Clinical Support Worker - Inpatient Services Forensics

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Doncaster; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional NHS trust is seeking a Clinical Support Worker for inpatient services. You'll engage with service users, assisting with daily living tasks and providing psychological care within secure hospital settings. The role requires strong communication skills and a passion for mental health care. This position offers a full-time contract for 37.5 hours per week and is essential in supporting recovery within forensic settings.

Qualifications

• Experience in providing personal care and related procedures for those with health/social needs.
• Ability to work flexibly on a 24-hour shift pattern to meet the needs of service users.
• Knowledge of service user safety protocols.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct physical and psychological care to service users.
• Engage with service users to support daily living tasks.
• Complete observations and report changes to the registered nurse.

Skills

Engagement with service users

Supporting clinical tasks

Communication skills

Understanding of care plans

Education

GCSE A‑D in English and Maths or equivalent

Level 2 qualification or progressing towards Level 3

Care Certificate

Job description

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Clinical Support Worker - Inpatient Services Forensics

The closing date is 03 December 2025

37.5 hours per week - vacancies available across all our forensic inpatient ward areas, in Wakefield and Cheswold Park Hospital, Doncaster.

You will be required to attend Pre Assessment ID verification in person with your original ID on the 11th or 12th December 2025 at Cheswold Park Hospital.

The assessment centre will be the 20th December- this will be the only date.

Visa sponsorship under the Health and Care Worker visa route can only be considered if the prorated salary meets the minimum threshold of £25,000, as required by the UK Visas and Immigration. For Band 3 roles, only full-time positions at the top of the pay scale meet this threshold. Candidates will only be considered if they have two years recognisable service experience. Therefore, sponsorship may not be possible depending on salary increment placement and working hours.

Are you passionate about making a difference in mental health care? We are recruiting Clinical Support Workers to join our dedicated Forensic Psychiatry Services, providing high-quality care and support to individuals within secure hospital settings.

The Forensic Care Group provides a complete secure pathway for individuals who require care in a secure environment. We provide both medium and low secure services for men and women and provide secure services for autistic individuals and people with a learning disability. We have 7 medium secure wards and 4 low secure wards at Wakefield and 2 medium and 4 low secure wards in Doncaster.

Main duties of the job

Our services provide assessment, treatment and intervention for service users with mental illness and involvement with the criminal justice system. We provide individual packages of care that are trauma informed, and consider individual intervention, treatment and recovery needs. Care is supported by multi-disciplinary teams, supporting a holistic approach to care.

The inpatient wards cater for people who, require 24-hour assessment, care and treatment. All wards provide assessment, treatment and therapeutic intervention emphasising on patient safety and a trauma informed approach to care and intervention.

What your role will entail:

Proactive engagement with service users, supporting them with tasks of daily living, social and psychological interventions. This can be with individuals who can be described as hard to engage.

Supporting clinical tasks as per care plan, including undertaking physical observations.

Support the clinical team with engagement and observation policy.

Completing tasks as directed by the clinical team, including supporting therapeutic and recovery-based activities, such as escorts to local area and ward-based activities.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

It will involve the provision of direct physical and psychological care. Our Health Support Workers are at the centre of engaging our service users.

The successful candidate will be provided with a local induction on commencement of their role, which will include relevant mandatory training.

As a health care support worker within the service, you would be expected to support recovery, promote independence and facilitate achievement of goals whilst working alongside the nursing team and wider multidisciplinary team, which consists of occupational therapists, social workers, speciality doctors and consultants.

To assist the registered nurse in carrying out day-to-day care of individuals, endeavouring to provide for the holistic needs of individuals in conjunction with other disciplines within the inpatient healthcare environment.

To assist the registered nurse in providing a high and consistent level of holistic care, maintaining the dignity and equality of the individual. This includes direct patient care.

To observe and monitor changes in individuals' behaviour, physical condition and social interaction, and to report any changes to the nurse in charge.

To contribute to the evaluation of care plans by reporting observations accurately and regularly.

JOB SUMMARY

The post holder will:

under the supervision/direction of registered health care professionals/associate practitioner, within a delegated framework for agreed tasks, seek support as and when necessary, in the delivery of psychological and physical care to a defined group of people.

as part of a healthcare team, provide the highest standards of safe and compassionate planned care to people that maximises their recovery and rehabilitation potential.

develop and maintain meaningful therapeutic relationships with people. Adopt a polite, positive and empathetic approach, communicating effectively and informatively.

demonstrate an understanding of the care and treatment programmes of a designated group of service users to enable you to instruct, advise and guide service users, family and carers. To make the appropriate adjustments within own level of competence and be able to communicate any changes to service users and registered healthcare professionals.

be required to concentrate for periods of time, depending upon the care intervention/care plan eg, following the observation policy, taking, recording of physical observations etc, and responding to issues of concern appropriately. This may include areas of work requiring physical effort, with regard to risk, health & safety.

exercise a degree of independence, initiative and judgement and consider different approaches when delivering tasks. Assess situations, for eg, following the observation policy, identify and resolve potential problems within own levels of competence.

ensure the care experienced is positive and service user safety is maintained. Treat everyone eg, service users, their relatives, visitors, colleagues etc, with respect, dignity, courtesy and in accordance with the Trusts Values.

feedback their observations to the registered professional / clinical team to contribute to the care planning process. Understand the principles underlying care planning eg, enabling the service user to reach an optimum level of functioning/ independence/recovery.

implement care within well-established policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines and established clinical care plans. Organise a range of activities eg, facilitate meaningful activities.

apply basic knowledge of longer‑term health conditions, within the remit of care planning, providing advice, support and feedback to a registered professional.

Undertake the physical aspects of care eg, moving and handling of service users. Use items of equipment in delivering care eg, hoists, wheelchairs etc. (as appropriate to the role), ensuring appropriate instruction on their use has been received.

assist in dealing with verbal/physical aggression using de‑escalation techniques, this may include the need for restraint and/or seclusion (as appropriate to the role).

Support service users with personal care duties (bathing, toileting, dressing, support with meals, assist patients with their appearance), as part of a healthcare team, provide the highest standards of safe and compassionate planned care to people that maximises their recovery and rehabilitation potential.

Undertakes a limited range of delegated clinical care duties relevant to the service provided/work area and records patient observations: e.g. taking blood pressure, blood glucose monitoring, pregnancy testing, observing patients for signs of agitation or distress, removal of peripheral cannula urinalysis, removal of catheter.

participate in a flexible rostering arrangement providing 24‑hour/7 day care (as appropriate to the role).

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

This is an integrated NHS job posting; we do not advise the use of AI to enhance your application. If you are using AI, please disclose this in your application.

Person Specification

Special Knowledge/Skills

• As appropriate to the role:
• Enthusiastic, able to work flexibly on a 24hr shift pattern to meet the needs of service users.
• Knows responsibilities regarding confidentiality and trust.

Training

• Demonstrate excellent knowledge of service user safety, e.g., Prevention & management of violence & aggression, moving and handling, etc.

Physical Attributes

• A satisfactory sickness record over previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Qualifications

• GCSE A‑D or grade 3‑9 in English and Maths or equivalent.
• Level 2 qualification / or working through, with the ability to demonstrate competencies at level 3.
• Care Certificate or required to achieve within 12 weeks of commencement.

Experience

• In providing personal care and related procedures for those with health/social needs.
• In working in a caring environment at a band 2 or equivalent level of competence.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust