This role would be working for Porchlight Adolescent Wellbeing Service providing flexible and holistic support to 10- to 18-year-olds who are otherwise likely to need a statutory or specialist mental health intervention.
The service focuses on the young person’s (and parents’/carers) mental and physical health, emotional wellbeing, engagement, and resilience as well as working holistically to begin to address social determinants of mental health that may be impacting the young person and their parents.
The service objective is to intervene early and provide adolescent-focused and evidence-based support to particularly vulnerable young people who are at risk.
You will be a highly skilled communicator, with experience of working with a range of stakeholders. Due to the nature of this role a strong working knowledge of adolescent mental and emotional health is essential. This is a role in which the post holder will work unsupervised for much of the time. Whilst advice and support will be available from the Service Manager it is a post that demands the ability to use your initiative, be self-motivated and make decisions.
This role requires:
- At least 2 years’ experience of supporting young people with emotional wellbeing and mental health.
- Hold a level 3 qualification (or above) in a related field or be willing to work towards it: this may include but is not limited to Advice and Guidance, Education, Youth Work, Health and Social Care, or social work and a desire to continue to develop in the workplace.
- Experience of delivering evidence-based therapeutic approaches to support young people’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.
- A full driving license and the use of a vehicle, subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Equality Act 2010
- Experience of working independently with minimal day-to-day supervision.
- Ability to build positive relationships with young people whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- Knowledge and understanding of the needs of adolescent development and issues affecting young people e.g. mental health, trauma, risk taking behaviour.
- Knowledge of support agencies available to young people, their parents and carers
Location: Ashford
Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2026
Hours: 18.75 hours
We are Porchlight, Kent’s largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people. We’re here for people who have nowhere to go and no-one to turn to. Some are living on the streets, others need our support to prevent or resolve any issues that could put them at risk of homelessness.
