Senior M ental Health L nk W rker Recruitment Pac k

Hello & Welcome

Thank you for your interest in this role at Tyneside and Northumberland Mind. W e exist to ensure that everyone with a mental health issue can be in control of their own lives and get the support they need from people they trust. We are passiona te that no one should suffer alone , that is why we have been working with individuals, families, communities and businesses for nearly 30 years.

With 1 in 4 people suffering from a mental health issue , our services and skills of our team are needed now more than ever. We know that each person has a different experience of mental issues and therefore needs their own path to recovery. That is why we always take a holistic approach and look at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. We are a motivated and passionate team, led by the desire to positively impact the wellbeing of individuals.

We have ambitious plans for the future, and we have confidence in the road ahead. A key element of our future success is having a talented and skilled team , and we particularly welcome applications from people with relevant lived experience and those that reflect the diverse communities we serve .

I look forward to hopefully meeting you soon.

Alex Wilson

Chief Executive Officer

Who we are

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind are an independent, local charity that delivers mental health services across the whole of Tyneside and Northumberland.

We exist to promote positive mental health, providing flexible, responsive and sustainable support services to those in the Tyneside and Northumberland area.

We offer a range of services, including counselling, a listening service, wellbeing groups and training based on the principals of wellbeing, recovery, resilience and prevention.

Our Values

• Collaborative

Collaborate and work together

• Accessible

Accessible and approachable for all

• Respectful Respectful and inclusive of everyone

• Empowering

Respectful and inclusive of everyone

• Supportive

Supportive through Services and Partnerships

Our Vision

Our vision is for everyone with a mental health problem to be in control of their own lives and get the support they need from people they trust . . Our vision is for everyone with a mental health issue to be in control of their own lives and get the support they need from people they trust . Our shared vision unites us as an organisation and our culture is built on diversity, empathy, empowerment and energy.

Our Leadership Te am

Our Leadership Team ensures the direction and strategy set by our Board of Trustees is implemented effectively for the benefit of the users of our services. The team is made up of forward thinking and dynamic group of professionals who between them have ma ny years of experience in delivering mental health services, running charitable organisations, and working closely with both socially excluded groups and vulnerable people and communities.

Our Board of Tr ustees

Our Board of Trustees is responsible for our governance and strategic direction and is led by our Chair Lyn Simpson . Our Board is accountable for everything we do, including settling our strategic direction, evaluating our performance, and supporting and empowering our Leadership Team, staff and volunteers. We have 10 trustees on our Board, and they reflect our diverse communities .

The Mind Quality M rk

As part of the National Mind Network, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind (a local Mind) is assessed by a robust quality assurance framework created and set out by Mind called The Mind Quality Mark (MQM). MQM sets out the baseline of best practice and legal compliance in all areas of a local Mind’s governance and activities. To achieve the MQM, a local Mind must meet or exceed all 24 key standards. We are proud that Tyneside and Northumberland Mind has met and exceeded all standards.

Equity and Diversity at TNM TNM

We recognise that there are systemic and individual barriers which people face in accessing support and treatment when they need it, and being accepted for who they are in terms of their mental health. We pledge to do all we can to recognise and tackle the se barriers, and continuously monitor our progress.

We are committed to being an anti -discriminatory organisation and positively welcome and encourage applications from diverse and marginalised groups and embrace diversity and positively promote equity of opportunity.

We promote an inclusive workplace where our staff can bring their full selves to work and we strive to ensure that everyone is offered equality of opportunity to achieve their full potential. In recruiting our team, we welcome the unique contributions tha t each person brings in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender, age, religion, disability and sexual orientation and beliefs.

When you join us, you will also have the opportunity to join our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Working Group and help champion DE&I throughout our organisation.

About t he role

Job title: Senior Mental Health Link Worker

Responsible to: HIU Project Lead

Hours: Part -t ime - 21 hours P er W eek

Based at: Hybrid – Newcastle and Gateshead

Contract length: 15-months with potential for extension

Salary: £15,288 [PTE] / £ 26 ,936 [FTE ]

Benefits: Private health cash back plan, ac cess to

employee discount scheme, Enhanced pension contribution, 24 days annual leave increasing depending on length of service.

Purpose of job

To work with adults who frequently attend the emergency departments, 111 option 2 and local PCNs within Newcastle and Gateshead. Our Senior Mental Health Link Worker will liaise with hospital staff and external agencies, as well as our own services, to better address the often -unmet psychosocial needs of these clients.

The Senior Mental Health Link Worker will take a care coordination style approach that prevents the clients coming back, because their needs will be met and managed elsewhere.

This is a pilot project so the worker will be an integral part of the learning for the NHS and Tyneside & Northumberland Mind.

Key Responsibilities of the Senior Link Worker

1. Triage clients into the service following referrals from various pathways.

2. Create a safe environment to explore the client’s mental health and wider determinants, using knowledge from referrals and professionals’ meetings.

3. Help clients to identify the issues important to them and be someone who can respond to changes in individual circumstances.

4. Develop a plan of support, with the client, ensuring they’re tailored to individuals need and circumstances.

5. Provide tools and strategies that help clients to manage their mental health.

6. Lead and facilitate psychoeducation sessions in group and 1 -2-1 settings.

7. Provide support to the project lead for planning and preparing psychoeducation and support planning.

8. Provide clinical support to Link Workers in their planned delivery.

9. Develop client's resilience to reduce their reliance on primary care services.

10. Continuously assess risk, follow a robust risk management, and risk escalation process, including safeguarding, to ensure the most appropriate support is offered.

