Mental Health Hospital Link Worker

Mid and North East Essex Mind; Colchester; On-site; GBP 16,000; Part time

Job summary

A mental health support organization in Colchester is seeking a Hospital Link Worker to provide empathetic support to individuals experiencing emotional and mental health distress. This part-time role involves liaising with healthcare teams and offering person-centered care within emergency departments. Candidates should have experience in mental health crisis support and effective communication skills. The position offers a pro-rata salary of £15,150 and benefits such as 36 days holiday and a supportive working environment.

Benefits

36 days holiday including 8 bank holidays

Competitive pension

Training and development

Annual wellbeing day

Company sick pay

Charity worker discount scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in providing support to individuals in emotional distress.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team and maintain professional boundaries.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion in workplace practices.

Responsibilities

• Offer person-centered support in emergency healthcare settings.
• Liaise with triage and clinical teams for effective patient support.
• Maintain relationships with volunteers and community partners.

Skills

Resilience

Effective communication

Empathy

Experience in mental health crisis support

Job description

Hours: 22.5 hours per week, 4 week rolling rota - 3 days per week, 1.30pm to 9.30pm, including weekends and bank holidays.
Pro-rata Salary: £15,150 per year (£25,250 FTE)
Contract: Fixed term until 1st September 2026 with a view of extension
Base: Colchester General Hospital

If you are resilient, a clear communicator, have a genuine passion to help others, experience working in a fast paced environment and have supported individuals in active mental health crisis and emotional distress, then we would love to hear from you.

Mental health crises, have risen sharply in recent years. Emergency healthcare services are often ill-equipped to provide the focused, ongoing support required and are stretched to their limits, leaving many individuals without adequate help during critical moments.

An opportunity has arisen within our team for a Hospital Link Worker to help address the critical need for immediate and accessible mental health support for individuals.

As a Link Worker, you will:

• Offer person centered, empathic support to individuals experiencing emotional and mental health distress within the UTC and Emergency Department.
• Liaise closely with the hospital triage team and other clinical teams within Colchester General Hospital.
• To develop and maintain excellent relationship with the hospital teams, Link Volunteers, NEE Sanctuary and other partnerships.

We are looking for experienced individuals who are committed to ensuring the provision of effective and pro‑active support. Our ideal candidate will be respectful, honest and empathetic to others whilst being able to maintain boundaries.We offer our staff a range of health, wellbeing, lifestyle and financial benefits to ensure that we fully support our employees.This includes:

• 36 days holiday including 8 bank holidays (pro rata for part time); competitive pension;
• recruitment referrals, training and development, annual wellbeing day;
• expert supervision and peer support, an extended lunch break each week;
• onsite parking at most locations;
• company sick pay based on length of service and a charity worker discount scheme.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, collaborating with our communities and partners to drive innovation and better decision-making. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds to try to ensure we better represent our communities.

Join us in creating an environment where everyone feels supported, respected, and valued. Let’s build a community that thrives on inclusivity and mutual respect.