Community Support Worker | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Warrington

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to be part of a developing team in the Cheshire and Merseyside Region? The Specialist Community Forensic Team have been commissioned to work with key stakeholders and partner agencies to enhance community provision for people who are autistic or who have a learning disability. The Specialist Community Forensic Team are looking for one Band 3 Community Support Worker to complement the existing team. Applications from enthusiastic and confident applicants who show a commitment to the wellbeing of service users and to delivering a high quality service are welcome.

Ultimately, the work of the team is focused on enhancing the safety, experience and wellbeing of service users in the community. The Specialist Community Forensic Team is a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Nursing, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational therapists, Social Work, Psychology and Psychiatry. You will be expected to work in all areas of Cheshire and Merseyside and to liaise with a number of partner agencies including Health, Social Care and the Criminal Justice agencies to develop proactive and preventative risk mitigation and support.

The primary role of the Community Support Worker is to carry out assigned duties, involving direct care and observation of service users under the guidance and indirect supervision of qualified staff. To report to the qualified staff any observations made whilst providing care to service users, providing details of mental state and risk factors. To work with service users on an individual and group basis as outlined in the care plan and as directed by the appropriate named lead professional.

• To coordinate the assessment and delivery of a planned programme of care with guidance and indirect supervision from a qualified practitioner and to contribute to formal assessment and delivery of an individual plan of care.
• To actively engage in the implementation of treatment and care plans, and to actively engage service users to maintain and develop social, self-help, occupational and personal skills.
• To provide assistance with activities of daily living, social, recreational and occupational activities as agreed in the service user care plan.
• To function as a key worker under the direction of the SCFT Lead Clinician / senior staff.
• To report general observations and provide feedback to a qualified practitioner both verbally and in written formats, if required.
• To contribute to effective running of the service by providing and receiving information to/from other departments or services.
• To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by service users due to their mental health needs.
• To contribute to maintaining a safe environment for service users in the community.
• To carry out specific duties that contribute to the assessment of service users as requested by a qualified practitioner.
• To develop and maintain links with other agencies and services, both statutory and voluntary.
• To support statutory and voluntary sector social care staff in the delivery of appropriate care in accordance with the treatment and care plan, acting as a role model and in a supervisory role.
• Working hours will be rostered on a 7 day week, 08:00-20:00 basis.
• To use skills and techniques to de-escalate situations where service users become physically or verbally aggressive.
• To work directly with service users in their own homes to complete assessments, to deliver interventions and at times in response to a crisis where additional intensive support is required.
• To support the delivery of group interventions by facilitating programmes with senior members of staff.
• To support the development and delivery of training for staff teams and groups under indirect supervision of senior staff.
• To maintain accurate charts and data collection protocols that contribute to the assessment process.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.