Crisis Alternative (Safe Space) Service Manager

Job Purpose

This role sits within our Adult Services, across Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow. You will be responsible for the operational delivery and service development, of a portfolio of services. Namely (but subject to change):

• Safe Space Community Drop In Service
• Hounslow Helpline
• Nova Roots (Forensic Community Hub)

One large service you will be responsible for is our crisis alternative service Safe Space - which is a tri-borough core and out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00 across all of our boroughs. You will be responsible for managing peripatetic teams: we currently have 3x in person Safe Spaces, a Helpline and a Forensic Community You re your portfolio may expand as new services are acquired.

Our aim of the service is to keep individuals well in the community and prevent readmission into hospital. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00pm across all of our boroughs.

Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone or virtual on a one-to-one basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis or preventing crisis.

The objectives of the service include:

• To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health and social crisis in HFEH.

• To proactively work with keeping people well in the community to reduce re-admitters into hospitals by working with WL NHS teams (e.g. discharge, LPS, CATT, MINT and SPA)

• To provide a true alternative to A&E via a non-clinical drop-in service to support clients

• To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation and crisis recovery planning.

• To contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.

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

• To treat service users with respect, dignity and personalised support

• To raise awareness of mental health services available with the goal to improve long term mental health and reduce social isolation

• To increase self-management skills of those accessing the service

• To reduce the use of police, ambulance and statutory mental health services whilst experiencing crisis via a drop-in service.

• To reduce the use of statutory crisis services by people experiencing mental ill health without positive outcomes for the individual.

The Role

The role of the Crisis Alternative Service Manager will provide operational management, mobilisation and service development of all Crisis Services within Adult Services. The ideal candidate will have experience of mobilising and developing high quality, large services. In addition to managing and supporting staff working within challenging environments and experience of working with challenging behaviour and complex needs. The Service Manager will hold all operational risk.

Excellent organisation and decision-making skills are essential for this role, as it requires being able to manage time effectively to meet tight deadlines and work unsupervised during evenings and weekends. You will also be required to be rostered into the on-call rota.

The Crisis Alternative Service Manager will be required to work collaboratively with the Director of Adult Services and will be proficient at communicating effectively with staff at all levels, a wide range of key stakeholders and service users. They will ensure the service is well resourced from a staffing perspective and embed high-quality operational plans and processes. The Service Manager will also be expected to build and sustain working relationships with statutory services and represent HFEH Mind at external meetings.

They will be responsible for the delivery, progression and continual improvement of the service. They will have responsibility for ensuring Crisis Services operate in line with organisational H&S processes and procedures, HFEH Mind policies and CQC requirements

Key Responsibilities

To oversee the management of the Crisis Alternative Drop-in Services and other services, in line with organisational values and service quality expectations.

To ensure all risks are recognised and mitigated in line with the serious incident and safeguarding policies.

To ensure safe working and risk management

To ensure feedback is provided on risk mitigation through serious incident reports.

To continually drive enhancements to operational effectiveness and maximise outcomes against targets (key performance indicators)

To complete audits and high quality reports for senior internal and external stakeholders

To ensure interpret performance and impact data for crisis services and be responsible for reporting against service targets

To provide effective line management supervision to Team Managers, Senior Support workers and Support Workers where applicable.

To collaborate with the Director of Adult Services and the Head of HR to deal with performance management/disciplinary issues confidently and effectively in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

To mobilise the crisis services in line with agreed project plans and ensure they are promoted and marketed well.

To pro-actively develop relationships with external stakeholders in order to improve and develop crisis provision for people with mental health needs.

To develop robust referral routes and pathways into the service with both statutory and non-statutory bodies.

To ensure excellence in the recruitment, training and ongoing support of staff and volunteers where applicable.

To support the Deputy Manager, Team Managers to ensure adequate and appropriate staffing at all times within the service.

To ensure high levels of meaningful service user involvement in service provision, responding to the needs of service users locally.

Work collaboratively with West London Mental Health Trust staff to support, develop and promote both the service.

Establish excellent working relationships with core and out-of-hours services such as Emergency Services, Crisis Teams and GPs, around inward and outward referrals.

Ensure quality and compliance (in line with CQC standards, NICE guidelines, MQM and other relevant standards)

Work within HFEH Mind s policies and procedures including; Performance Management, Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Service User Involvement, Health & Safety, GDPR and Professional Boundaries.

To embed all operational policies across managed services in line with a consistent organisational approach.

Ensure service users satisfaction surveys are undertaken.

Ensure data and qualitative information is collected, collated and communicated to key partners and key stakeholders, as required and directed by the Director of Adult Services.

Ensure that all managed services are effectively informed by service user feedback.

Keep up to date with best practice and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service.

Monitor the quality of the service and ensure appropriate data is collected (in line with GDPR) to monitor outputs and outcomes.

Produce regular service summary reports.

To be rostered on the on-call rota

Undertake such duties not included in the job description as are reasonably requested by the Director of Adult Services

Person Specification

A minimum of three years managing a crisis service or similar setting with high complexity and high incident rates

Experience of managing and mitigating risks

Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children

Understanding of how to report and mitigate risks

Understanding of suicide prevention

Understanding of trauma informed care

Understanding of mental health and safety planning

An understanding of CQC requirements for mental health

Managing services for vulnerable people in a service delivery organisation.

Excellent people and project management skills and significant experience of supporting and managing staff.

Experience of working in the voluntary sector and/or statutory services

Experience of motivating, developing and training staff

Successful track record in performance management of staff

Experience of creating and implementing safety and risk policies and procedures.

Compiling and interpreting performance data and reporting against service targets.

Successful track record in planning and project management.

Experience of report writing and presentation.

Supporting people with mental health problems.

Knowledge of and empathy for the issues facing people with mental health problems.

Knowledge of the day-to-day application of relevant legislation e.g., Health and Safety.

Understanding of the principles of ensuring safe service provision for people at risk and how these are put into practice.

Knowledge and understanding of the relevant statutory authorities including NHS and social care.

Excellent communication skills and able to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences.

Commitment to service user involvement and able to work with service user groups to develop this.
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