Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Over the next five years, mental health services are going to be undergoing a real transformation and you could be part of these exciting developments. Our housing workforce will become part of a much more integrated network of services and our mental health staff will be central in driving these changes, in close partnership with our primary and third sector colleagues.

An excellent opportunity has become available for three highly motivated and passionate Housing Specialists to join the inpatient services. This is a new, exciting and innovative service which specialises in supporting individuals with housing needs.Successful applicants will be provided with the opportunity to contribute towards the further development of the service while utilising their specialist housing skills, knowledge and experience.

Main duties of the job

Although not essential as training will be provided, it would be advantageous for applicants to have had some experience of working in housing and with people who experience severe and enduring mental health problems. However successful candidates must be able to demonstrate effective communication skills, be enthusiastic, self-motivated, flexible and able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.

In line with our Trust value of 'People First', evidence shows that people who are treated in the community and in the least restrictive manner, have better outcomes. In this role you will work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, to help us provide the opportunity for the residents of West Sussex in line with national agendas of Getting It Right First Time, a whole system approach to recovery from mental ill health and maximising an individual's quality of life and social inclusion.

Working for our organisation

We recognise that working in mental health can be stressful at times so we prioritise staff welfare; providing regular supervision, reflective practice, mentoring, and any other support that our staff need to ensure their wellbeing. We also encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, partial home-working, part-time hours, or flexible start/finish times. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

Our vision is to provide outstanding care and treatment; the people that we employ are at the heart of making this vision a reality. If you've got the passion, the belief, the drive and the talent to help us achieve our vision then we would like to hear from you.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To deliver specialist housing advice, assistance, and interventions to people who use our services in relation to their housing needs which will prevent or relieve homelessness, secure good quality and longer term settled housing solutions, and reduce financial hardship.

Prepare information and support decision makers on formal applications for assistance, on behalf of the Local Housing Authority they are attached to, from persons who may be homeless or threatened with homelessness, acting in accordance with the homelessness legislation, statutory Code of Guidance and the policies of the relevant Local Housing Authority.

To work between local mental health and housing systems to ensure people who use our services and staff receive high quality and timely specialist housing input and access to wider housing teams and referral pathways.

NB: The salary banding on these three posts is pending job evaluation.

Person specification

Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Undergraduate degree in relevant field or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Significant experience of working in a professional housing advice capacity with people who have housing and mental health needs
• Good knowledge and understanding of relevant areas of housing policy and practice including the law relating to local housing authority homelessness duties and the allocation of social housing.
• Good understanding of the role and responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children.
• Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non-statutory teams and agencies

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.