Harm Reduction Practitioner

Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Overdose Response Team
Multiple
Harm Reduction Practitioner
 
£24,238

JOB PURPOSE & CORE DETAILS

To:
1. Work to the service and organisation’s aims and values and promote the citizenship of the people we support.
2. Deliver support to people who use Turning Point Scotland’s services and in so doing contribute to the provision of the highest possible quality of social care support which meets the service specification.
3. Operate at an advanced level of social care practice, which includes taking a higher level of responsibility for service delivery and development, and a leadership role.
4. Work to the company's values -
5. Undertake CPD (continuous professional development) and use appraisals and supervision fully.
6. Keep your registration and membership to relevant professional bodies up to date and valid.
7. Undertake any outstanding required qualification for registration, or if not working in a registered service qualify at SVQ level 3 Health and Social Care.
8. Undertake any other duties or responsibilities as may be deemed appropriate to the post by the Service Manager (or nominated deputy).
9. Provide, prompt, administer medication and healthcare & wellbeing support as required


MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:


Support to people who use services- To:

• Provide support and assistance to people we support in accordance with their support plans and the service aims.
• Be responsible for undertaking initial and on-going assessments of people we support.
• Advise people we support in accordance with guidance from senior colleagues or in accordance with the service aims.
• Be a key worker for a person or people who have complex or multiple needs where appropriate.
• Maintain professional confidentiality and boundaries at all times.
• Support and assist people who we support in crisis situations, and/or manage physical risk or behaviour likely to cause incidents, in accordance with the support plan or service protocol.
• Travel within the service area you are contracted for and supporting the travel and transportation of people we support in accordance with their support plan (motability, own car, service vehicles, public transport etc.).
• Have a good understanding of the causes and effects of social exclusion as is relevant to the service and area in which you work.
• Have a significant knowledge and experience of harm reduction interventions.
• Have awareness of drug overdose and prevention interventions.
• Have strong dynamic risk assessment skills.

Planning, policies and record keeping- To:

• Devise, review and update support plans, record events and observations and keep appropriate records as required in the service.
• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of support plans and record keeping.
• Prepare paperwork for and participate in service user reviews as a lead person when required.
• Plan and co-ordinate elements of support in accordance with the support plan.
• Prepare and implement risk management plans, and follow and update risk assessments.
• Work with data in line with the data protection act.
• Work and comply with standard operation (finance, operational, H&S, HR) and service procedures including service user finances.

Interactions with other people- To:

• Support and supervise other staff administering or prompting medication and ensure that medication protocols are adhered to as required.
• Support new staff and volunteers/those on placement to comply with the SSSC Codes of Practice.
• Provide informal support to the staff team on a daily basis as required.
• Have a collegiate approach and team work well with a diverse group of people.
• Manage and resolve conflict promptly and raise or report issues appropriately using the correct internal processes.
• Directly communicate with the families of people we support when appropriate.
• Liaise with workers from other agencies & stakeholders.
• Maintain confidentiality with shared information.
• Be aware of health and safety and contribute fully to keeping the work environment, colleagues, community, people who use services and myself safe.
• Be able to work creatively and adapt practise to changing needs of the service

Leadership- To:

• Provide leadership to support people we support in accordance with their support plan and maintain people we support records correctly.
• Assist the service manager to prepare information and the service for inspections.
• Provide on-the-job training and/or coaching to new staff.
• Be the ‘named worker’ or shift lead or lead on a specific part of the service such as group work.
• Continuously seek service development and improvement.
• Keep abreast of the sector ‘big picture’, operational environment and changes.
• Appropriately challenge oppressive or potentially abusive behaviours or practices.
• Be able to be first responder to overdose and be sensitive in approach but motivating.
• Have a good level of evaluation skills

MISCELLANEOUS

Applies only in certain services

1. To undertake overnight and weekend working and occasionally participate in people we support’s holidays, as required.

2. To ensure the service/location’s stock or goods are in place and replenish/order as required

3. To undertake training that may be technical or specialised that will benefit the service.

4. To provide technical testing services (BBV/swab and similar) and/or to train others in emergency, risk reduction action, needle exchange and medications.

5. To be responsible for the dispensing of medication, in particular, when supervising dispensing.

6. To perform lone working for significant lengths of my work time undertaking tasks that require a high level of independence and initiative.

7. To provide reports, witness testimony, recommendations for criminal justice or social work decisions/situations.

8. To have a good understanding of Welfare in relation to how it will impact on your service user group.

9. Able to liaise with a range of partners assertively.

About Turning Point Scotland (TPS)

TPS works with adults who are experiencing a range of support needs in relation to housing and homelessness, learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury, fluctuating mental health, physical disabilities, problematic alcohol and/or other drug use and involvement in the criminal justice system. We work from the belief that people matter, that they are the experts on their support needs and that it is for us to work creatively with them and with partners to ensure that those needs are met. We work with around 2,800 Individuals every day and 5,100 every year across Scotland helping people to address issues they are experiencing and recognise their own skills and interests.

