Healthcare Support Worker
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
- Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
- Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
- Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
Are you a passionate and committed to supporting good health outcomes for people with Learning Disabilities?
As a result of the transfer of Learning Disability Services at the Whalley Site from Merseycare to Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust we have a number of exciting opportunities for qualified and non-qualified staff to join our experienced and hard-working team supporting care delivery to adults with learning disability and complex health and/or behavioural needs across four units.
Post holders will work as part of a full multi-disciplinary service that includes Healthcare Assistants, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals, Psychologists and Medical colleagues.
Post holders will ideally have knowledge, skills and experience in supporting people with a learning disability who have complex health needs or behaviours that challenge services. Compassion, good communication skills, flexibility and an innovative attitude are essential.
Post holders will be able to access further role specific training, ongoing support and supervision and opportunities to develop their careers as LSCFT develops a new learning disability inpatient service in 2025.
Roles are based on-site at Whalley and there are both full and part time positions available.
Main duties of the job
To adhere to and promote the principles of Valuing People and provide person centred care to people with learning disabilities.
To support the provision of Learning Disability Inpatient services to individuals with a learning disability, Autism, Mental and physical illness as well as any associated difficulties to meet the health care needs of people with a learning disability under the supervision of the registered Nurses.
The post holder will be required to work within an MDT and carry out detailed observations and feedback to the wider team, they will also be responsible for delivering interventions under supervision. The post holder may be working on an individual basis or within a group setting.
You will work flexibly, working a rotational shift pattern including weekend working to meet the needs of the service and the wider network. This may require a move of work base as the Learning Disability Inpatient Service Develops.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks.We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria- • Good general education to GCSE or equivalent
- Evidence continuing professional development
- NVQ level 3 in health-related area of practice or equivalent experience or willingness to work towards
Knowledge
Essential criteria- • Understanding of confidentiality
- Knowledge of Health and Safety and Risk Management
- Competent IT skills
- Knowledge of Lone working and associated risk management
- Working knowledge of key issues in learning disability
- Demonstrates an understanding of the issues surrounding mental illness.
- Understands their duties and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act regarding patient
- confidentiality.
Experience
Essential criteria- • Experience of working with adults with a learning disability
- Experience of working within a Health / Social Care environment
- Experience of working as part of a team / multidisciplinary team
- Working in a caring environment.
- Up to date or working knowledge of de- escalation techniques
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Please be aware the use of artificial intelligence (AI) when submitting an application is monitored and if you have used AI to generate an application, you are required to declare this on your application form. AI-generated content may lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.Personalisation is essential when submitting an application form to convey your skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively.
Please ensure that you read the person specification attached below as your application will be measured against this document. Applications from job share partners are welcome and other forms of flexible working will be considered for all posts.
For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).
You are advised to consider applying for LSCft vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within three weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.
LSCft is committed to celebrating difference as an asset and we know that recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds helps to create a more flexible, creative and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from people regardless of age, disability (particularly those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
Our goal is for the Trust to be truly representative of the communities we serve so we are particularly keen to receive applications from people in under-represented groups. If there is anything you’d like to discuss in relation to your application then please ask.