DEPARTMENT OF ADULT SERVICES AND

HOUSING

JOB TITLE:
WAKING NIGHT CRISIS SUPPORT WORKER

JUNE 2010

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 CROYDON COUNCIL

Role Profile
Job Title: WAKING NIGHT CRISIS SUPPORT WORKER

Department: DASH

Division: ADULT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE

Grade Range: 4

Hours: 36

Location: 58 ASHBURTON ROAD CROYDON CRO 6AN

Reports to: UNIT MANAGER

Responsible for: N/A

Role Purpose and Role To provide care, support, assessment (including risk) and maintenance of
Dimensions: independent living skills to service users in a crisis.

Commitment to Diversity: As a member of the CRISIS Team to take individual and collective
professional responsibility for championing the council's diversity agenda
and proactively implementing initiatives which secure equality of access and
outcomes. Also to commit to continually developing personal understanding
of diversity.
Key External Contacts:  To liaise with a number of external agencies DWP, Immigration, Job
Centre Plus, Status Employment, Mind, Voluntary Sector

Key Internal Contacts:  To liaise with a number internal depts. Drug and Alcohol team, HR-OD
Interserve, Finance, CMHT, Gresham 2 ward, Home Treatment Team,
SLAM depts.
Financial Dimensions: Manage petty cash

Key Areas for Decision  To lead a shift, dispense medication, take referrals
Making:

Other Considerations: Waking night on a rota, including regular weekends and bank holidays. Must
be physically fit to claim stairs.

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Key Accountabilities and Key Elements:
Result Areas:

This will involve:

 Taking referrals from designated referral agencies,

 Co-ordinate service user’s initial and ongoing assessment and support
 assess, monitor and respond to the physical and mental health needs of
service user’s, and liaise with other agencies as necessary.
 Provide social, emotional, and practical support for service users.
 Ensure service user’s right to privacy, dignity and choice are activity
Encouraged and maintained.

This will involve:

 Ability to demonstrate an understanding of mental health crisis work and

previous experience of mental health work.
 To be aware of the agreed procedures laid down in unit under the
heading; operational issues, client care, staff issues and practice,
personnel, health and safety, financial and miscellaneous.
 To be responsible for completing records in accordance with Croydon`s
DASH policy and procedures
 To participate in weekly staff meetings and minuet take on a rota basis

This will involve:

 Demonstrating and understanding the importance of giving and receiving

handover and types of issues involved and to record relevant information
appropriately
 To implement and work to agreed multi-disciplinary care plans and
develop action plans to service user’s in conjunction with care managers
 And other professionals


This will involve:

 Demonstrate an understanding and experience of the issues by faced by

service user’s in a mental health crisis
 To have and maintain a knowledge of the nature and treatment of
mental illness and an understanding of the needs of service user in this
respect
 To have good interpersonal skills and clear verbal and written
communication skills.



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Key Accountabilities and Key Elements:
Result Areas:

This will involve:

 Having a basic knowledge of

 The Mental Health Act
 Health and Safety and Food Hygiene regulations
 C.O.S.H.H.
 Managing Violence and Aggression
 Care Standards Act
 Human rights Act

This will involve:

 To have previous experience of work with adults and mental health

problems, a minimum of is expected, or the ability to demonstrate
transferable skills to a mental health setting.



This will involve:

 To possess the skills for

 Assessing needs
 Daily living skills
 Group working
 Care planning
 Linkworking including problem solving



Green Statement This will involve:

 Ensuring that your work and the work of the ( crisis team) meets the
Council's Green Commitment Policy goals in reducing energy
consumption and waste, increasing renewable energy use and
recycling, contributing to a reduction in traffic congestion, and using
sustainable materials.

Data Protection This will involve:

 Being aware of the council’s responsibilities under the Data Protection

Act 1998 for the security, accuracy and relevance of personal data held
on such systems and ensure that all administrative and financial
processes comply with this.
 Maintaining client records and archive systems, in accordance with
departmental procedure, policy and statutory requirements.

