Mental Health Support Worker | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Staff are engaged with the delivery, innovation and continuous improvement of services to benefit service users.

To carry out assigned duties, involving direct care and observation of service users under the guidance and indirect supervision of qualified staff.

To report to the qualified staff any observations made whilst providing care to service users / productivity and leisure, providing details of mental state and risk factors.

To work with service users on an individual and group basis as outlined in the care plan and as directed by the appropriate named lead professional.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Clinical:

To contribute to the assessment and delivery of a planned programme of care under the guidelines of ECC and with guidance and indirect supervision from the qualified practitioner.

To support individuals so that they are able to recognise, cope and self-manage with crisis situations and to help them develop independence where possible.

To report general observations and provide feedback to the qualified practitioner both verbally and in written formats, if required. This should include any concerns arising from the service-users physical or mental health.

To contribute to the effective running of the service by providing and receiving information to/from other departments e.g. Inpatient Wards, Estates Department. Ensure this information is provided in the most effective way i.e. telephone, fax or in writing.

To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by service-users due to their mental health needs.

To contribute to maintaining a safe environment for service users in the community.

To carry out specific duties that contribute to the assessment of service-users as requested by a qualified practitioner.

To develop and maintain links with other agencies and services, both statutory and voluntary.

To use skills and techniques, gained during mandatory training, to de-escalate situation where service-users become physically or verbally aggressive.

To contribute to the development of risk management plans for service users by reporting, to the qualified practitioner, any incidents of risk to the service user or risk to others as a result of the behaviour or actions of service users.

Professional:

To participate in the Directorates performance management/supervision framework and work towards meeting identified goals and objectives as agreed in a PACE.

To act, at all times, in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

To undertake mandatory training as stipulated by the Trust and ensure that all interactions with service users are in line with this e.g. Manual Handling.

Under the guidance and supervision of a qualified practitioner, to make accurate and appropriate entries into health records.

To participate in staff meetings to assist effective two-way communication.

To seek advice and further training, if appropriate, before carrying out any duty you are unsure of.

To make the qualified practitioner aware of any incidents arising during your span of duty and carry out any actions arising from this as directed.

Take direction from the qualified practitioner as to any duties or tasks assigned to you for your span of duty and carry them out as requested.

To participate, as directed in the induction of new staff.

Organisational:

To adhere to the Trusts rights based approach taking into account service user choice.

To take responsibility for ensuring your own personal safety and that of the service user when using equipment.

To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and any others that may be affected by your acts and omissions at work.

To ensure that you are familiar with the terms and conditions of your post.

To participate in service development activities as required.

Other:

To maintain the dignity of service users at all times whilst dealing with aspects of personal care.

To seek appropriate advice and support from the qualified practitioner during occasions when service users or their carers become agitated or distressed.

To maintain service user confidentiality at all times both on and off duty.

To maintain appropriate professional boundaries with service users at all times both on and off duty.

To ensure that work is conducted in accordance with the Trusts Equality and Diversity Strategy.

In exceptional circumstances to co-operate with reasonable requests from more senior staff to vary your area of work to meet unplanned clinical need.

Warrington and Halton Core 24 forms part of the 24/7 Urgent Care Model and urgent care pathway within Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. The 24/7 model provides mental health assessment, intensive community interventions, advice, support and guidance twenty four hours, seven days a week across several access points for individuals presenting in crisis.

These services are Southport District General Hospital, Aintree Hospital, The Royal at Liverpool plus Whiston Hospital & Warrington Hospital.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust as a leading provider of mental health care, addiction services and learning disability care.

Service users receive a high quality service and one which is free from stigma, discrimination and harm.