Senior Support Worker | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	30 April 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£30,630 - £32,346 pa inc
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	30 May 2026
Location:	woolwich, SE18 4QH
Company:	Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7939633/277-7939633-AAC

Summary

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: Due to service budget restrictions we are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

The Home Treatment Teams are multi-disciplinary teams providing safe and effective home-based treatment to those in mental health crisis as an alternative to inpatient care. The teams provide robust assessment, review and intervention based on defined clinical crisis care pathways. The Home Treatment Teams play a critical role in delivering the Trust Priorities of Great Out of Hospital Care and ensuring appropriate use of mental health inpatient beds.



The Healthcare Support Worker post holder will work as a member of the team providing home treatment to patients in the acute phase of mental illness and crisis. They will assist in the delivery of high standards of care to individual patients under the direction of a qualified nurse.

The post holder should be available to work extended shifts covering a 7-day week service and may be expected to transfer to another Home Treatment Team temporarily or permanently where there is a clear clinical need to do so.

As a member of the Home Treatment Team, you will:
• Work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team to provide the best possible treatment options for people in the acute phase of a mental illness.
• Provide a wide range of practical and therapeutic support to people in crisis under the direction of qualified staff, generally in the individual’s own home. This could include promoting social inclusion for patients under the care of the team, paying attention to identified needs relating to housing, benefits, employment, education, recreation, and relationships, and assisting individuals to improve their coping skills, and access appropriate resources.
• Assist in the delivery of high standards of care to individual patients



Management responsibilities
• Assist in the design and implementation of service development and quality improvement projects within the service as required.
• Attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
• Ensure all incidents and complaints are reported to the team manager in accordance with Trust policy.
• Manage own workload, prioritising as necessary according to the needs of the service in liaison with the team manager
• Participate in the ordering of supplies, equipment, and repairs.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Clinical
• Contribute to and participate in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care and carry out assigned tasks identified for patients in the crisis care plan in consultation with senior members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Carry out home visits, adhering to Trust policies and procedures
• Identify and provide the necessary support/advice to patients on practical issues relating to living skills such as nutritional management, self-care, social skills, benefits, housing, education, training, and occupational activities
• Implement the principles of “recovery”: encouraging and supporting patients to engage with healthy lifestyles, facilitating psychosocial activities and other activities of their interest.
• Participate in social, recreational, therapeutic, and diversional activities with patients and carers
• Act on own initiative when delivering care, seeking supervision and guidance as required.
• Assist in running therapeutic groups alongside qualified staff when required
• Observe, report, and record any changes in the patient’s physical/ mental health and behaviour
• Assist colleagues in the assessment of physical health needs and the implementation and evaluation of any ensuing care plans around physical health. To have physical dexterity to be able to competently operate monitoring kit e.g. blood pressure machines, blood glucose monitors etc.
• Provide assistance to family and carers in coping with demands placed on them by the patient
• Promote patient and (where appropriate) carer involvement in all aspects of care
• Monitor that patients are receiving the prescribed medication and liaise with the Key worker if problems occur regarding non-compliance with medication. Responsible for ordering repeat prescriptions.
• Respond to the needs of people sensitively and in a non-judgemental way with regard to their age, race, culture, gender, religion, sexuality, and disability
• Recognise and value patients as individuals, acknowledging the importance of always maintaining the patient’s respect and dignity and ensure that the care provided respects equality and diversity
• Demonstrate an empathic understanding of mental health problems and issues.
• Accompany and support patients to appointments and act as an advocate
• Demonstrate knowledge of “professional boundaries” and apply this to working with patients, carers, and significant others.
• Understand the fundamental importance of relationships to social and psychological well-being.
• Respond to the needs of people in an honest, non-judgemental, and open manner, which respects the right of individuals and groups.
• Have a knowledge of risk management and utilise tools in accordance with Trust policy
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the causes of aggression, and utilise skills in the prevention, de-escalation and management of violence and aggression.
• Adhere to the lone working policy and be responsible for using PeopleSafe.
• Have high regard to patient’s safety and safety of others and report immediately any concerns of risk to the members of the team, particularly where children are involved.
• To take all possible measures to prevent exploitation – physical, financial, or social of vulnerable patients who are receiving support from the crisis service.
• Be aware of and work to the principles of the Mental Health Act (2015) and Mental Capacity Act (2005)
• Recognise scope of own abilities and responsibilities and practice within them, referring matters to and seeking advice from senior trained team members as appropriate.



Research
• Contribute to the development of services by co-operating and assisting with changes in practices, audit, and research



Communication
• Maintain effective relationships with members of the Home Treatment Team, patients, relatives, friends, others involved, as well as with members of the Trust and other statutory and voluntary agencies and services.
• Consider and implement effective ways of overcoming barriers to communication e.g. use of interpreting services
• Maintain high standards of non-verbal and verbal communication, including scrupulous documentation of patient care including recording of all patient contact and recording of mental state.
• Initiate and maintain therapeutic relationships rapidly with patients in mental health crisis.
• Escalate concerns to qualified professional/ team manager
• Act as a resource for patients and carers, providing information about support services. The post holder must make himself/herself aware of all the statutory and voluntary agencies available in the community and contribute fully to multi-agency working.
• Communicate policies and procedures within the service and externally to ensure effective understanding and implementation
• Maintain effective communication and relationships with the judicial system and other forensic service providers.
• Give and receive clear messages by telephone or personal contact
• Ensure the confidentiality and safe keeping of patient records and matters relating to the Trust
• Remain polite, courteous, and sensitive in dealing with members of the public and colleagues and to maintain and foster positive working relationships with colleagues in this and other agencies.
• To adopt a flexible approach to help colleagues, users, and their families to resolve difficulties.



Team Working and Professional Development:
• Participate in professional supervision with senior staff in accordance with Trust policy
• Actively participate in professional development through Personal Development Reviews
• Actively seek to develop own skills and knowledge in relation to crisis resolution
• Undertake mandatory training as required by Trust policy and other CPD training related to the role or area of work.
• Attend and participate in team meetings
• Engage in reflective practice to ensure effective patient care is based on evidence-based practice and with Trust values in mind.
• Comply with statutory requirements and the Trust’s employment policies while carrying out their work
• Maintain a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies.
• Ensure effective and efficient use or time and resources
• Demonstrate own role to others and always act as a role model to others in accordance with Trust values
• Behave at all times in a professionally acceptable manner
• Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the band and nature of the post.



On Call/Unsocial Hours
• The post holder will be required to work unsocial hours. Work pattern to be finalised.






This advert closes on Friday 8 May 2026

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