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Mental ill health affects one in four people at some stage in their lives, and people’s experiences vary greatly.
We work with people with a range of mental health needs, usually at medium to high level. Their conditions include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders. Many also have other needs, which may be physical or involve substance abuse, offending or trauma.
The guiding principle behind our work is that people with mental health needs can and do recover. Our services are recovery-focused, person-centred and designed to help customers go on to lead fulfilling lives. We help individuals to live in the community and keep moving forwards on their recovery journey.
With this approach, we’ve become one of largest providers of specialist mental health services across London and the South East. Look Ahead provides crisis and recovery houses, registered care, supported living, forensic step-down services, rehabilitation services, hospital discharge services and community-based support for people living independently. Our services help people stay out of hospital or support those coming out of hospital, sometimes after long periods.
As part of our team, you may be helping people with medication or to develop routines, structures and coping strategies. You could also encourage them to engage in activities, build social networks or develop independent living skills. The goal is to help them recover from mental health crises or distress and stay well. To succeed, you’ll need to work closely with the NHS and clinicians, including community mental health teams, psychiatrists or occupational therapists.
Hear from our people about working in our Mental health services
"Working in a mental health service is about being trustworthy, reliable and understanding the boundaries with customers.
We aim to provide support in a safe, caring and non-institutional environment. Some of the people we support may not have experienced this before.
Progress takes time, patience and perseverance is key. We know customers with all levels of needs can and do recover, and the results are so gratifying.
Listening is so important. You need to be able to pick up on and remember the small details when speaking with a customer. Being able to break things down in to smaller chunks can help alleviate distress and work towards recovery.
At Look Ahead you will have a strong team around you to help our customers make real progress. It’s great to share your experiences and thoughts with your colleagues, which ultimately benefits our service.
You have the ability to be flexible and creative in these roles. Whilst remaining non judgemental, you can be part of a culture that supports recovery, inspires hope encourages and motivates customers to set their own goals, helping them to achieve them with your support."