Senior Healthcare Worker

NHS; Dartford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Dartford seeks committed Senior Healthcare Workers to join their innovative Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for women. Responsibilities include delivering exceptional care, supporting patients, and collaborating within a multidisciplinary team. Candidates should possess a level 3 Health or Social Care qualification, experience in mental health settings, and the ability to communicate effectively. A competitive salary of £26,240 to £27,928 annually, inclusive of High Cost area allowance, is offered.

Benefits

High Cost Area Supplement

Comprehensive induction program

Ongoing professional development

Qualifications

• A varied and considerable experience of working within Mental Health/Learning Disabilities setting.
• Experience of working on a Female acute ward/PICU or forensic environment.

Responsibilities

• Deliver patient-focused service promoting optimum independence.
• Offer support and advice to patients and their carers.
• Document physical health checks and report changes.

Skills

Good level of English Language - Written and Spoken

Computer literate with basic understanding of Information Technology (IT)

Understanding of mental health conditions appropriate to the setting

Education

Health or Social Care Qualification (level 3 or equivalent)

Job description

Go back Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Senior Healthcare Worker

The closing date is 12 October 2025

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Are you a dedicated, compassionate Senior Healthcare Worker committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?

We're creating Kent and Medway's first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking talented Healthcare Workers to help us deliver this vital service. We have 20 roles available, these can be full time or part time (3 days per week/22.5 hrs per week minimum for part time roles).

The Senior Healthcare Worker is a key member of the multidisciplinary care team and will have continuing responsibility to deliver an effective and competent level of care under the guidance and supervision of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) as determined by the patient's care plan and be fully aware of the needs of patients over a 24-hour span of care.

The start date for these post will be February 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.

All posts benefit from a High Cost Area allowance.

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

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area Supplement: 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1303 per year and a maximum payment of £2198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly). The salary listed is inclusive of the High-Cost Area Allowance.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for full details and the main responsibilities of the role.

What is High Cost Area Allowance?

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 £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly).

Person Specification

Experience and Qualifications

• Health or Social Care Qualification (level 3 or equivalent)
• A varied and considerable experience of working within Mental Health/Learning Disabilities setting
• Experience of working on a Female acute ward/PICU or forensic environment

Knowledge & Skills

• Good level of English Language - Written and Spoken
• Computer literate with basic understanding of Information Technology (IT)
• To have a good understanding of mental health conditions appropriate to the setting

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

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

£26,240 to £27,928 a year per annum pro rata (inclusive of High Cost area allowance)