Senior Healthcare Worker | Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; Dartford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Kent is seeking a compassionate Senior Healthcare Worker to join their new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for women. You will deliver patient-centered care, support independence, and engage in continuous professional development. This role offers opportunities for impactful work and includes a High Cost Area allowance. The position allows for both full-time and part-time options.

Benefits

High Cost Area allowance

Ongoing professional development

Qualifications

• Dedicated and compassionate approach to care.
• Ability to deliver care under supervision.
• Understanding of severe mental health conditions.
• Preparedness to handle emotionally challenging situations.

Responsibilities

• Delivering patient-focused service for optimum independence.
• Providing routine information to colleagues and patients.
• Offering support and advice to patients and their carers.
• Enabling patients to maintain and improve independence.
• Giving physical health checks and documenting findings.
• Participating in training and supervision.

Job description

Overview

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 are 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Context and Considerations

Working in a PICU is rewarding but can be demanding. It is likely to involve care for people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, 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. Your 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 ensure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. You can make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

Professional Development

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

Location, Salary and Benefits

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area allowance: 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.

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) (2025 figures).

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

This advert closes on Sunday 12 Oct 2025