Harm Reduction Practitioner - Lanarkshire (North and South) Overdose Response Team

JOB PURPOSE & CORE DETAILS

To:

1. Work to the service and organisation’s aims and values and promote the citizenship of the people we support.

2. Deliver support to people who use Turning Point Scotland’s services and in so doing contribute to the provision of the highest possible quality of social care support which meets the service specification.

3. Operate at an advanced level of social care practice, which includes taking a higher level of responsibility for service delivery and development, and a leadership role.

4. Work to the company's values -

5. Undertake CPD (continuous professional development) and use appraisals and supervision fully.

6. Keep your registration and membership to relevant professional bodies up to date and valid.

7. Undertake any outstanding required qualification for registration, or if not working in a registered service qualify at SVQ level 3 Health and Social Care.

8. Undertake any other duties or responsibilities as may be deemed appropriate to the post by the Service Manager (or nominated deputy).

9. Provide, prompt, administer medication and healthcare & wellbeing support as required

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Support to people who use services- To:

• Provide support and assistance to people we support in accordance with their support plans and the service aims.

• Be responsible for undertaking initial and on-going assessments of people we support.

• Advise people we support in accordance with guidance from senior colleagues or in accordance with the service aims.

• Be a key worker for a person or people who have complex or multiple needs where appropriate.

• Maintain professional confidentiality and boundaries at all times.

• Support and assist people who we support in crisis situations, and/or manage physical risk or behaviour likely to cause incidents, in accordance with the support plan or service protocol.

• Travel within the service area you are contracted for and supporting the travel and transportation of people we support in accordance with their support plan (motability, own car, service vehicles, public transport etc.).

• Have a good understanding of the causes and effects of social exclusion as is relevant to the service and area in which you work.

• Have a significant knowledge and experience of harm reduction interventions.

• Have awareness of drug overdose and prevention interventions.

• Have strong dynamic risk assessment skills.

Planning, policies and record keeping- To:

• Devise, review and update support plans, record events and observations and keep appropriate records as required in the service.

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of support plans and record keeping.

• Prepare paperwork for and participate in service user reviews as a lead person when required.

• Plan and co-ordinate elements of support in accordance with the support plan.

• Prepare and implement risk management plans, and follow and update risk assessments.

• Work with data in line with the data protection act.

• Work and comply with standard operation (finance, operational, H&S, HR) and service procedures including service user finances.

Interactions with other people- To:

• Support and supervise other staff administering or prompting medication and ensure that medication protocols are adhered to as required.

• Support new staff and volunteers/those on placement to comply with the SSSC Codes of Practice.

• Provide informal support to the staff team on a daily basis as required.

• Have a collegiate approach and team work well with a diverse group of people.

• Manage and resolve conflict promptly and raise or report issues appropriately using the correct internal processes.

• Directly communicate with the families of people we support when appropriate.

• Liaise with workers from other agencies & stakeholders.

• Maintain confidentiality with shared information.

• Be aware of health and safety and contribute fully to keeping the work environment, colleagues, community, people who use services and myself safe.

• Be able to work creatively and adapt practise to changing needs of the service

Leadership- To:

• Provide leadership to support people we support in accordance with their support plan and maintain people we support records correctly.

• Assist the service manager to prepare information and the service for inspections.

• Provide on-the-job training and/or coaching to new staff.

• Be the ‘named worker’ or shift lead or lead on a specific part of the service such as group work.

• Continuously seek service development and improvement.

• Keep abreast of the sector ‘big picture’, operational environment and changes.

• Appropriately challenge oppressive or potentially abusive behaviours or practices.

• Be able to be first responder to overdose and be sensitive in approach but motivating.

• Have a good level of evaluation skills

MISCELLANEOUS

Applies only in certain services

1. To undertake overnight and weekend working and occasionally participate in people we support’s holidays, as required.

2. To ensure the service/location’s stock or goods are in place and replenish/order as required

3. To undertake training that may be technical or specialised that will benefit the service.

4. To provide technical testing services (BBV/swab and similar) and/or to train others in emergency, risk reduction action, needle exchange and medications.

5. To be responsible for the dispensing of medication, in particular, when supervising dispensing.

6. To perform lone working for significant lengths of my work time undertaking tasks that require a high level of independence and initiative.

7. To provide reports, witness testimony, recommendations for criminal justice or social work decisions/situations.

8. To have a good understanding of Welfare in relation to how it will impact on your service user group.

9. Able to liaise with a range of partners assertively.

Service Descriptor

About Turning Point Scotland (TPS)

TPS works with adults who are experiencing a range of support needs in relation to housing and homelessness, learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury, fluctuating mental health, physical disabilities, problematic alcohol and/or other drug use and involvement in the criminal justice system. We work from the belief that people matter, that they are the experts on their support needs and that it is for us to work creatively with them and with partners to ensure that those needs are met. We work with around 2,800 Individuals every day and 5,100 every year across Scotland helping people to address issues they are experiencing and recognise their own skills and interests.

Our approach to support is imbedded within a Citizenship framework where we deliver a holistic approach promoting the recovery, self-determination and inclusion of people experiencing challenges in their life, through focusing on their strengths and the valuable contributions they can make to their communities. Citizenship is defined as a measure of the strength of an individual’s connection to the 5 Rs of rights, responsibilities, roles, resources, and relationships that society makes available to its members.

Alcohol and Other Drugs within TPS

TPS support and are more commonly delivering services which do not sit within silo’ d areas of work, focusing more on the interventions we can provide rather than the area of work where it has been funded. This service aims to provide a crisis intervention and prevent homelessness / placement breakdown crossing over our work in Homelessness and Alcohol / Other Drugs.

Turning Point Scotland has been supporting individuals who experience a crisis as a result of their alcohol and drug use for over 25 years and these crisis situations involve a range of other interventions to alleviate homelessness, mental health, family situation etc. We are experienced in providing a range of evidence-based interventions to reduce harm and to support recovery across a number of local authority areas. All our services despite the funding silo work as part of Recovery Orientated Systems of Care (ROSC).

TPS are the biggest provider of services to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across Scotland, delivering support to around 2,800 individuals on any given day, 5,100 per year. This number increases when considering individuals at risk of Homelessness where funding is provided through Justice or Alcohol and Other Drugs funding streams.

We believe that in many cases, Homelessness is entirely preventable, it is failures in the silo’ d and complex systems that we have designed to protect people that prevent us from preventing this. Where Homelessness is not or cannot be prevented the experience should be short lived, and met with a psychologically informed response. A menu of options should be available to individuals to prevent or support someone to move on from Homelessness ensuring a no wrong door approach to accessing services is used.

About the Services

The South Lanarkshire Crisis Overdose Response Team offer a rapid response to a variety of crises; the team will provide a short, focused period of support to each person, assertively connecting individuals with mainstream services.

We address other potential barriers including information and data sharing; prescribing arrangements, and rapid access to mainstream alcohol, drug and other services.

The Lanarkshire Overdose Response Team is a proactive service that provides rapid response across both North and South Lanarkshire, to individuals who have experienced a near fatal overdose, within 24 to 48 hours of referral to the team. We aim to identify and highlight the barriers that exist by using research from the drug death task force to inform our practice and reach individuals that may be at risk of near fatal or fatal overdose. We tailor responses towards the individual’s needs and work to develop our partnership to overcome the barriers that the individual’s may experience.