Our approach to support is imbedded within a Citizenship framework where we deliver a holistic approach promoting the recovery, self-determination and inclusion of people experiencing challenges in their life, through focusing on their strengths and the valuable contributions they can make to their communities. Citizenship is defined as a measure of the strength of an individual’s connection to the 5 Rs of rights, responsibilities, roles, resources, and relationships that society makes available to its members.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Services within TPS

TPS support and are more commonly delivering services which do not sit within silod’ areas of work, focusing more on the interventions we can provide rather than the area of work where it has been funded. 

Turning Point Scotland has been supporting individuals who experience a crisis as a result of their alcohol and drug use for over 25 years, and these crisis situation involve a range of other interventions to alleviate homelessness, mental health, family situation etc. We are experienced in providing a range of evidence based interventions to reduce harm and to support recovery across a number of local authority areas. 

About the Service

This test of change is to be delivered across five local authority areas across the west of Scotland on an assertive outreach basis.  We address other potential barriers including information and data sharing; prescribing arrangements, and rapid access to mainstream alcohol and other drug services.

We will aim to increase engagement with alcohol and other drug services and provide a template which the Drug Deaths Task Force could roll out to other areas

Has completed a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level 6 (SCQF) or higher or HNC in Health and Social Care (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes).

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications:

  • A willingness to complete a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level 7 (SCQF) or higher (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes) and if not already registered, to register with the SSSC within the timescale required, where relevant. Additional PDA units may be required.

Experience:

  • Must have had direct professional experience of supporting people, who have a wide range of support needs and personal aims on a person-centred basis
  • Has experience of working with people who have barriers to social inclusion and supporting them to become more socially integrated.
  • Has direct experience of working with people who have experienced homelessness, alcohol & other drug issues or had involvement with the justice system
  • Has experience of working in an environment where the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers, or an equivalent body code, is adhered to.
  • Has strong experience in working with organisational policies, recording systems and support planning including using IT

 Values:


  • Must be able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the values that underpin social care focussing on inclusion, person centred approaches and citizenship.

  • Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the need to maintain professional boundaries between social care workers and people who use services and the role of a professional social care worker.

  • Must be able to be wholly respectful towards all service users and colleagues and address issues constructively.

Other skills and knowledge: 

  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of and the skills to operate to the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.
  • Must be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in order to communicate well with service users and colleagues at all levels in the organisation.
  • Be able to demonstrate an accomplished level of skill used when directly supporting people.
  • Must be willing to develop skills used when supporting people through reflective practice, active learning, personal and professional development, supervision and feedback.
  • Knowledge of relevant safeguarding and adult or child protection.

Experience

  • Has taken a lead role within a team on a professional social care project or activity such as group work.
  • Has experience of working in a lone working environment.
  • Has had a coaching or mentoring role
  • Has strong experience in risk assessment.

Other skills and knowledge

  • Report writing skills.

We are a large, stable national provider and a charity. As we are not for profit there is ongoing investment into our staff training and development, a good GPP pension scheme, and annual leave and sick pay that significantly exceeds the statutory minimum.

We also have a brilliant employee assistance programme (independent advice, information and support online, by phone and in person), a group reward scheme to help your money go further and access to a contributory ‘hospital’ fund. We have a relationship with a credit union and promote saving directly from salary.

We aim to provide a working environment where opinions and ideas are valued and arrangements are in place to ensure that there is a high level of staff representation and that people are encouraged to make their views heard and to participate at service and organisational levels.

As a leading national social care provider our breakthrough and forward-thinking models of practice and service are well recognised. Examples of this recently have been: Housing First, Psychologically informed environments (PIE), Citizenship and both Scottish and International research and evaluation of a range of projects. We work across a wide range of types of services and the organisation provides pathways for development: a career development workshop; appraisal; learning and training options; internal forums and project groups; and opportunities for internal secondment, temporary acting up or sideways roles and career progression.

The salary for the post will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts, the full time equivalent is a 37 working hour week)

  • £24,238

The annual leave entitlement will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts and will include a proportional entitlement to public holidays)

25 days per year, plus 8 public holidays and 2 local holidays.

This is a fixed-term post until September 2022 for Greater Glasgow & Clyde Overdose Response Team

We welcome secondment applications as well. Please ensure you speak to your line manager prior to applying on secondment basis.

For more information on the post you can email Patricia Tracey, Head of Alcohol and Other Drugs at patriciatracey@turningpointscotland.com 

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If you have any queries please call our freephone recruitment line on 0808 164 3100.

This opportunity is closed to applications.