Healthcare Assistant

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

Bank holidays

Excellent pension up to 14.5%

£8K relocation package

Staff discounts

Job summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Healthcare Assistant to support young people with complex mental health needs in an inpatient unit. The role involves therapeutic observations, risk assessment, and 1:1 engagement under the HCA Academy umbrella.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, participate in planned activities, document care, and rotate as security nurse when required. Induction and mandatory training are provided.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with patients with mental health problems
• Good standard of education
• Experience of working with young people
• National Care Certificate

Responsibilities

• Work as part of a team supporting young people with mental health problems
• Carry out supportive and therapeutic observations
• Identify and assess dynamic risk
• Dealing with incidents of self-harm and offering coping strategies
• Provide 1:1 engagement and distraction techniques
• Engage therapeutically with young people
• Engage in activities with young people
• Accompany young people on leave in the community
• Document case notes at end of shift
• Act as security nurse on a rotational basis
• Carry out physical observations on the young people
• Assist planning programmes of care with unit team
• Contribute to record keeping with confidentiality considerations
• Flexible and cooperative in undertaking tasks
• Undertake cleaning and infection control duties

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Clear communication

English fluency

IT skills

Education

National Care Certificate

Job description

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Assistant

The closing date is 10 November 2026

*Please note we are unable to offer sponsorship now or in the future for this post*

• Supporting young people between the ages of 13 and 18 in an inpatient mental health unit.
• Providing therapeutic interventions and support.
• Liaising with the wider MDT.
• Dealing with incidents of self harm and supporting young people to find alternative coping skills.
• Communicating effectively with the young people in order to support them in times of distress.

Main duties of the job

• Working as part of a team supporting young people with complex mental health problems.
• Carrying out supportive and therapeutic observations according to trust policy.
• Identifying and assessing dynamic risk.
• Dealing with incidents of self harm and offering alternative coping mechanisms.
• Offering the young people 1:1 engagement and distraction techniques.
• Engaging therapeutically with the young people.
• Engaging in activities with the young people.
• Accompanying young people on leave in the community.
• Documenting case notes for the young people at the end of the shift.
• Acting as security nurse for the ward on a rotational basis.
• Carry out physical observations on the young people.

About us

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Job responsibilities

1. 1. To ensure that safe practice to be maintained, by a full awareness of Policies and Procedures regarding aspects of Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression
2. 2. Promoting the recovery model of care and social inclusion
3. 3. An awareness and to keep updated of the Care Quality commission standards
4. 4. Aware of one own appearance, ensure the Trust uniform is worn correctly and is clean and presentable
5. 5. The post holder will be prepared to work within the 24 hours service, 7 days per week, 365 days per year as per rota.
6. 6. An understanding of the Mental Health Act/Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLs) and (MCA) Mental Capacity Assessments.
7. 7. Take responsibility to ensure all mandatory training is up to date
8. 8. Aware of ones own self-development needs and attend appropriate courses as agreed at appraisal.
9. 9. Attend in-service and other training as required.
10. 10. To be appraised once a year
11. 11. Undertake clinical supervision to enhance practice
12. 12. At all times be aware of the Trusts ethos and maintaining of customer care standards
13. 13. Undertake any other appropriate duties as required.

Additional Duties:

1. 1. Assist and maintaining tidiness, encouraging a welcoming, therapeutic atmosphere, clean environment within the unit
2. 2. Responsible for working with your colleagues, seeking to improve the quality of services provided to our residents
3. 3. Assist in planning programmes of care together with the unit team. Implementing these plans under the supervision of the designated Supervisor
4. 4. Contribute to record keeping under the supervision of a qualified staff member keeping accurate records of residents care with due regard to the confidentiality of information relating to patients. It is the responsibility of the qualified staff to arrange regular reviews and to countersign all entries into records.
5. 5. Flexible and co-operative and willing in undertaking allocated realistic team tasks
6. 6. Undertake cleaning of spillages, including body fluids in line with Trust infection control policies and procedures

HCA Academy, is an ICB initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT). The Academy supports the on boarding, induction, education and experience of our Health Care Assistants (HCAs), Activity Coordinators (ACs), Peer Support Workers (PSWs) and Family Care Assistants (FCAs), modelling a "one workforce" cross-system approach.

To support this one workforce model, successful candidates appointed to this post will be required to attend our 4 day face to face Induction Programme (Monday to Thursday) at the NHS Essex ICB Education Hub, Brentwood Community Hospital. Your start date will therefore align with one of the Academy induction dates available each month, which will be discussed and agreed during the recruitment process.

The HCA Academy Induction Programme has been designed to train and support successful candidates through the early stages of their employment and provides opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and confidence within the role. Further information will be provided following interview.

Following completion of the Academy Induction Programme, our new starters will undertake EPUT's corporate and mandatory training programme. This will consist of a combination of face-to-face and virtual learning to support a successful transition into employment.

Person Specification

Qualifications and experience

• Experience of working with patients with mental health problems
• Good standard of education
• Experience of working with young people
• National Care Certificate

Knowledge and understanding

• An understanding of trauma based care
• Good understanding of mental health problems and how this can impact day to day functioning
• Good understanding of autism and ADHD
• An understanding of the roles of multi-professional team members
• A basic understanding of DBT

Skills

• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency of the English language
• Good IT Skills

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

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust