Care jobs in United Kingdom

Job summary

Are you looking to develop a career in mental health? We are looking to recruit compassionate, resilient and enthusiastic Healthcare Support Workers on our later life functional ward. Amblescroft North is a 20 bedded mixed gender in-patient unit that cares for individuals experiencing mental illness of a functional nature, over the age of 65 years; these illnesses range from psychosis to mood disorders to depression.

This is an active, enjoyable and rewarding role, applying person centred assessment for people experiencing changes in needs due to their illness. Working alongside colleagues from Medicine, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Social Care, you will be developing a culture that puts the person's needs at the forefront of their care.

You will be learning on the job continually building new skills. There will also be developmental and learning opportunities that are accessible, which includes a comprehensive statutory and mandatory training programme. You will also receive training to complete the NHS Care Certificate and a Level 3 Healthcare apprenticeship.

The ward operates on a 24/7 shift basis and you will be required to work shifts including evenings, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays. You will qualify for unsocial enhancements in addition to your basic pay.

Main duties of the job

As a healthcare support worker the majority of your time will be spent engaging and getting know the service users on the ward. You will become able to recognise signs and symptoms of mental health illness and be a key member of the multi professional team which include Nurses, Doctors, Occupational Therapists. You will be able to support in collaborative care planning and implementation.

Although we are a mental health unit we give as much emphasis on physical health care and monitoring. The healthcare support worker role is fundamental in ensuring that daily well being needs and care needs are met.

Successful applicants will also be required to undertake and complete a Reducing Restrictive Intervention course. This enables staff to begin building the skills to support service users in peaks of distress whilst maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment for all.

We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care. We are committed to supporting employees and staff wellbeing and development is important to the team at Beechlydene.

You will be learning on the job and continually building new skills. There will also be developmental and learning opportunity that are accessible, which include a comprehensive statutory and mandatory training programme and a comprehensive induction programme. You will also receive training to complete the NHS Care Certificate and a Level 3 Healthcare apprenticeship.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Details Date posted

31 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

342-WTS150-0725

Job locations

Fountain Way

Wilton Road

Salisbury

SP2 7FD

Job description Job responsibilities

• To deliver high quality care and recovery interventions forservice users within designated clinical areas, in collaborationwith, and under the indirect supervision of, registered carestaff. These may include:
  • Supporting individuals with fluids and nutrition, physicalwellbeing and personal care
  • Assisting service users with financial or accommodation issues
  • Escorting or accompanying service users for planned periods ofleave on hospital grounds and in the community to facilitate social inclusion
• Encouraging service users to talk about their experiences inone-to-one or group discussions.
• To help maintain a clean, well-organised, safe and therapeuticenvironment that meets the needs of service users, carers andcolleagues and to support registered care staff to performstandardised environmental assessments to monitor andimprove the care setting.
• To deliver psychosocially-informed one to one and groupinterventions and activities aiming to positively impact service userscognitive and emotional wellbeing.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• To assume lead orlink roles on core practice initiatives and priorities (e.g. Essenceof Care, Safewards and Carer Engagement) under thesupervision of registered staff.
• To integrate areas of personalinterest with clinical practice to enhance the diversity of theteams provision of care.
• To practise planned care and to directly participate in thedevelopment of recovery-focused interventions that addressservice users and carers needs and preferences.
• To proactivelyreview, record and assess the on-going impacts of suchinterventions.
• To participate in the on-going care planning, CPA and riskassessment processes in collaboration with service users, theircarers, and other members of the care team and to contributeto all aspects of clinical record keeping.
• To maintain a basic working understanding of both the MentalHealth Act (1983) and Mental Capacity Act (2005) and anyother relevant legislation, as required by mandatory andstatutory training (MaST).
• To adhere to AWPs Code of Conduct for unregisteredpractitioners; promoting and embedding it through the deliveryof peer support and supervision to junior, temporary and newlyappointed Health Care Support Workers.
• To observe and record interactions with service users andcarers both verbally and in writing via clinical records and staffhandovers.
• To deliver a wide range of fundamental care interventionsusing evidence based clinical tools.
• To monitor and improvephysical health and personal wellbeing and to model a highstandard of dignity, respect and candour.
• To engage in reflective practice to maintain and promoteongoing clinical practice.
• To promote and enhance a positive learning culture, beingproactive in the induction, orientation and support of junior,temporary and newly appointed Health Care Support Workers,seeking to embed core care values into practice.

