Job summary
- Main area
- Child & Adolescent Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- 8 months (Fixed-term/secondment - End date 31/03/2027)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 152-M117.26
- Employer
- Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Blandford Community Hospital
- Town
- Blandford
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 p.a./ pro rata for part time
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Community Adolescent Senior Support Worker
Band 4
Job overview
We are looking for a dedicated and compassionate Senior Mental Health Support Worker to join our T4 Day service pilot project at Wareham Hospital.
This role offers a fantastic opportunity to work within a specialist, multidisciplinary team providing evidence-based intervention to individuals experiencing eating disorders and other mental health difficulties. You will work in partnership with service users, families, and carers to support recovery and promote wellbeing within community settings.
Main duties of the job
You will have specific responsibilities to undertake a range of delegated clinical duties involving direct and indirect care to patients under minimal supervision and as directed by the qualified staff team.
Following personal development planning and targeted training you will be in a position to work more autonomously in supporting patients. You will be supported by a career development pathway and as a result, you will develop a broad underpinning knowledge base at intermediate level and have the ability to evaluate information and communicate with a range of professionals.
This service is commissioned by the South West Provider Collaborative.
Working for our organisation
At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.
We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.
Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do, and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.
Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion, and expertise in all we do.
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 using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidate’s individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, 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 [email protected]
This is a fixed term role and for those with current NHS service, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to diploma or NVQ Level 3 in Care and equivalent Skills acquired through experience working in a healthcare Setting.
- Maths / English Level 2 or equivalent (GCSE C / 4 or above)
Desirable criteria
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social policy, health sciences) at 2:2 or above
Knowledge / Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with young people with mental health needs in a paid or voluntary capacity
- Experience working in the community with Mental Health
Desirable criteria
- Experience running groups/activities
- Experience working as part of a team
Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to establish and maintain empathic, supportive relationships with people in significant distress or who are cognitively impaired, their families and carers
- Able to contribute to risk assessment drawing on complex and multiple sources of information, once trained and under clinical supervision
- Able to prioritise workload according to peoples' changing needs and the priorities of the team
Other
Essential criteria
- Subject to the provisions of the Equality Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Abigail Baker
- Job title
- Service Manager Closer2Home
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07795915439
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