Community Support Worker

East London NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

East London NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting for a Community Support Worker within the Luton and Bedfordshire Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. The role supports adults with acute, chronic or complex mental health needs, promoting recovery and wellbeing through time-limited, goal-focused interventions in the community.

The post holder works under the direction of Senior Community Nurses and the Care Coordinator, co-producing care plans and linking service users with local resources to

Qualifications

• Competence in using RIO health records system.
• Experience of trauma-informed care desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide person-centred support to patients in the community to aid recovery, resilience and social inclusion.
• Develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients, carers and families.
• Work with the MDT to deliver individualised care plans and agreed interventions.
• Offer practical and emotional support, daily living help and assistance to access community resources.
• Identify changes in patient wellbeing or risk and escalate promptly to clinical colleagues.
• Support engagement with services to improve access and continuity of care for vulnerable patients.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and participate in team meetings and service development.
• Collaborate with health, social care and voluntary partners to coordinate care.

Skills

RIO competence

Trauma-informed training

Job description

This role is a key part of the Luton and Bedfordshire Mental Health and Wellbeing Service within ELFT, working as an integral member of the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). The post holder supports adults with acute, chronic, or complex mental health needs, promoting recovery, independence, and wellbeing through time-limited, goal-focused interventions.

The job centres on holistic, person-centred support, delivered under the direction of Senior Community Nurses and the service user's Care Coordinator. As stated in the document, the worker "supports service users to direct their own Recovery process... and co-produce care plans to support these" .

Core Purpose of the RoleThe Community Support Worker provides structured, recovery-oriented support for up to 12 sessions, helping service users identify strengths, set goals, and engage with community resources. The role blends mental health support, physical health monitoring, carer involvement, and multi-disciplinary teamwork.

The post holder also plays a vital role in carer support, completing assessments, reviews, signposting, and funding applications.

Main duties of the job

1. Recovery-Focused SupportEmpower service users to lead their own recovery, helping them identify goals, strengths, interests, and needs.

Co-produce care plans with service users and the MDT.

Deliver time-limited, goal-based interventions for up to 12 weeks under the direction of the Care Coordinator.

Support service users to access meaningful activities, community groups, and social networks.

Promote healthy, positive relationships and help individuals reduce or avoid harmful ones.

Assist individuals in managing their mental health on a day-to-day basis... enabling service users to identify, access and engage with local support networks

2. Risk Assessment & SafeguardingAssess and manage risk in line with Trust policies.

Ensure risk does not unnecessarily restrict recovery.

Escalate concerns about wellbeing or safeguarding to the Care Coordinator or Team Lead immediately.

Participate in joint visits for complex or high-risk cases requiring two staff.

3. Physical Health MonitoringUndertake baseline physical observations, including:

Blood pressure, pulse, respirations

Weight, height

Glucose monitoring

Sleep, eating, elimination patterns

Identify abnormal results and escalate to nursing/medical colleagues.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work as part of the Community Mental Health Team, providing high-quality, recovery-focused support to patients with mental health needs. The role involves working alongside registered professionals and the wider multidisciplinary team to promote patient wellbeing, independence, and positive outcomes.

Main Responsibilities:

Provide person-centred support to patients in the community, supporting recovery, resilience, and social inclusion.Develop and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with patients, carers, and families, promoting choice, dignity, and respect.Work alongside the multidisciplinary team to support the delivery of individualised care plans and agreed interventions.Provide practical and emotional support to patients, including assistance with daily living skills, accessing community resources, and achieving personal goals.Recognise changes in patients presentation, wellbeing, or risks and report concerns promptly to appropriate clinical colleagues.Support engagement with services, helping to improve access and continuity of care for vulnerable patients.Contribute to the assessment, monitoring, and review of patient progress within the boundaries of the role.Maintain accurate and timely clinical records in line with Trust policies and professional standards.Participate in team meetings, supervision, training, and service development activities.Work collaboratively with health, social care, voluntary sector, and community partners to support coordinated care.Promote equality, diversity, inclusion, and a compassionate approach in all interactions with patients, carers, and colleagues.

Person Specification

Demonstrate competence in using RIO

• Achieved grade/Years of Experience
• Is the post holder trauma informed trained?

Experince of managing complex cases

• Years of experience
• Trained in annual physical health checks

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.