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Confidentiality This will involve:

 Treating all information acquired through your employment, both formally

and informally, in strict confidence. There are strict rules and protocols
defining employees access to and use of the council’s databases. Any
breach of these rules and protocols will be regarded as subject to
disciplinary investigation. There are internal procedures in place for
employees to raise matters of concern regarding such issues as bad
practice or mismanagement.

Equalities  The council has a strong commitment to achieving equality of

opportunity in its services to the community and in the employment of
people. It expects all employees to understand, comply with and to
promote its policies in their own work, to undertake any appropriate
training and to challenge racism, prejudice and discrimination.

THINK Customer This will involve:

• Demonstrating commitment to the Council’s THINK Customer approach

and customer service policy, including meeting the core customer
service handling standards appropriate to the role.

Health and Safety This will involve:

 Being responsible for their own Health & Safety, as well as that of
colleagues, service users and the public. Employees should co-
operate with management, follow established systems of work, use
protective equipment where necessary and report defectives and
hazards to management.

To contribute as an effective and This will involve:

collaborative member of the Mental
Health Crisis Team
 Participating in training to be able to demonstrate competence.
 Participating in first aid training as required.
 Participating in the ongoing development, implementation and
monitoring of the service plans.
 Championing the professional integrity of the Mental Health Crisis
Service
 Supporting Customer Focus, Best Value and electronic management of
processes.
 Actively sharing feedback on School policies and interventions

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 Person Specification

Job Title: Night Crisis Support Worker

Essential knowledge: An understanding of the needs of people with mental health issues, and how they
are viewed in society A/I/T
Understanding and commitment to equal opportunities and an understanding of
issues with regard to discrimination A/I/T
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
A/I/T
An understanding of staff, service user relations and boundaries
An awareness of peoples personal space and individuality
Ability to actively listen and process information
To have a knowledge and understanding of different types of crisis people may
experience and the appropriate interventions A/I
To have a knowledge of the importance of risk assessment and assessments
in general with regard to people who have Mental Health needs
A/I

Essential skills and To possess the skills to act appropriately with regard to different types of crisis
abilities: people may experience and the appropriate interventions
A/I
To have a basic knowledge of :
Food Hygiene
The Mental Health Act
Managing Violence and Aggression
The Human Rights Act
COSHH regulation I
To have the understanding and skills with regard to the care planning process
I/T
To have an awareness of the skills involved in linkworking
I
Willingness to increase knowledge base and skills
I
Essential experience: At least one year’s experience of working with adults with Mental Health needs,
professional or voluntary setting
A/I
Experience of team work and ability to work actively within the team
Ability to establish good working relationships
I

Special conditions: Numeracy skills to the basic arithmetic (for purpose such as petty cask)
T
Flexibility and capacity to adapt to continuous change
A
Physically fit able to clime stairs I
Able to work shifts pattern pro rata which includes weekends and Bank Holidays
I

Ability to take the lead on shift when working with new members of staff and to
work on own initiative A/I

Car Drivers Desirable

NVQ level 3 Health and Social Care Desirable

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The Framework illustrates the expected minimum standards of behaviour that would be observed when
demonstrated. It is not an exhaustive list and managers may identify additional behaviours that are integral to a job
(or role). The relevant levels should be inserted from the Competency Framework document which is available on
the intranet.

