CLOSED – Job – Social Networking Caseworker

£22,917 to £25,463 (between Grade 4, Scale point S1 and S5 on the Mind salary scale) per annum for full time, 36 hours per week.  Salary on appointment will depend on skills and abilities.

Hours to be worked – 36 hours per week, any time including if necessary, early mornings, late evenings, weekends and bank holidays. You need to be flexible and may be required to work your hours to meet the needs of service users (for example, if a service user needs to be taken to hospital emergency department towards the end of a shift or they wish to undertake a regular early morning activity) and this may be required at short notice. 

Main purpose of job: To promote recovery and social inclusion in service users by facilitating their participation in mainstream activities. The aim is to achieve the following outcomes: assisting in maintaining and improving recovery; build self-confidence; improve physical well-being; improve social networks beyond mental health services; improve personal skills including educational attainment and reduce dependence on mental health services where appropriate.

The role is based mainly at Mind’s Social Networking Centre (which is just across the road from East Croydon Station), Fairfield House, 10 Altyre Road, Croydon CRO 5LA and the work takes place there and at other locations out and about in the community.

Staff benefits include an auto-enrolment pension scheme, 28 days holiday per annum (rising to 33 after 5 years) pro-rated downwards to reflect that this is a part-time role, and the opportunity to work for a ‘family friendly’ organisation.

All posts may be subject to enhanced DBS checks. Application packs are available below and should be returned completed to The Human Resources Manager, Mind in Croydon Ltd, 26 Pampisford Road, Purley, Surrey CR8 2NE or admin@mindincroydon.org.ukClosing date Friday 16th March at 5pm.

Application forms can be found here.

No contact from agencies or media sales please

Activity to Work group starts 9th August

Active Minds and Mind Employment Support Service are pleased to announce we are running another session of our new service run jointly by Active Minds and Mind Employment Support called ‘Activity to Work’

This seven week programme is open to all service users and will combine six sessions of Active Minds activities combined with six workshops to support you in getting closer to seeking employment.

Participants will be able to take part in a variety of Active Minds group activities and may even decide to keep these up after the course has finished. Workshops will include self-confidence building activities like body language and recognising your personal abilities as well as practical sessions including how to develop your basic skills for work and how to find suitable volunteering opportunities.

This is an excellent place to begin your journey to work, develop transferable skills and get inspiration for your next steps as well as receive expert advice and support.

All we need from you is enthusiasm and a commitment to attend a maximum of two half day sessions per week for seven weeks The next group will be starting on 9th August 2016.

To Register your interest call 020 8253 8200 or email onactiveminds@mindincroydon.org.uk or ess@mindincroydon.org.uk

Click here for the flyer

New Chess Club

Join the Social Networking Team on Friday mornings, 10.30am-12.30pm, for a friendly game of chess.
Open to all levels, complete beginners to chess masters!

For more information contact Matthew at Social Networking.

Tel: 020 8688 1210
Email: matthew@mindincroydon.org.uk

Social Networking
10 Altyre Road
East Croydon
Surrey
CR0 5LA

Chess Club

Mixed Martial Arts coming in January 2015!

In January 2015 Active Minds will start a free six week course in Mixed Martial Arts in partnership with the Croydon Martial Arts Academy, thanks to funding from Slam’s Smile for Health programme.

It is aimed at complete beginners and is non-contact (i.e. participants won’t be fighting each other). Both men and women are welcome!

  • It’s a great way to improve fitness
  • Build confidence
  • It will teach skills in self-defence
  • Most importantly… it is Fun!

The course is for Active Minds service users but if you contact the team they can support you through the referral process.

For more information see the attached poster or contact Active Minds on 020 8253 8205 or email activeminds@mindincroydon.org.uk

Mixed Martial Arts Poster

NEW Football Session

Not played for a while?
Want to increase your fitness or learn new skills?

Following on from the unprecedented success of our football group we are introducing a new group from 2.30 – 3.30 on Wednesdays.

This will be a beginners/intermediate group for people who maybe haven’t played for a while, feel they are out of shape or simply prefer a less energetic workout. There will still be coaches from the Crystal Palace Foundation and match time at the end of the session but will be a slightly softer introduction to the Active Minds Football Group.

People are welcome at either or both sessions or can swap between the two as they wish.

For more information get in touch with Active Minds on 020 8253 8205/020 8253 8206 or email activeminds@mindincroydon.org.uk.

