Healthcare Assistant (Avalon) | South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
| Posting date: | 21 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £30,546 - £32,207 per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 20 August 2025 |
| Location: | Tooting, SW17 7DJ |
| Company: | South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7352197/294-CAMHS-7352197-FZ |
Summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and talented HCA individuals to join an established and supportive team. We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic healthcare assistant to work within a stimulating and rewarding inpatient setting.
You will have the opportunity to make networks with community teams and other external agencies. You will gain experience of working with individuals facing a wide range of mental health issues who require short term intensive work and the support of specialist mental health services. The emphasis is on prioritising individuals within the care pathway; assessing individual needs; providing a range of individual and group interventions and working with the team to prioritise discharge.
Working under the guidance of a Registered Nurse/ AP/NA/B4 to implement the delivery of quality nursing care
Supporting patients in their recovery by supervising mealtimes and offering support with any emotions that arise.
Serving and preparing meals in accordance with patients meal plans.
1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental way.
Escalating any concerns to a Registered Nurse, including safeguarding concerns.
Monitoring and recording service user clinical observations, such as Physical observations and vital signs and escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration or that do not fulfil the personal parameters to the relevant professional. (Band 4 or Registered Nurse).
Escorting patients on leave or to external appointments.
Keeping accurate clinical documentation records.
Demonstrating an understanding of the fundamentals of mental health care.
Contribute to effective communication between patients and team members.
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
The successful candidate will:
• Work under guidance of the Registered Nurse/AP/NA to implement the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities
• Lead on undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamental standards of care are met, including nutrition, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support.
• Undertake 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, non-judgmental and open way.
• Maintain service user dignity and respect at all times and ensure tat care provided respects equality and diversity.
• Escalate any concerns to the Registered Nurse.
• Monitor and record clinical observations, i.e. physical observations and vital signs and escalate any concerns appropriately.
• Implement the principles of recovery through engaging and supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles and facilitate psychosocial activities.
• Escort service users in line with Trust policies.
• Facilitate the admission and discharge of service users, including activities such as property checks and orientation to services.
• Advocate for service users’ rights and needs within Trust policy.
• Demonstrate an understanding of mental health signs and symptoms and an understanding of how these may present in practice, including recognition of impact of patient presentation and behaviour including risk factors.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the MHA, MCA and DOLS and other legislation applicable to the practice area and how they are implemented in practice.
• Contributing to an effective communication process with appropriate and accurate information to patients, carers, family, friends and colleagues. Engaging and listening carefully and actively, and responding using appropriate language and accessible communication methods and skills.
• Demonstrating effective clinical communication and documentation: effective verbal and written handover of relevant and objective information, ability to determine key information, ability to recognize and describe effectively symptoms of mental illness, distress or of a deteriorating patient, and ability to escalate issues of concerns effectively and in a timely manner.
• Reporting, without delay, any safety or security concerns to maintain the safety of service users, carers, staff and others to appropriate authorities and organisations.
• Reporting safeguarding concerns to a Registered Nurse.
• Protecting service users, self and others by maintaining a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies. Supporting senior staff in ensuring audit and compliance activities and reports are kept up to date.
• Working in ways that support shared responsibility within the team: demonstrating support, respect and courtesy towards colleagues; working in a professional manner and with Trust values always in mind, respecting the boundaries of the relationship with service users/patients, carers and staff.
This advert closes on Monday 4 Aug 2025