Job description Job responsibilities

• To deliver high quality care and recovery interventions forservice users within designated clinical areas, in collaborationwith, and under the indirect supervision of, registered carestaff. These may include:
  • Supporting individuals with fluids and nutrition, physicalwellbeing and personal care
  • Assisting service users with financial or accommodation issues
  • Escorting or accompanying service users for planned periods ofleave on hospital grounds and in the community to facilitate social inclusion
• Encouraging service users to talk about their experiences inone-to-one or group discussions.
• To help maintain a clean, well-organised, safe and therapeuticenvironment that meets the needs of service users, carers andcolleagues and to support registered care staff to performstandardised environmental assessments to monitor andimprove the care setting.
• To deliver psychosocially-informed one to one and groupinterventions and activities aiming to positively impact service userscognitive and emotional wellbeing.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• To assume lead orlink roles on core practice initiatives and priorities (e.g. Essenceof Care, Safewards and Carer Engagement) under thesupervision of registered staff.
• To integrate areas of personalinterest with clinical practice to enhance the diversity of theteams provision of care.
• To practise planned care and to directly participate in thedevelopment of recovery-focused interventions that addressservice users and carers needs and preferences.
• To proactivelyreview, record and assess the on-going impacts of suchinterventions.
• To participate in the on-going care planning, CPA and riskassessment processes in collaboration with service users, theircarers, and other members of the care team and to contributeto all aspects of clinical record keeping.
• To maintain a basic working understanding of both the MentalHealth Act (1983) and Mental Capacity Act (2005) and anyother relevant legislation, as required by mandatory andstatutory training (MaST).
• To adhere to AWPs Code of Conduct for unregisteredpractitioners; promoting and embedding it through the deliveryof peer support and supervision to junior, temporary and newlyappointed Health Care Support Workers.
• To observe and record interactions with service users andcarers both verbally and in writing via clinical records and staffhandovers.
• To deliver a wide range of fundamental care interventionsusing evidence based clinical tools.
• To monitor and improvephysical health and personal wellbeing and to model a highstandard of dignity, respect and candour.
• To engage in reflective practice to maintain and promoteongoing clinical practice.
• To promote and enhance a positive learning culture, beingproactive in the induction, orientation and support of junior,temporary and newly appointed Health Care Support Workers,seeking to embed core care values into practice.

Person Specification Experience and skills Essential

• An understanding of how mental health issues can affect the lives of individuals, their families and their community, and experience of using a range of evidence-based approaches to reduce the impact of such issues.
• Experience of working in a busy team, and an ability to use initiative at times of pressure.
• Experience working with later life service users with comorbidities

Qualifications Essential

• Possession of, or the ability and willingness to work towards, an appropriate Level 3 vocational qualification (e.g. Level 3 Diploma in Mental Health or Health and Social Care)

Skills Essential

• Ability to work with a degree of autonomy, whilst also taking direction from senior colleagues.
• Ability to communicate in written and verbal English to a high standard, and basic numeracy skills.

Person Specification Experience and skills Essential

• An understanding of how mental health issues can affect the lives of individuals, their families and their community, and experience of using a range of evidence-based approaches to reduce the impact of such issues.
• Experience of working in a busy team, and an ability to use initiative at times of pressure.
• Experience working with later life service users with comorbidities

Qualifications Essential

• Possession of, or the ability and willingness to work towards, an appropriate Level 3 vocational qualification (e.g. Level 3 Diploma in Mental Health or Health and Social Care)

Skills Essential

• Ability to work with a degree of autonomy, whilst also taking direction from senior colleagues.
• Ability to communicate in written and verbal English to a high standard, and basic numeracy skills.

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 details Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fountain Way

Wilton Road

Salisbury

SP2 7FD

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Fountain Way

Wilton Road

Salisbury

SP2 7FD

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)