Personality Disorder Service Community Caseworker (embedded role)
Job description
Hours, Salary and Location:
Job Title: Community Mental Health Caseworker
Organisation: Elmore Community Services
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Reports To: Team Manager
Salary: £ 28,840.28 pro rata
Pension: Employers’ pension contribution rising to 5% on completion of probationary period.
Location: Community Mental Health Framework Hub, Oxfordshire (Abingdon Keystone hub)
Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2027
Application: Please send CV and covering letter clearly evidencing how you meet the person specification to Recruitment@elmore.org.uk. Applications will close on Friday 27 November 2025.
Purpose:
Elmore started in 1989 working with people with complex needs and mental ill health who do not easily fit into the remit of agencies in Oxfordshire. Elmore is seen as a leading expert in working with individuals falling through the gaps of existing services by using an assertive outreach model, and our supportive team approach to help people improve their lives and integrate into the community.
This role is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative new service. As part of the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust’s approach to improving services for people with personality disorders, Oxfordshire’s leading complex needs charity Elmore is providing specialist personality disorder services for primary care.
This specialist support will enable more people with complex needs to receive the support they need. This will be done through a combination of thorough assessment and signposting, brief intervention for stabilization and Structured Psychological Support, a thorough intervention that involves six to ten sessions in individual psychoeducation and psychological support, working with patients to understand their presenting problems and using psychological approaches to help them manage these.
Located at the new Community Mental Health Framework hubs, the post holder will be employed by Elmore while also working alongside a multi-disciplinary team from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, GP practices and other specialist community-based practitioners.
Elmore and Oxford Health are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Key Responsibilities
General
This post will work as part of the Community Mental Health Framework hubs, carrying out assessments and making recommendations about the most appropriate treatment pathway for people with personality disorder.
Implementing Structured Psychological Support and providing brief intervention support for stabilisation for people with personality disorders.
Contributing to the planning and continued delivery of a developing service.
Clinical
To assess new referrals and make recommendations about the suitability of this service to meet their needs, or signpost to more appropriate services.
To manage an allocated caseload and treatment of clients using a Structured Psychological Support and other therapeutic approaches according to clinical need and service approach. These interventions will support people to be able to better manage their most pressing issues in relation to their mental health and will include education and support in areas such as interpersonal relationships and emotional regulation.
To work with clinical supervision according to the protocols of the service.
·To work jointly with other professionals In the CMHF to support clients, including being part of a multi-disciplinary team
·To creatively and respectfully engage with clients.
To liaise effectively with other disciplines/teams/services with regard to client care
To actively assess risk and work with Elmore and Oxford Health’s risk management processes for individuals and liaise with other professionals on psychological aspects of risk management.
To manage challenging situations in line with procedures and to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice.
To act as an advocate for clients to ensure that their voices are heard.
To ensure clients are aware of and support them to maximise their opportunity to be involved in client participation.
Personal Development
To undertake training continuing professional development as required and agreed with your Elmore manager and Oxford Health.
To attend and actively participate in supervision sessions.
To take part in an individual professional review procedure annually involving the identification of developmental needs and priorities.
Administration and Teamwork
To work within policies and procedures of Elmore and Oxford Health, including Health and Safety regulations, Equality and Diversity, and Safeguarding.
To be responsible for knowing about and following all the procedures and policies of the service. This will include keeping accurate records of all work undertaken and observing procedures with regard to confidentiality.
To manage expenses in line with policy and procedure.
To maintain clear and accurate records
To complete relevant monitoring relating to the clients that you are supporting to fulfil contractual needs.
To be able to organise and plan one’s own workload in association with service constraints/commitments
To be a supportive and effective part of the team.
To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in the hub.
To attend and participate in team meetings and planning meetings.
To undertake such other duties as may be required in the light of changing circumstances.
Person Specification
Clinical Experience:
At least 18 months’ experience of working in the community with people who have mental health problems and additional support needs related to drugs, alcohol, homelessness, offending behaviour, child protection, and anti-social behaviour (essential)
Sound working knowledge of personality disorder diagnosis and presentation (essential)
Experience of assessment and risk management (essential)
A good understanding of safeguarding and what may constitute “abuse” (essential)
Experiencing of joint working with other agencies (essential)
At least 12 months’ experience of providing individual interventions for people with personality disorder (desirable)
Knowledge of other local services for people with complex needs and personality disorder (desirable)
An understanding of relevant legislation that affects clients (desirable)
Organisational and Personal Experience:
Excellent communication skills (essential)
Ability to work as part of a team (essential)
Ability to tolerate one’s own anxieties in the face of complex challenging clinical situations (e.g. projection, transference, counter transference etc.) (essential)
Ability to reflect on own practice and process (essential)
Ability to take care of oneself and promote professional resilience (essential)
Ability to keep accurate casework records, database records and maintain filing systems (essential)
To be IT literate (word, excel, Microsoft outlook and use of databases) (essential)
A good understanding of the principles of equality and diversity and the Single Equality Act 2010 (essential)
Experience of working independently and managing own caseload (essential)
Ability to work autonomously in line with policies and procedures (essential)
Ability to be flexible and adapt to change (essential)
Core mental health qualification (mental health nursing, social work, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, psychotherapy) (desirable)
Personal therapy (desirable)
Car driver with full licence and access to vehicle for work use (desirable)
Values:
Commitment to the ideals of quality and fairness in delivering support to vulnerable people, and the meaningful involvement of service users (essential)
Good understanding of the principles of equality and diversity and how to apply them in our context (essential)
The post-holder must be eligible to work in the UK, and appointment is subject to satisfactory DBS check.