Healthcare Support Worker

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust; South Shields; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High Cost Area allowance

Job summary

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust is seeking two Band 3 Healthcare Support Workers to join Amberwood Ward, a 17-bedded acute unit for adult males. You will deliver patient-focused care, provide support and help maintain safety and independence on the ward, while building therapeutic relationships with patients and carers.

Working across a 24/7 rota, you will be part of a multidisciplinary team, perform routine health checks, document findings, and contribute to a recovery-focused

Qualifications

• Level 3 Qualification in Health and Social care or equivalent.
• Care Certificate or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Experience in Mental Health or Learning Disabilities settings (NHS experience preferred).
• Numeracy and English literacy skills required.
• Able to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver patient-focused care and promote independence.
• Communicate information clearly to colleagues, patients and carers.
• Provide support and advice to patients and carers.
• Promote therapeutic activity and independence on the ward.
• Document physical health checks and MEWS as required.

Skills

Numeracy

English literacy

Flexibility

Teamwork

Education

Level 3 Health and Social Care

Care Certificate

Job description

Amberwood Ward is a 17-bedded acute mental health unit for adult males experiencing acute crisis. We are seeking 2 dedicated Band 3 Healthcare Support Workers to join our close-knit, multidisciplinary ward team.

In this vital role, you will be at the front line of patient care, offering comfort, empathy, and active support to men during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Working flexibly across a 24-hour, 7-day rota, you will build therapeutic relationships, promote independence, and help shape a safe, recovery-focused environment on the ward.

If you thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced acute environment and are driven to make a real difference in male mental health care, we would love to welcome your expertise to Amberwood Ward.

Main duties of the job

• Consistently delivering a patient focused service, which promotes optimum independence.
• Providing and receiving routine information orally, in writing or electronically to inform work colleagues, patients, clients, carers, the public or other external contacts.
• Offering appropriate support and advice to patients and their carers.
• Awareness of different challenging situations where communication needs to be adapted to the needs of the individual.
• Enabling patients to maintain and improve their independence by promoting and facilitating therapeutic activity.
• Giving physical health checks and physical health care as required or instructed documenting the physical health checks on the early warning scoring system (MEWS), chart and reporting changes to the nurse/healthcare professional in charge.
• Undertaking day to day tasks as allocated by Nurse/healthcare professional in Charge.
• Undertaking all relevant training as directed and participating in regular management/clinical supervision and appraisal.

About us

We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway.

Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.

Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.

Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.

Take a look at our Healthcare Assistant Video

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting, is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.

As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.

5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,346 per year and a maximum payment of £2,270 per year (2026/27 figures).

Person Specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

• Level 3 Qualification in Health and Social care or equivalent
• Care Certificate or ability to obtain within 6 months

Experience

• A varied and considerable experience of working within Mental Health/Learning Disabilities setting
• NHS Experience

Knowledge and Skills

• Numeracy and English literacy skills
• Punctual and flexible across hours of work
• Ability to be flexible and responsive
• oAbility to work in a multi-disciplinary team, under the direction and supervision of a registered practitioner

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.

£25,760 to £27,476 a yearper annum, plus High Cost Area allowance