Support Worker - Mental Health Urgent Care Department

Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Basildon; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health service provider in Basildon is seeking a Mental Health Care Assistant to support the Urgent Care Department. The role involves assisting clinicians with mental health crises, providing patient care, and engaging with patients in a calm environment. Candidates should demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and a flexible approach. This position offers extensive benefits and opportunities for professional development, including a structured induction program.

Benefits

27 days holiday plus bank holidays

Excellent pension scheme

Staff discounts and benefits

Relocation package

Interest-free season ticket loans

Qualifications

• Experience in a mental health setting is beneficial.
• Must be comfortable in high-pressure situations.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Support clinicians in the assessment and care planning for mental health crises.
• Assist in the delivery of high-quality patient care.
• Engage with patients, relatives, and other staff effectively.

Skills

Support Mental Health Clinicians

Interpersonal Skills

Flexibility

Approachable Attitude

Education

Relevant qualification in health or social care

Job description

A Vacancy at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Hours – 7 days a week service delivery based on a rostered shift pattern, this is a 24 hours a day.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to join the Mental Health Urgent Care Department at Basildon. This service will offer anyone in Essex, who is over the age of 18 in a mental health crisis, an urgent biopsychosocial assessment and immediate care planning.

The department will offer a calm and therapeutic mental health setting to see the majority of urgent/emergency mental health presentations and represent an improvement on the service previously offered in busy emergency departments.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all of our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately your application form be rejected from the process.

Please note this vacancy requires a face to face interview with the Recruiting Manager. Applicants that are unable to attend a face to face interview need not apply.

The post holder will support the work of clinicians working in the department. In the context of a mental health crisis, mental health services commonly see people when they are experiencing or have experienced any of the following:

• Self-harm leading to medical or surgical treatment
• Suicidal ideation
• The consequences of alcohol & drug use, including when co‑occurring with a mental health problem
• Dementia or delirium
• A severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression, or a personality disorder
• Social vulnerability that may have a mental health problem or trauma as a component or root cause, for example, homelessness or domestic abuse

We believe our workforce are our strongest asset & we make it a priority to ensure we develop & create strong career pathways for our current & new staff joining us.

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest‑free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Work bank: You can use the opportunity to supplement your income and develop your skills by working bank shifts.
• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

The post holder will be working within the Urgent Care Department providing support and assistance to professionally qualified staff whilst delivering high quality care and support to patients signposted to this service.

Patients, relatives, carers and all staff will find the post holder flexible, approachable, and helpful and co‑operative, upholding the ethos of EPUT of good customer care at all times with an awareness of own attitude at all times.

The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service delivery based on a rostered shift pattern. The Urgent Care Department is delivered by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust located within the Basildon Hospital site.

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations from across our area. Our aim is to work together in partnership to join up health and care services, improving our population’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. One such example of this collaborative work is the launch of our HCA Academy, an IC initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) to support the incoming Health Care assistant (HCA) workforce. The academy models a ‘one workforce’ cross system approach to the onboarding, induction, education and experience of Healthcare Assistants. To support this ‘one workforce model’ the successful candidate for this post will be required to attend our 5 day (Monday to Friday) face to face Induction Programme at our MSEICS Education Hub at Brentwood Community Hospital. Your start date will therefore fall on one of two of the HCA Academy induction dates across the month, which will be discussed and agreed during the recruitment process. Our HCA Academy Induction programme has been designed to train and support the successful candidate through the early stages of their employment at EPUT and will provide opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge and experience. Further information will be provided post interview. This will be followed by an additional 5 day (Monday to Friday) EPUT corporate / mandatory training welcome. (EPUT Welcome will be varied between face to face and virtual delivery).

This advert closes on Wednesday 19 Nov 2025