New Football Session 2014

Fashion Show & Big Sale…

…WATCH THIS SPACE

Because on Thursday 11 December, our premises (opposite East Croydon Station) will be transformed into a fabulous fashion show and huge sale of our best donated clothes and fashion accessories. Doors open to the public, and we have been keeping the most desirable secondhand goodies donated to our shops for this special event. You will find lots of popular high street fashion labels under one roof. But the best thing is that by buying from Mind in Croydon at this exciting event, you will be helping those with mental health problems in the borough of Croydon. All monies raised go straight into services such as employment support, therapeutic activities and counselling for people in need in our Borough.

Social inclusion is often talked about – the need for everyone to mix in our community to gain a better understanding a respect of each other. Here, at Mind in Croydon it really happens at events such as this. Plus, there will be cake (and tea, coffee and sandwiches for sale)

Please come and support us on the day by bringing along a heavy purse and going away with a lighter one knowing you have bagged a terrific garment. But most of all come to this event and know you have made a difference to the person sitting next to you on the bus or standing in the queue at the supermarket who has a mental health problem and needs your help. All of us need help at some time, you can give it by coming along….

We look forward to seeing you:

WHERE: at Fairfield House, 10 Altyre Road, East Croydon CR0 5LA
WHEN: Thursday 11 December 2014
OPENING TIMES: 10am to 4pm
SHOW TIMES: 11am, 1pm, 3pm
BUYING TIMES
: All day

DRESS TO IMPRESS COMPETITION: Dress a mannequin with a chance of winning a prize for the most impressive display

RAFFLE: enter to win clothing and accessories

FURTHER ENQUIRIES: Phone Peter Phillips on 020 8688 1210

Comic Relief visit the Mind football team

Earlier in the year Staff and Chief Executives of both Comic Relief and Cisco Systems (one of their large corporate donors) visited our Football group.

The visit took place during the weekly training at Crystal Palace Sports National Sports Centre so that Cisco Systems could see the type of project their money is invested in.

Staff joined in the training session and had a chat with a few of the players during the visit.

You can view the video below.

Croydon Eagles kick off with Surrey Cup Victory

By Tim Matthias

The Croydon Eagles have just put down their mark on the Surrey mental health league by being crowned the winners of the Surrey Community Cup. Croydon Eagles are Crystal Palace FC and Mind In Croydon’s representatives in the Surrey FA mental health league.

In a brilliant day at the Walton-on-Thames venue that will be used for all the forthcoming fixtures in the league, the sun shone in more ways than one. Five teams competed in a league format with the top team winning. We began the day with a longer than expected walk to the venue. This happened to take in a nice stroll along a very picturesque part of the River Thames, which we used as our warm up for the tournament. A masterstroke by Peter Rogers as it turned out. We were made to feel very welcome by the organisers and the other teams. We were the new team so this was appreciated.

To the tournament; we kicked off with a very tight game against the current league and cup holders Kingstonian Mind. We eventually prevailed with a 1-0 win, thanks to a great goal by Dan M. We followed this up with another 1-0 win against Rushmoor. Dan M again proving the match winner after coming off the bench following a great tactical decision by player coach Paul Richards and coach Michael Harrington. The next game was won by two goals to nil against Guildford, with goals by Tony Thompson and Paul Richards. This included a free kick routine that could have come straight out of the premier league. This all climaxed in a game versus Woking Minders that might have come out of the pages of Roy of the Rovers.

We required a win or a draw that would win us the trophy. Things started to turn against us when a controversial decision resulted in Woking taking the lead. This they held until the final few minutes. We all thought that was it, ‘plucky losers’, a term we wanted to shake. The ball fell to our former keeper, Gel Clifford, who had been playing outfield due to two broken fingers. He made a run, found his spot, and bang 1-1. The cup was heading back to Croydon, with the unlikely hero getting the crucial goal. No offence Gel.

After five years of trying, the Eagles had their trophy. It feels brilliant for these guys who have seen tough times to go through this journey together. The tournament was played in a really good spirit and we were touched by the ovation we received from all the other teams. We look forward to the coming season with high hopes and we hope that our continued partnership with Crystal Palace FC and Mind In Croydon brings us more success on and off pitch.

With thanks to Peter Rogers and Alex Rolfe-Sanders (Mind), Paul Richards and Michael Harrington (Crystal Palace Foundation).