly effective written communications as required for service users and other health and care professionals.
  • Report regularly and in detail to the clinical skills supervisor and case management supervisor.
  • Make good use of clinical skills and case management supervision to discuss casework, make plans for action, reflect on and implement best practice in care planning and interventions.

Administration/Documentation:

  • To undertake administrative tasks in relation to own work and as requested.
  • To ensure that up to date clinical records are maintained in accordance with professional and Trust standards.
  • Carry out relevant risk assessments and risk management with the multi-disciplinary team.
  • Manage referrals into and onward pathways for Service Users into the Nature based activities.

Professional ethics:

  • To adhere to the employer’s expectations of professional behaviour and all relevant policies and procedures.
  • To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs and that actively addresses inequity of access and outcome across protected characteristics.
  • Training staff and student:
  • To participate in the induction of new staff and support students, into positive learning regarding Nature Based and Green activities in correlation with effect on wellbeing.
  • To participate in the dissemination and sharing of information and skills with staff, students and volunteers.

Professional Development:

  • To complete and stay up to date with all statutory and mandatory training.
  • To undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager.
  • Clinical Governance, quality and standards:
  • Participate in clinical governance and quality improvement programs as directed by the line manager.
  • To observe the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and to be aware of risks to patients and self, taking all precautionary safety measures required.

Line Management, staff and budgets:

  • Maintain clear budget and spending records aligned to the appropriate budget lines. This is to be overseen by Recovery Management line.
  • To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent, reliable attendance.
  • To contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and the employer’s policies.
  • To maintain and order stock and advise on resources necessary to carry out the job, including the responsible management of petty cash if required.
  • To be responsible for the care and cleaning of any equipment and materials used.
  • To escalate any concerns regarding the environment to the Recovery Line manager.
  • To offer day-to-day support and management to the service user/carers coproduction.

Person specification

Essential and Desirable

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level or professional or vocational qualification (e.g. NVQ, HND, RMN, etc).
  • Specific training in Health and Nature Facilitation or equivalent.
  • Experience of working with people with mental health needs.
  • Experience of working with nature and/or green prescribing activities and knowledge of managing an allotment/green spaces.
  • Experience and ability in leading groups/activities
  • Knowledge of Nature and horticulture.
  • Understanding of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Desirable criteria
  • Project Management experience
  • Accredited training in Green and/or Blue prescribing.
  • Leading and organization of Fundraising activities.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace.Positive about disabled peopleThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace.Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerInclusive Top 50 LogoThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Armed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Hanna Paddock
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0117 9556098
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