Mental Health Support Worker

Funded by City of Edinburgh Council, this is a new project being delivered in partnership with U-Evolve and The Junction, two well-established youth mental health charities with a combined 30 years' experience of supporting young people in Edinburgh. The service is being developed to specifically meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of Ukrainian people living in Edinburgh. U-Evolve and The Junction are delighted to be working together to develop this much needed service. 

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide mental health and wellbeing support to Ukrainian young people aged 12 – 21 with the aim of helping them to feel better, have improved mental health and to learn how to support their own mental health. Support will primarily be focused on individual support but may include some groupwork delivery and drop-in supports. You will build trusted relationships with young people, deliver evidence-informed interventions and contribute to a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where young people feel heard, supported and empowered.

You will provide direct mental health and wellbeing support to Ukrainian young people through one-to-one and group interventions, helping them develop resilience, confidence and positive coping strategies.

Service Delivery:

• Provide mental health support to a caseload of young people through regular one-to one support sessions. This support could be provided in our dedicated youth spaces, in schools or within the community. 
• Support referral processes and manage caseload effectively  
• Build positive relationships with young people and their families. 
• Provide a safe space for young people, promoting and respecting young people’s confidentiality within the parameters of child protection. 
• Adopt a collaborative and innovative approach to support, working with young people to identify their goals, and to shape support around their needs.  
• Refer and signpost young people to relevant organisations and services that can support their individual needs, where appropriate. 
• Maintain records for young people in accordance with organisational requirements.  
• Support and advocate for young people through attending multi-agency meetings in relation to individual support requirements. 

Service Delivery and Teamworking:  

• Work collaboratively with the Community Development & Support Worker based at U-evolve, and service delivery teams at The Junction and U-evolve.  
• Contribute to the planning development of services, working closely with young people and the Ukrainian community.  
• Participate in team meetings and reflective practice sessions. 
• Positively represent the project at relevant partnership and Ukrainian community events.  

Youth Voice and Engagement:

• Ensure young people’s views and experiences inform their support and services. 
• Support approaches that embed young people’s voice in service delivery.  
• Encourage participation and feedback from young people. 

Supervision and Personal Development:

• Take part in individual and group supervision to reflect on own practice and give feedback to others. 
• Research and maintain up-to-date knowledge of new ways of working and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. 
• Establish and maintain routines for self-reflection and self-care to ensure you are safeguarding your own mental health. 

Additional duties:

This job description is a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the role and is not an exhaustive list of tasks. You may be asked to undertake any other reasonable duties for which you are trained, or which may support the activities of the organisation.

• We are looking for compassionate, motivated and collaborative people who believe every young person deserves access to high-quality mental health support.
• You will be passionate about improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people and committed to delivering inclusive, culturally responsive services.
• You will be empathetic, approachable and reflective, with excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a supportive team.
• You will have experience supporting young people’s mental health, a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice and safeguarding and be passionate about helping young people achieve positive mental health outcomes.
• Fluency in Ukrainian and lived experience or a strong understanding of Ukrainian culture and community needs is essential.

Working hours are 28 hours per week.