Healthcare Support Worker

Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and flexible Healthcare Support Worker to join our established team of nursing staff based at West Kent Place of Safety

The role involves providing care and support to inpatients currently experiencing acute mental health difficulties requiring an inpatient admission

Commitment to meeting the needs of people with mental health problems and valuing their rights is a pre-requisite.

You will be required to adopt a flexible working pattern and be committed to self-development and training.
Please note that we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for Band 3 Healthcare Assistant/Support Worker roles as they do not meet the UK Visas and Immigration criteria

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.
• Enabling patients to maintain and improve their independence by promoting involvement in therapeutic activity.
• Giving physical health care and physical health checks as required or instructed documenting the physical health checks on the early warning scoring system (NEWS2), chart and reporting changes to the nurse/healthcare professional in charge.
• Undertaking day to day tasks as allocated by Nurse/healthcare professional in Charge

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Take a look at our Healthcare Assistant Video

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

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant experience

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in acute Mental Health settings

Skill set

Essential criteria

• Relevant skills

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.