Job summary
- Main area
- Op Courage
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-MHS909-A
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Erlegh House, University of Reading
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £32,602 - £39,686 per annum (inc. of HCAS)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Family Worker
Band 5
Job overview
We are looking for a Family Worker to join our Family Liaison and Support Lead within Op COURAGE Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, which covers the west part of South East region (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight).
Op COURAGE work with military veterans to identify and address psychosocial and practical needs by supporting veterans to connect with appropriate services and offer psychological therapy to veterans with mental health needs such as PTSD, depression and moral injury. We also work with veterans in crisis and urgent mental health needs to ensure their needs are met.
This post will predominately cover Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire with occasional work in the other counties, requiring extensive travel across these regions. The post holder will work collaboratively as part of the Op COURAGE services, identifying needs and create support pathways (both internal and external) for families of veterans receiving support from Op Courage within the BOB area. There will be a requirement to complete holistic assessments which are initially carried out at family homes if appropriate. Necessary safeguarding referrals for both adults and children when risk/safety concerns are identified. The post holder will manage a case load of families who require additional support to stabilise the family system and offer the best opportunity for family outcomes, working alongside the family lead and clinicians within the service.
Main duties of the job
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Identify, assess and formulate a support pathway with Op Courage Veterans’ families with additional needs including mental health, financial and support needs. Collaborative working with other services and onward referrals.
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Report any incidents which put at risk or have the potential to put at risk, the health and safety of patients, staff, others or the assets or reputation of the Trust.
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To apply national guidelines/ legislation relating to health and social care in service provision.
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To develop and maintain strong working relationships with statutory agencies, 3rd sector organisations and charities aimed at supporting veteran families across the BOB area and other counties as necessary.
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This role is hybrid, with your base being located at Erlegh House, Reading. This is a Monday – Friday working pattern. Car user and accessibility essential.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
- Registered Nurse, Mental health, LD/Adult, or at least 2 years’ experience of working in a mental health/ social care sector. In addition, experience of working closely with family and carers including identifying/reporting on safeguarding issues and follow up support to families.
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding procedures and protocols when working with family complexities.
- Demonstrates an understanding of common mental health difficulties and social care needs in the military veteran population
- Dynamic approach working with diverse populations using autonomy and creativity
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Michaela Waspe on 07887867685 or email: [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse, Mental health, LD/Adult, or at least 2 years experience of working in a mental health/ social care sector. In addition experience of working closely with family and carers including identifying/reporting on safeguarding issues and follow up support to families.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with families of military veterans/Military community background
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Evidence of statutory and Mandatory courses pertinent to the role
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience in the health and social care sector working with at risk/ vulnerable families and children
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding procedures and protocols when working with family complexities.
- Experience working in substance misuse.
- Experience in multidisciplinary working
- Experience of delivering safe and effective practice to improve outcomes and recovery in this group of clients
- Demonstrate knowledge and experience in the use and delivery of engagement strategies and approaches to achieve recovery progression and quality of life outcomes
- Experience of working in groups
- Evidence of experience of working with traumatised people including those with PTSD
- Experience of developing pathways for families of veterans to support their wellbeing and recovery of family as a whole
- Experience of working with diverse populations
- Supervising junior staff/students, co-ordinating training to carers and service users
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Mental Capacity act
- Demonstrate ability to enhance care through evidence-based knowledge
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Current Government policies concerning the provision of Mental Health Care and support for families, friends and carers
- Risk assessment skills
- Ability to demonstrate effective team working and ability to work autonomously
- Good assessment skills
- Be an effective decision maker employing good reasoning and judgement skills, capable of taking independent action when undertaking duties remotely from others and reporting back to line manager and others as required
- Possession of excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively across all disciplines and at all levels
- Able to solve complex issues where there may be no precedent
- Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
- Capable of remaining calm during crisis situations
- Teaching & group facilitation skills
- Time management & workload prioritisation skills
- Computer literate with advanced IT skills
- Demonstrates an understanding of common mental health difficulties and social care needs in the military veteran population.
- Evidence of providing specialist consultation and liaison with other services, third sector organisations, service users and carers
- Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout South Central
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Michaela Waspe
- Job title
- Service Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07887867685
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