THINK Customer
COMMUNICATION & INFLUENCING
I build
I speak and maintain
clearly, fluentlyeffective
and in a services andmanner
convincing relationships
to bothwith a broadand
individuals range of customers.
groups. I influence,
convince or impress others in a way that results in acceptance, agreement or behaviour change
Level At this level I, I do not,
Recognise that I have customers, internal or Think I have no customers
Level At this level I, I do not,
external View customers as a source of irritation/interruption
Show respect for individual differences Shut people out by not talking to them
Respond promptly, politely and positively to Avoid responding to customers by passing them on
Write in plain English, if appropriate to my job Talk over people and interrupt conversations
different customers needs/requests for service, to others
Encourage others to say what they think or Only respect those who hols similar views to me
information and support Ignore feedback from others or view it as a personal
feel Use jargon/inappropriate tone/style
Seek to resolve customers queries in the first criticism
Break down complex information to help
instance refer to others when necessary
others understand

Interpersonal Awareness
I interact with others in a sensitive and effective way.
I respect and work well with others to maintain the “Public Service” image of the Council.

Awareness I,
 Am aware of my own strengths and
All areas for development, taking some
Employees responsibility for my own learning and
development
 Am not afraid to ask for help or to
admit own mistakes
 Respect the “differences” in others
e.g. in dress; language; working
patterns; opinions and contributions
 Accept those who hold different
views and work with them to achieve
common goals
 Work well with others by sharing
information and contributing to team
goals, working to improve the quality of
services to others
 Show respect for “public service” by
maintaining high standards in
relationships with colleagues,
customers and others
 Demonstrate behaviour consistent
with the Council’s duty of care to
children, young people and vulnerable
adults
I do not,
 Solely rely on others for my own learning
and development
 Criticise others for being different
 Dismiss the views of others simply
because I do not share them
 Keep information to myself that should be
shared with others
 Undermine the Council’s duty of care to
children, young people and vulnerable adults
by:
o leaving confidential information
unsecured/or sharing it inappropriately
with others
o not telling others about potential employee
behaviour that is inconsistent with the Staff
Code of Conduct
o not accepting my personal role in
maintaining the duty of care
 Forget that I work for an organisation that
exists to provide a service to others

Creativity & Innovation

I create new and imaginative approaches to work-related issues.
I identify fresh approaches and show a willingness to question traditional assumptions.

Level At this level I, I do not,

Discuss work ideas with others Dismiss the ideas of others and or dismiss ideas
Am open to work with new ideas/ways of too quickly
working Refuse to adopt new ways of working following
Build on ideas of others training and support

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 View mistakes as learning opportunities on View mistakes as something to be afraid of and/or
how to do things better next time an opportunity to lay blame

Delivering Quality through Decision Making

I analyse issues and break them down into their discrete parts.
I make systematic and rational judgements based on relevant information.
I demonstrate a readiness to make decisions, take the initiative and originate action.

Level At this level I, I do not,

Identify the cause(s) of a problem and try to
find ways to “fix it”
Make routine decisions after reviewing the
problem/referring to local guidance, where it
exists
Leave problems unresolved without trying to fix
them
Avoid asking others for help or avoid making
decisions that I can make myself

Embracing and Delivering Change

I can understand and anticipate the need for change.
I successfully adapt to changing demands and conditions.

Level At this level I, I do not,

Try to share my views, ideas and personal
feelings about change
Listen to the views of others which may be
different from my own
Take on new tasks and, with support and
training, learn new skills where appropriate
Assume that all/any change is unnecessary
Prevent others from sharing their views
Attack other peoples` opinions without listening or
gaining an understanding
Refuse the help of others to support me around
new ways of working

Delivering Results through Planning

I organise and plan events, activities and resources.
I set up and monitor timescales and plans.
I understand and apply business and financial principles.
I view issues in terms of costs, income generation and added value.

Level At this level I, I do not,

Plan ahead by spending time thinking about
future work
Use simple planning tools to ensure that
work is complete on time e.g. “to do list”
Prioritise by knowing which task to focus
effort on
Focus on less important work at the expense of
other more important work
Work without planning my tasks/projects on a
daily, weekly, monthly basis
Over/under commit myself when agreeing to a
piece of work or a project

Leadership
I motivate and empower others in order to reach organisational goals.

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Level At this level I, I do not,

THIS COMPETENCY WILL ONLY APPLY

AT CERTAIN LEVELS.