Mental Health Support Worker

St Ann’s Hospital is an acute mental health inpatient unit located in Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset.

We are looking to recruit Mental Health Support Workers forHarbour Ward.A 16 bedded male treatment ward, providing treatment and care for a wide range of mental health illnesses which include Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. The age of the patients ranges from 18 to 64.

The multi-disciplinary team on Harbour Ward are friendly, supportive and have wide ranging skills to;

• Treat informal patients and those detained under the Mental Health Act using positive engagement, talking therapies (CBT/DBT) and medicines
• Place the patient front and centre in their recovery journey
• Engage creatively with patients to co-produce their individual care plans
• Prioritise both mental and physical health wellness
• Help patients get active, eat well and take care of their own wellbeing
• Promote freedom of choice and least restrictive practice, in a safe and therapeutic environment

Your role will be pivotal to support the trained nursing staff in providing direct care and assistance to patients with:

• Support with personal care and hygiene
• Timed Observations
• Mealtimes
• Escorted walks and journeys
• Ward Tidiness
• Therapeutic Engagement with organised ward activities

You will need to have an NVQ 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent and be able to meet the NHS values of ensuring respect and dignity, be committed to providing a high quality of care, behave with compassion and kindness, helping to improve peoples’ lives, work as a team to meet patients’ needs and make sure that everyone counts.

If you have the ability to interact well with people, are enthusiastic, willing to listen to what they have to say and are interested in learning and applying new skills then we would like to hear from you.

You will be required to undertake a Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression course and it is a condition of your employment that you successfully complete all aspects of this course; if this is not achieved you will not be able to commence working in the post.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.