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Teesside Mind is committed to providing services that meet the needs of our community. A key objective for our organisation is to provide additional support to young people in Teesside who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Following six months of research and co-design with local young people, we are piloting a drop-in service that will be open to young people aged 11-16 years old.

The role is for 10 hours a week, delivering sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings 3-7pm and 2 hours for other duties during the day (this is flexible).

The successful candidates will work in a dedicated team to deliver a drop-in service for young people with a focus on listening to young people, understanding their immediate needs, and providing activities and support that maintain and improve their mental health.

As a Mental Health Youth worker, you will work closely with the team manager and volunteers in overseeing the young people accessing the drop-in service providing psychoeducation, self-help and practical support as needed.

Youll do this by:

• Creating a welcoming, safe and accessible environment for young people who attend.
• Providing opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities that promote mental health and wellbeing.
• Directing young people to sources of advice and support as identified.
• Identifying concerns about young people attending in the drop-in and following these up in line with service policies and procedures.
• Providing a confidential space for young people to receive support when needed.
• Developing and facilitating workshops and emotional wellbeing activities.

Teesside Mind has been working in local communities to improve mental health and wellbeing for over 25 years. The environment in which we operate has changed hugely over this time, and the importance of good mental health has never been as widely understood.

One of our proudest achievements in the last 3 years has been collaborating with Primary Care colleagues on the development of Social Prescribing on Teesside. In addition our recent merger with Redcar and Cleveland Mind has enabled us to offer more services to more people across Teesside.

Our communities are facing real challenges because of the legacy of Covid on peoples health and wellbeing, and pressure on resources. Some people are still less well served than others. Young people and people affected by poverty find it most difficult to get help. Our work wont stop until this has changed. There is much more we need to do. Can you help us?

Ours is a vibrant organisation to work for and our staff are our most important asset. We are compassionate, trust worthy and determined. We use evidence-based interventions, backed up by policies, training and clinical support to help people lead full and happy lives.

• Work face-to-face within the drop-in service and develop positive relationships with young people based on respect and trust, ensuring they have a safe place to attend.
• Provide a listening and understanding ear and engage in meaningful activities with young people to benefit their mental health and wellbeing.
• Engage with line management and peer support to share best ways of working.
• Prepare supplies and activities required for the planned sessions to ensure smooth delivery and engagement of young people.
• Establish boundaries and address any inappropriate behaviour within the drop-in.
• Recognise signs of distress in young people, dealing with this promptly, appropriately and consistently, signposting and referring on where necessary.
• Support young people to develop independence, resilience, and positive activities, and signposting them for further support when appropriate.
• Understand and meet the needs of young people regarding mental health information and support within the drop-in setting.
• Bring creative thinking, energy, and commitment to the service, to motivate and engage young people.
• Take responsibility for own health and safety and all health and safety issues related to the role and contribute to Health and Safety systems.
• Undertake administrative duties as needed this may include attending team meetings and planning sessions prior to delivery from 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to ensure effective coordination and preparation for the drop-in service.
• Work within the policies and procedures of Teesside Mind at all times.
• Undertake other tasks commensurate with the position as required including acting as a key holder to open and lock Be Heard community based venues.
• Attend marketing and promotion events for the service from time to time to raise awareness and encourage engagement from young people and the community.

• Able to work flexibly, including drop-in service delivery hours
• Commitment to Teesside Minds values and objectives
• Car driver and use of own transport for work purposes
• First aid trained

• Youth worker experience

• Needs of young people regarding mental health difficulties and support
• Current trends, resources and information related to young people
• Barriers and inequalities faced by young people with mental health problems
• Organisations and groups supporting young people in Teesside
• Communication, including complex or sensitive information
• Working with a diverse range of people including young people
• Ability to build trust, listen without judgement and empathise with young people
• Caring, compassionate, resilient, and person-centred approach
• Ability to recognise signs of distress in young people and deal with those promptly and sensitively
• Ability to remain calm and composed when faced with challenging situations and behaviours
• Conflict resolution skills with ability to de-escalate situations that might arise
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people
• Curiosity, creative thinking, problem solving and generating ideas
• Ability to motivate young people to achieve their goals
• Ability to organise work, manage own workload and prioritise effectively
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, use own initiative and make appropriate decisions
• Facilitation of drop-in sessions

• Educated to NVQ Level 3 or above, or equivalent in youth & community work

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£25,192.81 a yearPro rata for part time (£6,902.14 for 10 hours per week)