Oakham Mental Health Café Listener

Location: 2A High Street, Oakham, LE15 6AL
Hours: Thursdays 17.15-20.45

Contract: Self Employed, 23 month contract

Start Date: 1^st May 2024
Salary: £15 per hour
Accountable to: Development Manager

About us:
The Neighbourhood Mental Health Café (previously Crisis Café) is a national scheme, funded through the NHS. You can read more about the various cafes across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland here https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/service/neighbourhood-mh-cafes/.

The cafes aim to bridge the gap between no support and clinical support with a great team of empathetic listeners on hand to support clients. Listeners will utilise, 1:2:1s, signposting, working on actions plans, social activities and more to support clients. The NHS hope this project will reduce pressures on GP practices, social prescribers and A&E.

Our café has been running for 7 months in Rutland, now with a further 2 years of funding secured. As we look ahead we hope to support even more locals and increase our reach. To do this, we are splitting our sessions across the county, with one in Oakham and one in Uppingham. (Please see both job adverts)

The café will be open on:

Thursdays 17:30-20:30 in Oakham

Fridays 13:00-15:00 in Uppingham (1:2:1s will take place upstairs whilst clients socialise at the Souper Space downstairs https://www.rootandbranchout.co.uk/souper-space.html)

Each Neighbourhood Café is run by an independent provider. In Rutland, it is run by ourselves, Pepper’s- A Safe Place. Pepper’s is a local mental health charity, providing social drop-in sessions and wellbeing activities to adults. Having the Neighbourhood Café service alongside our social sessions has meant we can offer more to our community, whether they’re in need of individual guidance or community based, peer support.

The Role:

Clients can either book appointments to speak to our listeners face to face or on zoom, drop-in or call us. The role of the listener is to facilitate these sessions.

During a session you, as part of a team of two- three, will welcome clients, answer phone calls, spend time in one to ones or manage a group of clients socialising in between appointments.

The café is not a counselling service. Listeners will work with clients to help them achieve their goals through action plans and signposting. The aim is to create a warm and welcoming, safe space in our community for all adults.

This role may also include some administrative work to support the running of the Neighbourhood Mental Health Café when sessions are quiet.

Listeners will be able to make use of an hour’s (paid) de-brief session with a fully qualified counsellor once a month.

Listeners will be on a rota that will be sent out in advance by our administrator.

Person Specification:
- Minimum level two counselling course (or be nearing the end of this course)

- Great communication skills (verbal and listening)
- Empathetic and friendly
- Have an interest in and knowledge of mental ill health
- Good organisational skills
- Have a good work ethic
- Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive issues

- Right to work in the United Kingdom

If this sounds like you, then please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV with any relevant qualifications or courses on together with a cover letter explaining your interest in the role and how your experience meets the person specification.

Closing date 20th March.

Please take a look at our job advert for the second session running each week, in Uppingham, in case it is of interest.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

Successful candidates will need to undergo advanced DBS checks and must be prepared to undertake training.

For further information and to apply please email nmc@peppersasafeplace.co.uk

Uppingham Mental Health Café Listener 

Location: Uppingham Town Hall
Hours: Fridays 12:30-15:30

Contract: Self Employed, 23 month contract

Start Date: 1^st May 2024
Salary: £15 per hour
Accountable to: Development Manager

About us:
The Neighbourhood Mental Health Café (previously Crisis Café) is a national scheme, funded through the NHS. You can read more about the various cafes across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland here https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/service/neighbourhood-mh-cafes/.

The cafes aim to bridge the gap between no support and clinical support with a great team of empathetic listeners on hand to support clients. Listeners will utilise, 1:2:1s, signposting, working on actions plans, social activities and more to support clients. The NHS hope this project will reduce pressures on GP practices, social prescribers and A&E.

Our café has been running for 7 months in Rutland, now with a further 2 years of funding secured. As we look ahead we hope to support even more locals and increase our reach. To do this, we are splitting our sessions across the county, with one in Oakham and one in Uppingham. (Please see both job adverts)

The café will be open on:

Thursdays 17:30-20:30 in Oakham

Fridays 13:00-15:00 in Uppingham (1:2:1s will take place upstairs whilst clients socialise at the Souper Space downstairs https://www.rootandbranchout.co.uk/souper-space.html)

Each Neighbourhood Café is run by an independent provider. In Rutland, it is run by ourselves, Pepper’s- A Safe Place. Pepper’s is a local mental health charity, providing social drop-in sessions and wellbeing activities to adults. Having the Neighbourhood Café service alongside our social sessions has meant we can offer more to our community, whether they’re in need of individual guidance or community based, peer support.

The Role:

Clients can either book appointments to speak to our listeners face to face or on zoom, drop-in or call us. The role of the listener is to facilitate these sessions.

During a session you, as part of a team of two- three, will welcome clients, answer phone calls, spend time in one to ones or manage a group of clients socialising in between appointments.

The café is not a counselling service. Listeners will work with clients to help them achieve their goals through action plans and signposting. The aim is to create a warm and welcoming, safe space in our community for all adults.

This role may also include some administrative work to support the running of the Neighbourhood Mental Health Café when sessions are quiet.

Listeners will be able to make use of an hour’s (paid) de-brief session with a fully qualified counsellor once a month.

Listeners will be on a rota that will be sent out in advance by our administrator.

Before and after each session, the lead listener (on a rota basis) will be required to collect and return confidential paperwork to our Oakham centre due to lack of storage in Uppingham. We are able to pay mileage from and back to Uppingham at 0.45p/mile.

Person Specification:
- Minimum level two counselling course (or be nearing the end of this course)

- Great communication skills (verbal and listening)
- Empathetic and friendly
- Have an interest in and knowledge of mental ill health
- Good organisational skills
- Have a good work ethic
- Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive issues

- Right to work in the United Kingdom

If this sounds like you, then please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV with any relevant qualifications or courses on together with a cover letter explaining your interest in the role and how your experience meets the person specification.

Closing date 20th March.

Please take a look at our job advert for the second session running each week, in Oakham, in case it is of interest.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

Successful candidates will need to undergo advanced DBS checks and must be prepared to undertake training.

For further information and to apply please email nmc@peppersasafeplace.co.uk