Mental Health Support Worker

NHS; Bournemouth; On-site; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Bournemouth is seeking a Mental Health Support Worker to provide exceptional care to young people aged 13-18 facing complex mental health challenges. This full-time role offers flexible shifts, ongoing professional development, and is suited for individuals with strong communication skills and compassion. The successful candidate will assist in organized activities and create a supportive environment. Driving is desirable due to potential transport needs.

Benefits

Detailed induction programme

Ongoing supervision

Support for professional development

Positive work-life balance

Qualifications

• Experience in a healthcare role is desirable but not essential.
• Must be compassionate and able to support young people emotionally.
• Driving license is desirable for transporting young people.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional care to young people aged 13-18 experiencing mental health issues.
• Assist in organized activities and contribute to a safe environment.
• Attend training courses and participate in personal development.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Compassionate demeanor

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Support Worker

The closing date is 12 January 2026

Are you a caring individual looking to join a nurturing team, who can help you start or develop your career supporting Children and Young People? CAMHS is expanding! The 8-bed inpatient High Intensity Environment/PICU at Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, is a brand-new state of the art building, designed with input from young people and their families who directly benefit from the facilities. Driving is desirable for this role as there could be a requirement to transport young people to their homes, placements, activities or medical appointments.

As a Mental Health Support Worker, you will provide exceptional care to young people aged between 13 and 18 years experiencing complex mental health. You will have strong communication skills and be compassionate. You will assist in organised activities, contribute to creating a safe and supportive environment and offer emotional support. Previous experience in healthcare is desirable but not essential.

We offer a detailed induction programme with ongoing supervision in a supportive working environment. We promote opportunities for professional development and support a positive work life balance.

This is a full-time role; part-time applicants welcome with a minimum of 22.5 hours per week. You will be required to work a range of flexible shifts with weekends/nights at enhanced pay! This can be discussed at interview stage. For any queries, please contact us [e-mail]

Interview date will be held Friday 23rd January 2026.

Main duties of the job

• Early – 07.00 to 15.00
• Late – 12.00 to 20.00
• Twilight – 16.00 to 00.00
• Nights (enhanced pay) – 19:30 to 07.30

For further information regarding the new CAMHS PICU site, join our CAMHS PICU team via Careers Dorset.

Applications from candidates that require current Healthcare worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

You will be required to undertake a Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression course and it is a condition of your engagement that you successfully complete all aspects of this course; if this is not achieved you will not be able to commence working in the post. This is a five-day course and must be passed to work within our in-patient settings.

You will be part of an innovative and forward-thinking team and make a real impact on the lives of young people.

You will have the opportunity to attend training courses and participate in personal development training as identified by the line manager.

Make accurate records of patient observations, including data entry to the RiO patient records computer system. You will report any complaints by young people, families and carers to the trained staff on duty.

Other duties appropriate to the role which may be requested from time to time by the nurse in charge.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training / Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 1.1 / 2.2]

• What experience do you hold which is relevant to the role?

Personal Qualities/Atrributes [PS Criteria: 3.1]

• Have you previously worked or volunteered in a busy or high-paced environment? Please provide an example where you have remained calm under pressure.

Knowledge, Skills and Training [PS Criteria: 1.2]

• Have you undertaken any previous training to develop your skills and/or willing to professionally develop to meet the needs of the service. (Please provide details).

Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 2.5]

• How do you work well in a team? (Please provide an example)

Personal Qualities/Attributes [PS Criteria: 3.2 / 3.3 / 3.4 / 3.5]

• Thinking about the skills neeed for this position such as listening, empathy, motivation and prioritisation. Please state how your personal skills allign and why this role appeals to you.

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

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust