Older Persons Community Support Worker

Job overview

Community Mental Health Team for Older People (CMHTOP), Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

As a Support Worker, you will be a valued member of the Community Mental Health Team for Older People, supporting older adults with a range of mental health conditions, including dementia, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and other functional or organic mental health illnesses.

You will work alongside nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and support staff to provide recovery-focused, person-centred care within the community. The role involves supporting individuals to maintain independence, improve wellbeing, and achieve their personal recovery goals while living in their own homes or residential settings.

Skills and Qualities Required

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Compassionate and person-centred approach to care.
• Ability to build positive therapeutic relationships.
• Good organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Understanding of confidentiality, safeguarding, and professional boundaries.
• Commitment to supporting older adults experiencing mental illness.

Main duties of the job

• Support older adults with functional and organic mental health conditions within the community.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.
• Assist clinicians in implementing care plans and recovery-focused interventions.
• Visit service users in their own homes, community settings, and inpatient units.
• Monitor mental health and wellbeing, reporting any concerns or changes to the clinical team.
• Develop therapeutic relationships with service users, carers, and families.
• Promote independence, social inclusion, and recovery.
• Liaise with GPs, community services, voluntary organisations, social care, and other agencies to provide holistic support.
• Contribute to effective multidisciplinary working and care coordination.
• Maintain accurate and timely records in line with Trust policies.
• Participate in risk assessment, safeguarding, and risk management processes.
• Work independently in the community while seeking support and guidance from the wider team when required.
• Work flexibly across the Wimborne, Purbeck, and, when necessary, Ferndown and West Moors localities.
• Attend supervision, training, and development opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.