Mental Health Recovery Worker

BHT Sussex; Portslade by Sea; On-site; GBP 11,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health support organization in Portslade by Sea is seeking a passionate Mental Health Recovery Worker. The role involves providing emotional and practical support to clients with mental health needs, offering comprehensive training and a supportive work environment. Ideal candidates will have strong communication skills and a commitment to empowering clients. This position features a two-week rolling rota and a competitive salary, along with a robust benefits package.

Benefits

5.5% stakeholder pension scheme

Medical cash plan

Access to training and development

Employee assistance helpline

Cycle-to-work scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Qualifications

• Experience providing emotional and practical support for vulnerable adults with complex mental health needs.
• Ability to deliver person-centred support and risk management planning.
• Commitment to empowering clients and promoting their independence.

Responsibilities

• Support clients using trauma-informed and recovery-focused approaches.
• Assist clients in developing essential life skills such as self-care, cleaning, and cooking.
• Collaborate with clients to develop person-centred support plans.

Skills

Communication skills

Experience with vulnerable adults

Understanding of trauma-informed care

Ability to promote client independence

Job description

Mental Health Recovery Worker

BHT Sussex is looking for 3 x Mental Health Recovery Workers (akin to a Support Worker job title) to join our team at Archway, Sackville Gardens 24hr residential care services for adults with mental health support needs.

Archway is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and have a rating of ‘Outstanding’.

A quote from an Archway client:

“Archway has changed my life for the better. Being at Archway has made me more confident, aware of my own circumstances and helped me move away from a bad time”

This position comes with comprehensive training (both in person and online) as part of the induction and first 6-12 months of the role. Further specialised training is available upon confirmation in post to assist your professional development, including a range of subjects relevant to the provision of psychologically and trauma informed care and support of clients.

Position

Mental Health Recovery Worker

Location

Hove, Sackville Gardens

Salary

FTE (38hrs) salary is £26,040 (Includes £1,469 Antisocial hours enhancement and £9.39 hourly sleep-in night rate)

Contract

Permanent

Closing Date

8th December 2025

Interview Date

Week commencing 15th December 2025

The service operates a 2-week rolling rota which includes a mixture of Early (0900-1700), Late (1200-2000) and Night/Sleep-in (1600-2200 / sleep / 0800-1000) with alternate weekends off.

Roles

Role 1

Hours: 37hrs average (32hrs day / 5hrs sleeping nights)

Salary: £26,442 (includes £1,430 Antisocial hours enhancement and £9.58 hourly sleep-in night rate)

Role 2

Hours: 33hrs average (28hr day / 5hrs sleeping night)

Salary: £23,472 (includes £1,276 Antisocial hours enhancement and £9.58 hourly sleep-in night rate)

Role 3 (has previously worked well for master’s degree students)

Hours: 16hrs average (16hrs day / no night hours)

Salary: £11,879 (includes £619 Antisocial hours enhancement)

About the Archway Service

Archway is comprised of three 24hr residential care homes in Hove for those with mental health care and support needs.

57 Sackville Gardens (Step-Down) is a 5-bed service providing short-term (up to 16 weeks), intensive support for people who are medically fit to leave hospital and need support to develop their independence to move into longer-term accommodation.

59 Sackville Gardens is a 5-bed service next door to Step-Down providing long term placements for people requiring 24-hour residential care and support with the aim of helping clients move on to less supported accommodation.

9 Portland Road is a 9-bed service providing long term placements for people requiring 24-hour residential care and support with the aim of helping clients move on to less supported accommodation.

The service is overseen by an Operational Manager with a Deputy Manager for the two Sackville Gardens properties and a Deputy Manager for the Portland Road property. There is out of hours on call support and advice for evening and weekends.

Archway is a residential service offering 24-hour support for those with mental health care and support needs. The service provides holistic person centred and recovery focused care, which encourages independence by focusing on clients’ strengths and goals.

We work closely with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust adult community mental health services to meet the needs of clients. We help bridge the gap between hospital and the community by encouraging people to develop a greater understanding of what keeps them well, safe and motivated, and we value collaborative working and co-production.

The support the service offers to clients includes 1:1 support via a keyworker and team support, medication administration, the provision of food and meal support, wellbeing activities, and support to identify future accommodation opportunities.

As a service we are passionate about providing safe and homely accommodation with care and support to help empower clients to better manage their mental health and wellbeing and live enriching and meaningful lives.

