Youth Support Worker - CAMHS Community Crisis Care

Job overview

We are excited to offer an opportunity for a motivated Band 4 Youth Support Worker to join our innovative Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Community Crisis Care Service. In this vital role, you will provide practical and emotional support to young people experiencing acute mental health crises, helping them navigate challenges and build resilience. Our service runs 365 days of the year 8am-8pm.

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people and their families. You will be part of a forward-thinking, compassionate, and ever-expanding team dedicated to improving outcomes for young people through person-centered care and tailored interventions.

As a valued member of our team, you will play a crucial role in supporting young people in crisis, helping them develop coping strategies, regain independence, and work towards recovery. You will also collaborate with other professionals to ensure holistic, needs-led support.

As part of our CAMHS Crisis Care service, you’ll gain invaluable experience, enhance your skills, and contribute to the development of innovative approaches to youth mental health care.

Main duties of the job

• Provide emotional and practical support to young people experiencing crisis, ensuring they feel safe, heard, and empowered during distressing times.
• Assist in assessments under professional guidance, identifying the young person’s strengths, challenges, and support needs to inform tailored interventions.
• Facilitate therapeutic activities across home, community, and clinical settings, promoting engagement in self-care, education, social interactions, and meaningful activities that support recovery.
• Offer hands-on support to young people and families, helping them navigate daily challenges, reduce isolation, and prevent crisis escalation.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including nurses, social workers, assistant psychologists, and other professionals, ensuring a joined-up, holistic approach to care.
• Maintain accurate records, monitor progress, and provide feedback to inform ongoing care planning and intervention strategies.
• Support young people through transitions and discharge planning, assisting their reintegration into school, home, and community life post-crisis.
• As part of the CAMHS Crisis Care service, provide intensive short-term support, focusing on recovery-oriented care plans that promote resilience and reduce the likelihood of future crises.

This role involves direct engagement in emergency, community, and home settings, ensuring flexible, responsive support tailored to each young person’s needs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Documents to download’ heading.

Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’

To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place. This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are, what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.

To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Documents to download’ heading and once opened, you can either scan QR code or click on the link provided.

Closing vacancy listings early

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Diversity Matters MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU, for our patients, our communities, and each other. As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application, especially personal statements and responses to role specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

As part of our commitment to safeguarding patients and staff, many roles at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a standard process across the NHS and helps us ensure a safe environment for everyone.

What is a DBS Check?

A DBS check is a background check that reveals any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings. The level of check required depends on the role:

Standard DBS: Checks for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings.

Enhanced DBS: Includes the above, plus any additional information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.

Enhanced with Barred Lists: Includes all of the above, plus checks against the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists.

Who Needs a DBS Check

Most roles involving direct patient contact, working with children or vulnerable adults, or access to sensitive information will require a DBS check. The job advert and recruitment team will let you know if this applies to your role.

The Costs for a DBS

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), roles that require a DBS check are subject to a cost recovery policy. This means that the cost of submitting and processing a DBS application if you are successful and join us, will be deducted from your salary within the first three months of employment. If, however, you withdraw from a conditional offer after the DBS process has begun, you will still be liable for the cost incurred.

For more information about the cost of the various types of DBS, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dbs-fees-are-changing-in-december

DBS Update Service

Candidates are also expected to register with the DBS Update Service which must be completed within 30 days of the certificate being issued. This helps streamline future employment checks and supports safer recruitment practices. For more information, please visit the DBS Update Service.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.