Community Engagement Practitioner

Hestia; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Hestia seeks a Community Engagement Practitioner to join our Voluntary Community Sector team in Enfield. You will support adults with moderate to severe mental illness, act as their key contact, and contribute to care planning, monitoring, and safe discharge using RiO.

You will collaborate with clinicians, social workers and community partners to develop person-centred recovery plans and promote social goals and community integration.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 4 in Care (or equivalent) or two years' experience in a mental health setting.
• Experience in developing person-centred recovery plans and liaising with statutory/voluntary organisations.
• Strong IT literacy and ability to maintain accurate documentation.

Responsibilities

• Hold a caseload of adults with mental illness and act as their key contact.
• Contribute to care planning, monitoring progress and safe discharge.
• Build therapeutic relationships and support community integration.
• Engage with service users to access local resources and wellbeing activities.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and attend meetings.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Recovery-focused approach

Co-production

Strong communication

Relationship-building

Group facilitation

IT systems (RiO familiarity)

Education

NVQ Level 4 in Care (or equivalent)

Tools

RiO clinical records system

Job description

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary NHS team alongside clinicians, social workers, and community partners to support adults with moderate to severe mental illness. Holding a caseload of service users, you will act as their key contact, contributing to care planning, monitoring progress, and supporting safe discharge using the RiO clinical records system. Together with service users, you will develop person-centred recovery plans focused on social goals and community integration, building strong therapeutic relationships through trauma-informed and strength-based approaches. You will help individuals access local resources, attend appointments, and engage in wellbeing activities, peer support, and psychoeducational groups. Collaboration is central to the role, as you will liaise with statutory and voluntary organisations, attend clinical meetings and community events, and advocate for recovery-focused, jargon-free communication. You will ensure accurate documentation, uphold safeguarding and health & safety standards, and actively participate in supervision, training, and professional development., We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation. We are a disability confident employer Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us. Safeguarding Statement Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undertake pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

We are looking for someone with NVQ Level 4 in Care (or equivalent) or at least two years' experience in a mental health setting. You will bring a strong understanding of mental health issues, recovery, and co-production principles, alongside experience of working collaboratively with professionals, services, and communities. Knowledge of care planning, risk assessment, recovery tools, and the Mental Health Act is essential, as are excellent communication, relationship-building, and group facilitation skills. You should be confident using IT systems, resilient and adaptable, able to work independently or as part of a team, and committed to person-centred, trauma-informed practice.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Community Engagement Practitioner to play a pivotal role in our Voluntary Community Sector service in Enfield.