About the Role

As a Mental Health Recovery Worker, you will be working for a people-led organisation whose mission and values are to inspire change across Sussex.

Mental health Recovery Workers provide practical and emotional support in a range of areas to assist clients to develop confidence and life skills to live independently.

You will support the day‑to‑day running of the service efficiently and effectively, developing clients’ daily living skills, helping clients grow in confidence and independence, identifying suitable future accommodation options and move on plans, dispensing medications and monitoring the self‑administration of those clients who are able to manage their own medications.

You will provide person‑centred and holistic support to clients with mental health care and support needs and develop professional relationships based on trust and accountability.

You will receive training to develop your skills and knowledge every year to aid your development and form part of a collaborative and considerate team.

This role will have a combination of early (9-5pm) and late shifts (12-8pm) and one sleeping night shift (4-10pm, sleep, 8-10am) over a two‑week rolling rota, with alternate weekends (Sat and Sun) off. The service is staffed 24 hours a day with a mixture of team working and lone working. Sleeping night shifts are for emergency support only.

Key Responsibilities

• Build positive, trusting relationships with clients and carry out key working responsibilities for an allocated caseload.
• Support clients using trauma‑informed, recovery‑focused, and person‑centred approaches to understand their mental health and identify actions that promote and sustain wellbeing.
• Use person‑centred, recovery‑focused, and trauma‑informed approaches to support clients in developing coping strategies, building independence, and engaging with the community.
• Assist clients in developing essential life skills such as self‑care, cleaning, shopping, and cooking.
• Collaborate with key clients to develop person‑centred support plans that identify individual, recovery‑focused goals, drawing on personal strengths, resources, and available support.
• Create and update risk management and safety plans that promote autonomy and self‑help, while outlining wider support and contingency measures to minimise risks.
• Assist clients in developing and implementing a move‑on plan that supports their transition to accommodation suited to their individual needs.
• Assist in the efficient domestic running of the project, including health and safety, meal provision, and the provision of safe and homely environments.
• Promote client engagement and co‑production.
• Participate in a rota including daytime, night‑time sleeping hours, weekends, and bank holidays.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of service delivery using a psychologically informed framework.

Person Specification

To be successful in the role of Mental health recovery Worker you will need to have great communication skills and be committed to the values of BHT Sussex.

• Experience providing emotional and practical support for vulnerable adults who have complex mental health needs (please note, a range of applicable experience/transferable skills will be considered).
• Ability to deliver person‑centred and co‑produced support and risk management planning.
• Ability to safety plan and sensibly manage risk.
• A commitment to empowering clients and promoting their choice and independence.

Rota and shift work

The position is based on a two‑week rolling rota with fortnightly weekend working.

Shift times:

• Early: 09:00-17:00
• Late: 12:00-20:00
• Night shift: Awake 16:00-22:00. Sleeping 22:00-08:00.

In return

In recognition of our commitment to staff, BHT Sussex has been awarded Gold Accreditation from Investors in People. We are also signed up to the Disability Confident employer scheme and have made the Mental Health at Work commitment.

Benefits package

• 5.5% stakeholder pension scheme and life assurance scheme
• Medical cash plan with Medicash
• Access to BHT Sussex Learning & Development
• Free and confidential employee assistance helpline for both personal and work‑related concerns
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme
• Free new starter 28‑day Network Saver Brighton bus pass
• Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days per annum pro rata, rising 1 day for each year of service to a maximum of 32 days pro rata
• The opportunity to participate in well‑being and fundraising activities throughout the year

BHT Sussex is an equal opportunities employer using a fair and open recruitment process that fully complies with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. We are committed to encouraging equality, equity, inclusion, and diversity within the workplace. As an employer we are committed to promoting and supporting our people’s social, physical and psychological health at work. Please let us know if you require any special arrangements or reasonable adjustments if called for interview. BHT Sussex welcomes applications from individuals with lived experience.

BHT Sussex reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applicants for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

An Enhanced with Adults DBS Check

An Enhanced with Adults DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service) is required on all successful applicants as a condition of employment for this post.

You may also be interested in this role if you have experience in the areas such as Residential Care Work, Counselling, Therapy, Support Worker, Mental Health, Mental Health Support Worker, Housing Worker, Housing, Support Worker, Recovery Worker, Care Worker, Social Housing, Caseworker, Outreach.