Vulnerable Adult Assistant Practitioner | University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 11 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £27,485 - £30,162 Per annum - Pro rata |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 10 April 2026 |
| Location: | Southampton, SO16 6YD |
| Company: | University Hospital Southampton NHS FT |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7864004/188-NM070326 |
Summary
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our award winning Vulnerable Adult Support Team. We are looking for highly motivated individuals who will work alongside our physical and mental health teams to support patients and parents who attend the Emergency Department, Acute Medical Unit, Major Trauma Unit and Critical Care Unit in crisis, due to issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, substance use and homelessness.
ABOUT THE TEAM
You will join our dedicated team whose members are passionate about helping patients with complex psychosocial issues. The service is ‘one of a kind’, offering a unique opportunity to work alongside expert clinicians to provide person-centred interventions in the acute hospital setting. The work of this team has been described as ‘outstanding’ in two CQC inspections of the Trust (in 2015 and 2019). The team won the ‘Emergency and Critical Care’ category in the 2018 national Nursing Times Awards.
You will report to the Band 7 and 8 leads for the service and will have the opportunity to collaborate with specialist practitioners across acute hospital and community services to develop safe and supportive management plans.
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
At UHSwe’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
WHAT YOU’LL DO
You will receive referrals from clinical staff and then spend time talking with each patient, so you understand the issues they are experiencing from their perspective.
Your intervention will include identification of relevant psychosocial problems, risk assessment, information giving, signposting and referral to specialist and community services.
You will make safeguarding referrals for adults and their children.
You will liaise with clinicians, safeguarding teams and multi-agency partners from specialist and community services to formulate safe management plans.
You will act as the patient’s advocate, helping them to achieve the outcomes they desire and, in doing so, will promote their health, safety and wellbeing.
You will support patients in times of crisis and, in doing so, will gain immense satisfaction from helping them access the services they need. For many, this will create positive change in their lives.
You will provide supervision, mentoring and training to less experienced team members. You will contribute to service development, including audit, and will support the process of developing anticipatory care plans for some of our patients with High Intensity Service Use.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
You will have:
Experience of working with patients with psychosocial needs in a client-focused health or social care setting.
Experience of supporting the identification & reporting of adult and child safeguarding concerns.
A good understanding of mental capacity, confidentiality and consent when applied to working with vulnerable adults.
A professional appearance, as well as good organisational, interpersonal and communication skills.
The ability to manage your own time and work independently, but also work collaboratively within teams.
As a minimum, education to GCSE (or equivalent) standard, with a pass in English and possess an NVQ3 or equivalent level of experience.
You must be able to work a mix of week days, weekends and bank holidays.
You must be able to work both early (0800-1600) and late (1400-2200) shifts.
This advert closes on Wednesday 25 Mar 2026