Community Support Worker

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking health service provider dedicated to community and mental health care. This role offers the chance to make a meaningful impact by supporting individuals with dementia and mental health challenges. You will work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, ensuring dignified care and timely support for patients. The organization values empowerment and continuous learning, providing excellent training opportunities and a supportive environment. If you are passionate about making a difference in people's lives and thrive in a dynamic work setting, this position is perfect for you.

Benefits

Season Ticket Loans

NHS Discounts for Staff

Excellent Training Facilities

Buying and Selling Annual Leave Scheme

Salary Sacrifice Schemes

Flexible Working Options

Qualifications

• NVQ3 in Health or Social Care or equivalent experience required.
• Experience working with dementia and mental health issues is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support admission avoidance and timely discharge for patients.
• Provide person-centered care within the recovery model approach.

Skills

Team Collaboration

Confidentiality Management

Dementia Care

Mental Health Support

Clinical Duties

Organizational Skills

Flexible Work Approach

Education

Good Standard of Education

NVQ3 in Health or Social Care

Tools

Clinical Information System

Paris / System One

Basic IT Skills (Word, Outlook)

Job description

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.

Our vision and values

Our Vision

“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.

Our Purpose

“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.

Our Values

• We Care
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Our services

• Mental Health Services
• Community Health Services
• Learning Disabilities Services
• Social Care

Job overview

The role is to support admission avoidance, including working directly with Primary Care services, Social Care services, Third Sector Organisations, Non-Statutory Care Providers and local GP’s. The work will also include working directly within the Acute Trust and Inpatient Mental Health Services to support timely discharge and post discharge support.

The post holder is responsible for reporting regularly to the Team Lead or other qualified staff, working both under supervision and on their own, reporting any relevant changes in the patient’s condition and environment.

Assisting Registered nursing staff in providing care and support of people with a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of dementia and their carers, within the acute trust, mental health trust, community settings and/or patient’s own home. Working collaboratively with other services within wider locality in South East Essex.

Providing person centred care and working within the recovery model approach enabling patients to work towards their goals within their care plans.

SEE Dementia Intensive Support Team are community based and it is essential that you are able to drive a car and have a vehicle for work purposes with a valid UK driving license.

Main duties of the job

• Act in a manner that protects and maintains the patient’s sense of dignity, personal relationships and social contact, while respecting the individual’s religious beliefs and cultural practices.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to student nurses.
• An understanding of the Mental Capacity Act.
• Able to access and maintain all mandatory training via OLM.
• Aware of own self-development need and attend appropriate courses as agreed at appraisal. (Life long learning)
• To be appraised once a year.
• Undertake clinical supervision to enhance practice and accept constructive criticism to benefit safe practice.

Working for our organisation

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In addition to the above duties you will also be expected to perform the below key activities in line with your job role;

• Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures.
• Participate in the staff appraisal process and to undertake for any staff you manage.
• Keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy.
• Provide management supervision where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multidisciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7-day a week, 24-hours a day service for 365 days a year working shifts, where appropriate and operationally required.

Person specification

• Good standard of Education.
• NVQ3 in Health or Social Care or equivalent experience.
• Health or Social Care or equivalent experience.

Knowledge

• Basic IT skills i.e. Word and Outlook.
• Understanding of the role of the Support Worker role.
• Experience, understanding/ recording of service user activity on a clinical information system.
• Working knowledge of the Paris / system one Clinical Information System.
• Knowledge of the physical health needs of service users and monitoring of same.

Skills

• Experience of working within a team environment.
• Experience of dealing with confidential and sensitive information.
• Experience of working with people with Dementia and mental health issues and vulnerable service users.
• Working with senior staff undertaking a range of Clinical duties e.g. providing practical support and guidance to service users.
• Ability to work effectively and flexibly without direct supervision carrying out duties as requested.
• Previous experience of working in the NHS or health care sector.

Personal Qualities

• Good organisational skills, ability to prioritise workload.
• Current driving licence and access to a car is essential for the position.
• Flexible approach to work.

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Come and work at EPUT and make a difference in people’s lives.