11. Manage caseload, documentation, and own time effectively and ensure up to date and clear record keeping is in line with organisational policies.

12. Contribute to the learning from the project with TNM, other providers and the ICB.

13. Make best use of supervision, training, and staff development .

Expectations

1. Ensure all responsibilities and activities discharged within this post are consistent with the terms of TNM’s policies and in the spirit of our values.

2. Ensure that the needs of clients are at the core of the way TNM delivers its services.

3. Work as a team member developing and maintaining effective working relationships.

4. Keep up to date with relevant policies and procedures of both TNM and the Trust and comply with information governance expectations as laid out in the induction process and related documents and policies.

5. Commit to personal development and participate in appraisal and supervision.

6. Take responsibility for own health and wellbeing and contribute to the promotion of staff wellbeing.

7. Develop and maintain a working knowledge of Health and Safety policies and procedures and take all practical steps to ensure your own personal health and safety at work and the health and safety of those you work with.

8. Act in ways that support diversity, equity and inclusion and help to develop and maintain an organisational culture that supports equity and diversity.

9. Undertake any reasonable duties/responsibilities to meet the needs of the organisation.

Person S pecification

Essential Criteria

1. At least 2 years’ experience of working with people who have enduring and complex mental health needs.

2. A good understanding of clinical pathways and escalation processes.

3. Must possess a full driving licence and access to a reliable vehicle, as this role requires frequent travel within Tyneside and Northumberland area.

4. A genuine desire to work with this client group and the ability to build accessible, strong relationships with clients by working with them in a person centred, reassuring, supportive, manner which leads to an empowering professional relationship.

5. An understanding of a range of mental health issues and the wider determinants of physical and mental ill health.

6. Awareness of the barriers to recovery and experience of encouraging people to identify, challenge and overcome these barriers to enable them to better manage.

7. Excellent understanding of Safeguarding risks, mitigation and responses.

8. Good understanding of local services available and experience of building links and partnerships with external agencies.

9. Ability to work independently, organise own workload and solve problems using own initiative.

10. Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to work with people on all levels.

11. Knowledge of safe working practices and ability to identify and manage risk.

12. IT literate with a good working knowledge of MS Office; including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Desirable

1. Experience of working with vulnerable people

2. Experience of working with complex needs

3. Experience of using a CRM system

4. Experience of delivering coaching and training

Conditions of Employment

In the light of legislation [Section 8 Asylum and Immigration Act, January 1997], as a condition of being able to commence employment, the successful candidate

will be required to provide documentation to prove that they are able to work in the UK. Such documents will include one or more of the following, as appropriate:

• National Insurance number .

• Birth certificate or British passport.

• Certificate of registration, or naturalisation as a British citizen .

• Passport or documentation evidencing citizenship of an EEA country .

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS check)

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Travel requirements:

For roles that involve regular travel to various locations to meet the operational needs of the business, offer holders must have:

• A full driving licence.

• Ideally access to private vehicle .

• Vali d business travel insurance .

Probation

The appointment is subject to a probation period of 6 months.

Expenses

Out of pocket expenses will be payable at rates set out in Tyneside and Northumberland Mind's expenses policy.

Holidays

On joining, pro rata on a 2 4 working days per annum. Thereafter, the holiday entitlement increases depending on length of service. (The holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March.)

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind pension scheme

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind has a group personal pension plan. Further details about the pension plan are available from the HR Advisor.

Interested in joining us?

Equa lity Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities.

We are committed to being an anti -discriminatory organisation and positively welcome and encourage applications from diverse and marginalised groups.

Tyneside & Northumberland Mind recognises that there are systemic and individual barriers which people face in maintaining good mental health, accessing support and treatment when they need it, and being accepted for who they are in terms of their mental h ealth. We pledge to do all we can to recognise and tackle these barriers, and to monitor our progress.

We strive to be diverse and inclusive in our workforce, our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion runs through our employee experience. We promote an inclusive workplace where our staff can bring their full selves to work and strive to ensure that everyone is offered equality of opportunity to achieve their full potential. In recruiting our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender, age, religion, disability and sexual orien tation and beliefs.

When you join us, you will also have the opportunity to join our Diversity , Equity and Inc lusion Working Group and help champion D E&I throughout our organisation.

H ere is how to apply.

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind is an Equal Opportunities employer and will apply objective criteria to assess merit. It aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of colour, nationality, religion, e thnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age or disability or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

Selection criteria and procedures are always reviewed to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted, and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees will be given equal opportunity and where appropriate and possible, special training to enable them to progress both within and outside the organisation. Tyneside and Northumberland Mind is committed to a programme of action to mak e this policy fully effective. Candidates who consider that they have not been fairly treated should write to the Chief Executive Officer, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, 3 rd Floor Tru Knit House, 9 -11 Carliol Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UF within seven days of an interview, after which the matter will be investigated.

Required for application:

1x Curriculum Vitae (CV, preferred in Pdf format) Complete pre -screening questions.

To submit your application please follow the link below: https://hr.breathehr.com/v/senior -mental -health -link -worker -46755

Closing Date for applications will be 8 th June 2026.
Interviews anticipated week commencing 15 th of June 2026.

Please note that in the event of high interest, we may close the advert and arrange interviews at an earlier time than originally stated. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application as soon as possible.

Further questions and enquiries about the role? Email:

Sophie Marshall – Head of Business Development Sophie.Marshall@tynesidemind.org.uk

mind Tyneside and Northumberland

Find us at:
9-11 Tru- Knit House
Carliol Square
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6UF

www.tynesidemind.org.uk