Wellow Ward is a fast paced 8 bedded male ward for Acute Service Users, supporting males who are early in their rehabilitation journey as well as those progressing towards a move into the community. Wellow Ward sits within Fromeside Medium Secure Unit, based at Blackberry Hill Hospital. We provide specialist care and treatment for individuals with complex mental health needs who may present significant risks to themselves or others. We are looking for resilient, compassionate and professional Mental Health Care Support Workers to join our multidisciplinary team.
As a Band 3 Mental Health Care Support Worker, you will play a vital role in supporting service users throughout their recovery journey while helping to maintain a safe, secure and therapeutic ward environment. This is a challenging but highly rewarding role that requires confidence, emotional resilience and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
Whilst the substantive post is based on Wellow Ward , Blackberry Hill Hospital operates as a campus site with a number of inpatient services. Staff are therefore expected to demonstrate flexibility and may be required to work in other clinical areas to meet service needs and support safe patient care.
Right to Work in the UK: This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application, as the organisation is unable to support sponsorship for this post.
Working closely with nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, you will support service users with their day-to-day needs, therapeutic activities and recovery goals. This includes supporting individuals with personal care where required, promoting independence, dignity and wellbeing. You will also be expected to facilitate and participate in escorted leave both within the hospital grounds and in the community, supporting service users to access therapeutic, social and recovery-focused opportunities whilst maintaining safety and adhering to risk management plans.
You will be expected to develop positive therapeutic relationships whilst maintaining clear professional boundaries at all times. The ability to remain professional, consistent and resilient, even when faced with hostility, manipulation or intimidation, is essential.
The successful candidate will be comfortable working in situations where individuals may display behaviours that challenge, including aggression, violence, intimidation or acute distress. You must be able to assess situations calmly, follow care plans and risk management strategies, and participate in the safe management of violence and aggression, including the use of approved physical intervention techniques when necessary and as trained.
We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
We aim to provide High Quality, Compassionate Care everywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.
Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200miles, to more than 1.8million people.
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.
In collaboration with, and under the indirect supervision of registered clinicians, implement high quality, evidence- based interventions for service users within designated clinical areas. These will include:
Providing hands-on care to service users including undertaking Enhanced therapeutic observations and Care (ETOC) with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental way, escalating any concerns to a Registered Nurse
Supporting individuals with fluids and nutrition, physical wellbeing, and personal care.
Undertake other appropriately delegated clinical tasks once deemed competent including monitor blood pressure temperature pulse respiratory rate blood sugar, urinalyses, wound care and venipuncture
Assisting service users with social support including financial or accommodation issues.
Escorting or accompanying service users for planned periods of leave on hospital grounds and in the community facilitating social inclusion.
Supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles
Encouraging service users to talk about their experiences in one-to-one or group discussions and provide and receive routine information whilst overcoming barriers to understanding.
To help maintain a clean, well-organised, safe and therapeutic environment that meets the needs of service users, carers and colleagues, and to support registered care staff to perform standardised environmental assessments to monitor and improve the care setting.
To deliver psychosocially informed one to one and group interventions aiming to positively impact service users’ cognitive and emotional wellbeing.
You will be supported to be trauma responsive, developing practices that avoid causing further harm, promote engagement and create a safe context for healing and recover
To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
To practise planned care, and to directly participate in the development of recovery-focused interventions that address service users’ and carers’ needs and preferences.
To proactively review, record and assess the on-going impacts of such interventions.
To participate in the on-going care planning, safety assessments and contribute to the creation of personal wellbeing plans in collaboration with service users, their carers, and other members of the care team
To observe and record interactions with service users and carers both verbally and in writing via clinical records and staff handovers.
To deliver a wide range of fundamental care interventions using evidence based clinical tools, to monitor and improve physical health and personal wellbeing and to model a high standard of dignity, respect and candour.
To undertake a range of delegated clinical care duties relevant to service user need and care area.
Key Attributes We Are Looking For
Confidence in managing challenging and potentially high-risk situations.
Ability to remain calm, professional and effective during incidents of aggression or violence.
Willingness and ability to participate in physical interventions, following training and organisational policies.
Confidence in supporting service users on escorted leave and within community settings.
Ability to provide personal care with compassion, dignity and respect.
Strong personal resilience and emotional intelligence.
Ability to maintain professional boundaries, even when under pressure or facing intimidation.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
A compassionate, person-centred and recovery-focused approach to care.
Commitment to promoting dignity, respect and recovery for all service users.
Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and follow clinical direction.
Flexibility to work across different wards and clinical areas on the Blackberry Hill Hospital site as required.
This role is ideal for individuals who are looking to develop a career in mental health services and who possess the confidence, professionalism and resilience required to work within a secure inpatient environment. Every day presents new challenges, but you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
Please note: This role involves regular exposure to challenging behaviours, including verbal abuse, threats, self-harm and physical aggression. It also involves providing personal care, supervising escorted leave and participating in approved physical interventions in accordance with individual risk assessments and Trust policies. Successful applicants must be able to work safely and effectively in these environments whilst maintaining a therapeutic, recovery-focused and professionally boundaried approach to care.
Please see Job Description for full details
