Mental Health Support Worker

Job summary

Working with CYP emotional needs across all elements of the iTHRIVE model. This diverse and exciting role delivers a range of interventions to CYP (children and young people) at various stages of their emotional recovery and safety needs. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary community team you will work on a rotational basis across the community day & educational provisions as well as the urgent need Haven evening (inc. weekends) service.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will provide urgent and day-to-day emotional support to children and young people (CYP) across both the Haven evening service and Hubs day services, supporting mental health needs within the Getting Advice / Getting Help elements of the iTHRIVE model. In the Haven service, you will provide immediate, person-centred support following referrals from urgent or emergency partners such as Police, Ambulance, ED, and CAMHS, conducting rapid safety assessments, implementing mood regulation techniques, de-escalating challenging behaviours, addressing safeguarding concerns, and coordinating safe transitions home or to emergency accommodation. You will develop and implement follow-up care plans, liaise with families and referral partners, and maintain accurate records, while participating in ongoing training and professional development. In the Hubs, you will deliver evidence-based emotional wellbeing support in individual and group settings across schools, community centres, and therapeutic spaces, develop individualised care plans, work with families to provide guidance and resources, advocate for CYP mental health in the community, respond to safeguarding concerns, and engage with local communities to raise awareness of mental health services. The role also includes maintaining records, participating in supervision and peer support, and supporting service development to ensure high-quality, child-centred care.

About us

ABL is an exciting fast-paced, growing community health organisation. As an experienced, CQC registered, provider of community health services, we are passionate about delivering evidence based, innovative, effective and relevant health care services in partnership with individuals, communities and stakeholders.

We are a values driven organisation, dedicated to reducing health inequalities and improving peoples lives. We would love to hear from you if you would like the opportunity to work with in a close team of committed professionals and you share our values of designing and delivering health services.

Details

• Date posted: 10 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £26,500 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: E0343-26-0019653w
• Job locations: 6 Darby Close,, Nexus Business Centre, Cheney Manor, Swindon, England, United Kingdom, Nottinghamshire, SN2 2PN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

The successful candidate will play a critical role in supporting the mental and emotional well-being of CYP within our community. This position involves providing direct urgent mental health services, collaborating with families, emergency services, CAMHS, schools, and community organisations, and contributing to a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for young people.

The ideal candidate will have experience in providing direct mental health support, a strong understanding of the challenges faced by young people. The risks presented on engagement with emergency and urgent services and effective responses to behaviours that challenge and de-escalation techniques, and a commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care.

Main Duties and responsibilities:

Haven (Evening service) In this part of the role you will be responsible for providing direct urgent emotional support for CYP presenting safety needs and behaviours that challenge. After initial contact with one of our identified urgent / emergency service referral partners, the Haven service provides immediate emotional support.

This service supports CYP through person centred support addressing individual immediate care needs within the Getting Advice / Getting Help elements of the iTHRIVE model.

Independently conduct rapid assessment of referred CYP against service inclusion / exclusion criteria in liaison with Police, Ambulance, ED and CAMHS, collaborate with these services to agree and coordinate ongoing safety on acceptance to service.

Implement immediate mood regulation techniques and emotional support for CYP experiencing mental health distress.

Conduct safety assessments and agree necessary collaborative approaches to support with referral partners to identify the of mental health need, mitigate identified risks and develop appropriate, effective and individualised support plans.

Deescalate and compassionately manage presenting CYPs potential behaviours that challenge.

Report any identified safeguarding concerns of CYP and coordinate necessary actions to mitigate any immediate risks to self / others.

Liaise with Caregivers and referral partners to ensure ongoing safety of CYP post support and coordinate a safe return to home residence or work with partners to identify safe emergency accommodation.

Develop and implement follow-up care plans, including referrals to appropriate mental health services (internal Be U Swindon & external service offers).

Offer guidance and support to families and caregivers, helping them understand and effectively respond to the mental health needs of their children.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date records, ensuring all support sessions and plans are thoroughly documented.

Participate in ongoing training and professional development opportunities to stay current with best practices in mental health care.

Hubs (Day services) This part of the role delivers emotional support to CYP in community settings inc. education settings, community centres and Be U therapeutic spaces.

This service supports CYP presenting with care needs within Getting Advice / Getting Help elements of the iTHRIVE model.

Develop individualised care plans based on assessments, considering the unique needs and circumstances of each child.

Provide evidence-based social and emotional wellbeing support, including individual and group emotional support to CYP.

Engage with children in various settings, including schools and community centres.

Work closely with families as appropriate to offer guidance and support in managing their child's mental health challenges.

Advocate for the mental health needs of children and adolescents within the community, promoting awareness and reducing stigma.

Respond to identified safeguarding concerns and provide support to children and families in need.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of assessments, support plans, progress notes, and other relevant documentation.

Stay current with developments in child and adolescent mental health, attending training sessions, workshops, and conferences as needed.

Participate in regular supervision and peer support meetings to ensure best practices and continuous professional growth.

Engage with local communities to raise awareness about mental health issues and available support services for children and young people.

Any other duties appropriate to role to support the development of the service offer and quality of care received by CYP.

This job profile is intended as a general guide to the responsibilities attached to the post and may be altered from time to time, following consultation with the post holder to reflect changing needs of the service &/or ABLs priorities

Skills & Competencies required:

Strong emotional support, de-escalation and risk assessment skills.

Understanding of emergency and urgent services and effective collaboration to mitigate identified risks.

Resilience to highly demanding care environments.

Compassionate when responding to significant behaviours that challenge.

Excellent understanding of CYP MH challenges.

Proficiency in maintaining detailed and accurate documentation.

Familiarity with local mental health resources and services.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport with children, families, and professionals.

Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Cultural competency and sensitivity to the diverse needs of the community.

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role