Band 3 Health Care Support Worker - Bristol

Job overview

Are you looking to develop a career in mental health? We are looking to recruit compassionate, resilient and enthusiastic Healthcare Support Workers within our 12‑bedded male acute ward.

This is an exciting opportunity for you to develop a rewarding career where you can make a real difference in helping to change the lives of our service user group for the better.

This can be a challenging yet rewarding environment where, as a team, we strive to help our service users overcome a variety of complex needs.

We are looking for professional and enthusiastic support workers to come and work with our wonderful team of qualified nurses, HCAs, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Exercise Specialists, an Activities Coordinator and Doctors.

This role is within a secure inpatient ward that operates on a 24/7 shift basis. Staff will qualify for unsocial hours enhancements in addition to their basic pay.

Successful applicants will also be required to undertake and complete a Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression course. This enables staff to begin building the skills to de‑escalate service users during peaks of distress while maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment for all.

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.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of a care team to deliver evidence-based interventions to service users with mental health problems.

To develop and practice, working alongside registered clinicians, a set of therapeutic care skills, making a significant contribution to service users’ psychological, emotional and social wellbeing.

To ensure service users and their relatives receive care that prioritises safety, effectiveness,  partnership and hope.

To promote and champion core care values by supporting junior, temporary and newly-appointed Healthcare Support Workers.

You will be expected to carry out observations, engage with service users, encourage tasks of daily living, promote recovery whilst demonstrating excellent communication.

You will be able to learn and understand how to care for service users that are in mental health crisis by promoting choice and independence in the least restrictive way possible.

For a full list of duties and responsibilities please see attached job description.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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.

Undertaking other appropriately delegated clinical tasks, once deemed competent, including monitoring blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, blood sugar, urinalysis, wound care and venepuncture.

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 providing and receiving routine information whilst overcoming barriers to understanding.

For a full list of duties and responsibilities please see attached job description.