Sanctuary Support Worker

Job Application Form

Sanctuary Support Worker, £12.56

Employment Type

Part Time

Application Start Date

26-08-2025

Application End Date

15-10-2025

Description

Job Title: Sanctuary Support Worker

Reporting to: Crisis Alternative Manager

Location: Harlow with travel to other sites across West Essex when required

Hours: 14 - 28 hrs a week across a 4 week rota (variable hours across the rota) - 4pm - 11pm, 7 hour shifts across 7 days per week including weekends and bank holidays, this is a 365 days a year service.

Salary: £12.56 per hour. Time and a half is paid when shifts are worked on Public Holidays.

The organisation:

Mind in West Essex is a mental health charity. We are an independent organisation affiliated to Mind (the national association for mental health), an organisation with which we share common values and principles. We aim to support people affected

by mental ill health through the provision of a range of community-based services within the West Essex area.

Purpose of the Job:

To enhance the offer of mental health support from the Voluntary and Community Sector to individuals presenting to Crisis and Liaison teams via Sanctuary, Daylight and Night Owls. Working closely with Crisis staff and Mental Health Liaison teams the Sanctuary Support Worker will be community based to meet the needs of people referred by Crisis 24 and Liaison & Home First.

Key Task Areas and Responsibilities:

Main Duties

● To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing emotional crisis

● To liaise closely with PAH A&E, EPUT Crisis and Liaison Team & Home First.

● To increase early access to help for people experiencing mental health crisis by providing a clear and effective pathway to services provided.

● To contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.

● To remain a source of independent support for all clients.

● To reduce the use of police, ambulance and statutory mental health services for people experiencing crisis.

● To contribute to the effective delivery of Crisis Support in partnership with Essex Partnership University NHS Trust.

Role

● To support a small number of people requiring practical and emotional support in a supportive safe environment.

● To welcome people and address immediate presenting issues.

● To work with Crisis and Liaison Staff and Home First to identify safe and effective onward referral routes for people.

● To continue work with people from Sanctuary & Night Owls who need next day follow up, assistance with accessing daytime services, support or reassurance.

● To develop links with a range of external agencies, including, accommodation providers, health services, police, housing, debt advice, drug and alcohol services etc.

● To ensure the safety of service users, and their carers.

● To work effectively with other members of the team and to work supportively with other co-workers when on shift.

● Record accurate, factual and contemporaneous notes on the CRM system designated for the role.

General

● Understand, uphold and work with the values, ethos, aims and objectives of Mind in West Essex

● At all times adhere to relevant legislation, and good practice

● Represent the service, raise its profile and promote its cause

● Promote and uphold service users’ rights.

● Maintain professional boundaries at all times.

● To share any and all concerns with Sanctuary Management and Senior Leadership Team.

● To share good practice and relationships with everyone you come into contact within your role. Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other team members, service users and carers.

● Work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of the individual.

● To ensure compliance with legal, ethical, regulatory and social requirements.

● To manage personal resources and own professional development.

● To ensure all duties are carried out in a manner which promotes equity and diversity.

● To promote a health and safety culture within the workplace, observe all health and safety rules and procedures as required and where appropriate conduct risk assessments.

● Ensure that sensitive or personal information is not disclosed to or discussed with inappropriate persons.

● All information must be maintained within the Data Protection Act and GDPR guidelines

Person Specification:

Sanctuary Support Worker	Essential Criteria	Desirable Criteria
Qualifications
Relevant training in counselling, social work, occupational therapy or mental health nursing.		*
Minimum of 1 year working in mental health services.	*
Evidence of continual professional development		*
Knowledge
Understanding of the recovery model in mental health services		*
Understanding of the principles of trauma informed care and a person-centred approach to care.		*
Understanding of the relationship between mental health and social issues and how these may impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing	*
Understanding of relevant legislation and policies such as the Data Protection Act, Safeguarding and Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Mental Capacity Act, and Mental Health Act.	*
Understanding of working within safeguarding, data protection, confidentiality and equality frameworks	*
Experience
Awareness of issues relating to mental health service provision	*
An understanding of mental health conditions	*
Experience of working with adults with care and support needs	*
Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals	*
Skills and Abilities
Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner	*
Ability to prioritise and manage workload	*
Ability to involve service users and carers in all aspects of their care and support.	*
Practical
Good IT skills including Word, GSuite, Excel and CRM systems	*
Ability to travel to work across West Essex.	*
Personal Circumstances
Ability to work unsocial hours and on a shift rota covering 7 days per week.	*

Downloads

Sanctuary-Support-worker-JD-14-28-hrs-per-week.docx

Personal Information

Title *

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Mobile Number *

Source

Your Education

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State/County

Postcode

Country *

Professional Information

Current Job Title

Availability Date

Notice Period

Referred By

Note

Right to Work. ( You must be able to provide proof at the interview stage please. This could be: British/Irish Passport Birth Certificate Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation as a British Citizen Work permit - share code)

Do you have a right to work in the UK? * Required

You will be required to provide proof at the interview stage, are you able to do this? * Required

Referees. ( Please give the names, email and postal address of two referees, who should not be related to you and one of whom should be your present or most recent employer (where applicable) the second should be a previous employer or place of education.

Present/recent employer: Name and Address: * Required

Present/recent employer: Company? * Required

Present/recent employer: Email and contact number? * Required

Second reference: Name and Address? * Required

Second reference: Company? * Required

Second reference: Email and contact number? * Required

Additional questions

Are you prepared for Mind in West Essex to carry out a DBS (disclosure barring check)? * Required

Do you have a current full driving license? * Required

Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? (As part of our Equity and Inclusion Policy, Mind in West Essex wishes to ensure that it does not discriminate against ex-offenders. However, we recognise for example those working with vulnerable adults and children or with handling sums of money, involve matters where an ex-offender might be in a potentially vulnerable position. Consideration of the person’s background therefore should be made. For this reason we will ask you to complete a declaration on application to any of our roles) * Required

If your answer was Yes, please give details of all dates and offences: NB. Offences which would be deemed as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 need not be declared. * Required

Leisure

Please give us an indication of your leisure/sports/interests/pursuits and any suggestions you have about how they could relate to this role? * Required

Please give your reasons for applying for this position

Tell us how you think you meet each of the essential criteria on the job description for this position. Please include details of any voluntary work. * Required

Tell us how you think you meet each of the desirable criteria on the job description for this position. Please include details of any voluntary work. * Required

Have you any experience of mental health services and/or the voluntary sector? (If yes, please give details) * Required

Do you have any disability or health problems (including mental health) which would be helpful for us to know about, so we can provide equality of access? (If yes, please give details) * Required

Previous Employment or voluntary (please detail all relevant job history)

Name and Address? * Required

Job title & brief details of responsibilities? * Required

From- to? * Required

Reason for leaving? * Required

Current Employment

Name and Address? * Required

Job title & brief details of responsibilities? * Required

From- to? * Required

Present Salary? (please detail London Weighting if applicable) * Required

Reason for leaving? * Required

Notice required? * Required

Education and Training

Please give details of your education and experience, including subjects taken and, where appropriate, short courses. * Required

Vacancy

Position Applying for? * Required

Location/Base? * Required

Please state where the position was advertised? * Required

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Date of Birth*

Gender*

Ethnicity*

Sexual Orientation*

Religion*

Do you consider yourself to have a disability, impairment or condition?*

Optional, max 300 characters

Do you have caring responsibilities?*

Optional, max 300 characters

Do you look after or care for someone with long term physical or mental ill health caused by disability or age (not in a paid capacity)?*

Optional, max 300 characters

Other Attachment

Upload CV/Resume*

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