Location: Home-based
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part-time 24.5 hours
Salary: £21,616 per annum

About Rethink Mental Illness

We are on a mission to ensure that everyone severely affected by mental illness has a good quality of life. Every day, we work alongside people, families and communities to provide expert support, challenge stigma and create lasting change.

At Rethink Mental Illness, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We are passionate, committed, open, hopeful, expert, understanding and equitable. 

About the Service

Release the Pressure is a 24/7 mental health helpline and webchat service supporting people aged 16+ across Kent and Medway. The service provides confidential emotional support, practical guidance, crisis de-escalation, signposting and access to wider community resources for people experiencing mental distress, as well as their carers, families and professionals. 

Operating around the clock, 365 days a year, the service handles thousands of contacts annually and plays a vital role in helping people access support at the moment they need it most. 

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team delivering a life-changing service to people experiencing mental distress.

As Service Manager, you will provide leadership, direction and support to Helpline Workers, bank staff and volunteers, ensuring the delivery of a safe, high-quality and person-centred service. You will champion continuous improvement, drive operational excellence and create a culture that empowers your team to deliver outstanding support and outcomes.

You will work closely with commissioners, partner organisations and stakeholders across Kent and Medway, helping to strengthen local mental health pathways and promote the impact of the service.

This role combines operational management, people leadership and service development. While much of your work will take place during office hours, some evening and weekend working will be required to support quality monitoring, service oversight and staff development. 

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading and inspiring a dispersed team of staff and volunteers.
• Driving quality, performance and continuous improvement across a busy 24/7 service.
• Ensuring safeguarding, compliance and governance requirements are met.
• Supporting and developing colleagues through supervision, coaching and performance management.
• Managing resources effectively, including staffing, rotas and budgets.
• Building strong relationships with commissioners, community partners and statutory services.
• Monitoring service outcomes and using data to improve performance and demonstrate impact.
• Promoting co-production and ensuring the voices of people with lived experience influence service development.
• Identifying opportunities for innovation and service enhancement. 

About You

We are looking for a passionate and experienced leader who understands the importance of accessible, responsive mental health support.

You will bring:

• Experience managing services within health, mental health or social care.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing staff teams and volunteers.
• Strong knowledge of mental health, recovery-focused practice and safeguarding.
• Experience managing performance, quality and compliance.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities within a complex operational environment.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office.
• A relevant qualification or significant experience within mental health, social care, counselling, advocacy, occupational therapy or a related field. 

It Would Be Great If You Also Have

• Experience managing 24/7 services.
• Helpline or crisis support experience.
• Trauma-informed practice knowledge or training.
• Suicide intervention training such as ASIST or Suicide First Aid.
• Experience supporting young people.
• Personal lived experience of mental illness. 

What We Offer

By joining Rethink Mental Illness, you'll become part of an organisation that genuinely values its people and the difference they make every day. You'll have the opportunity to shape a vital service, support the development of an exceptional team and make a meaningful difference to the lives of people experiencing mental distress.

Be Part of Something Meaningful

If you're an experienced leader with a passion for mental health and a commitment to delivering high-quality services, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us ensure that no one faces mental illness alone.

Who are we?

Rethink Mental Illness is a leading charity supporting people severely affected by mental illness. We work to improve lives through services, information, advocacy and campaigning, helping people access the support, understanding and opportunities they deserve.

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