Children & Young People Mental Health Support Worker Bank

Overview

Band 3 • Main area: C&YP MHSW • Grade: Band 3 • Contract: Bank • Hours: Full time; Part time; Flexible working.

Bank • Job ref: 343-7439980-ALL-CYP • Site: Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust • Town: Carshalton & Epsom

Salary: £16.41 – £27.73 hourly rate dependant on shift pattern (e.g. day/night/sunday). Salary period: Hourly. Closing: 26/12/2025 23:59.

As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against COVID19.

At Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, above all we value respect. We put respect at the heart of all we do, by living up to our shared behaviours of kindness, professionalism, positivity and teamwork. This enables us to provide great patient care and make ESTH a great place to work. When you sign up to work with us, you sign up to this and we welcome applicants who share our values.

Job Overview

Epsom & St Helier Staff Bank are looking to recruit Mental Health Support Workers who specialise with Children & Young People. You must have One years experience working in a mental health setting and it is desirable that you have worked with Children & Young people. You must have a full Care Certificate to be considered & it is desirable you hold Seni Lewis Law compliant restraint training. If you are interested and available please apply today- we are looking forward to hearing from you!

Your certification & confirmation of experience will need to be provided/confirmed prior to your interview so please confirm this upon request.

Working on our Bank allows you to work flexibly whilst also allowing you to be part of one amazing team. We are a growing and changing organisation, and are looking for new team members to work with us during this time of change.

The role of a MHSW is a very privileged role, you you will provide personal care and support to patients at their most vulnerable times. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to provide a compassionate, caring and safe environment for our patients.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be working in the Childrens Emergency Department and Childrens in-patient wards providing support for children and young people in mental health crisis that are assessed as requiring enhanced care. This may involve providing 1-1 care to a child or young person under the supervision of the nurse in charge of the area.
• The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the child / young persons care plan is adhered to and this may involve the recording of observations and behaviours.
• The post-holder will demonstrate kindness, care and compassion and engage at an appropriate age level with the child / young person to ensure their needs are met and that they have a positive experience whilst in the ED or in the Childrens Ward.

Working for our organisation

Our values help us to define and develop our culture, what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and reflect these values throughout your employment with the Trust.

The Post Holder Will Be

Excellent

• Looking after our patients as we would like to be looked after ourselves.
• Set ourselves high standards and be open to new ideas.
• Be professional in our approach and in our appearance.
• Promote and share best practice.

Kind

• Anticipate and respond to patients and carers concerns and worries.
• Support each other under pressure and consider the impact of our actions on others.
• Help people find their way if they look unsure or lost.
• Smile, listen and be friendly.

Responsible

• Have patient safety as our prime consideration.
• Be responsible for ensuring good patient experience.
• Challenge poor behaviour in others.
• Say sorry when things go wrong.

Respectful

• Keep patients, families and carers involved and informed.
• Protect patients dignity and confidentiality.
• Wear our name badges, introduce ourselves and address people in a professional manner.
• Respect colleagues roles in patient care and experience.

Our values and behaviours framework describes what it means for every one of us in the Trust to put our values into action. The framework can be found on our Trust careers pages and Intranet.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Providing 1-1 nursing care to a child / young person assessed as medium or high risk of self-harm / harm to other / behaviour challenges. Some of these children / young people may also be neurodiverse and their individual needs should be considered e.g. environment, self-regulation, de-escalation techniques.
• Supporting children / young people and their parents / carers waiting for assessment or intervention in the Emergency Department or wider hospital site, providing emotional support, guidance and brief interventions where indicated.
• Liaising with other services and collecting information to ensure a joined-up approach to patient care.
• Complete environmental checklists at the start of the shift and at any other time during a shift if indicated.
• Building trusting relationships with children and young people to support their emotional and psychological well-being
• Provide structured and unstructured activities for children and young people under the direction of the Health Play Specialist, Nursing teams, CAMHS service, this could be playing a game, leading an art/craft activity.
• Have an awareness of mental health conditions e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm and how they are managed.
• Contribute to MDT meetings by providing feedback on the child / young persons presentation and progress.
• Monitor and document behavioural changes, mood, and engagement levels.
• Encourage participation in education, hobbies, and social activities to promote holistic recovery.
• Ensure that safe practice is maintained by having an awareness of Trust Policies and Procedures regarding aspects of Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression, Childrens Safeguarding, Management of Rapid Tranquilisation, Management of Restraint
• Work collaboratively with parents, carers, and guardians to support the child / young persons care and recovery.
• Escalate to the Nurse in Charge, Clinical Nurse Specialist. Medical and CAMHS teams any safeguarding concerns and document clearly the concern in the patients records.
• Ensure incidents are reported on the Trust DATIX system.
• Maintain accurate, timely records on the Trust electronic record system, this may include hourly observations of mood / behaviour.
• Participate in safeguarding supervision if required.
• Promote equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of care.
• Escort children / young people to access facilities / open air outside the clinical area following a risk assessment, this may be with parents / carers / security and will be on site.
• Providing a calm and reassuring presence, offering support and comfort to young people and their families during a potentially distressing time.
• Use sensory boxes appropriately in engaging with children and young people.
• Support children, young people, and their families to have individual care by completing hospital / Playwise passports for staff to use when caring for them.
• Recognise and respond to escalating situations, using de-escalation techniques to maintain a safe environment for the young person and others.
• To ensure full compliance with all Information Governance requirements as set out by the Trust.
• Be able to undertake clinical observations e.g., temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and maintain a food / fluid balance chart for any child /. young person requiring one e.g., eating disorder.
• Support a child / young person to adhere to dietary plan and supervise mealtimes when assessed as requiring this.
• Respond to clinical emergencies as required.

See Attached JD For Additional Duties & Information.

Person specification

Right to Work in the UK

• UK Passport / Share Code

Education/Qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE or equivalent (e.g. Functional Skills)
• Full Care Certificate

Desirable criteria

• NVQ Level 3 or above in Health and Social Care
• Level 3 Childrens Safeguarding training
• Annual Restraint Training (PMVA/PPI)
• Specific training in CYP Mental Health e.g. E-Learning for Health Mental Health training / We Can Talk training.

Knowledge

• Awareness of mental health conditions in Children and Young People Knowledge of Childrens safeguarding procedures Understanding of the issues around confidentiality and consent Ability to deliver age-appropriate therapeutic interventions. An understanding of how neurodiversity may present in children and young people. Awareness of ASD / ADHD and how to support children, young people and their families when accessing health care settings IT Literate

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Children & Young Peoples Mental Health Legislation
• Awareness of all infection control issues

Skills/Experience

• 1 years experience in a Mental Health setting
• The ability to be aware of when to request assistance from seniors and other members of the team. Have the working attributes of the 6cs (Caring, Compassionate, Competent, Communication, Commitment and Courage) Ability to remain calm in a challenging environment. Effective communication and interpersonal skills Able to deal effectively with occasional exposure to highly distressing or emotional circumstances including resolving conflict and dealing with challenging behaviour. Emotionally resilient to competing demands and complex case management.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working with Children & Young People within Mental Health

Our mission: to put the patient first by delivering great care to every patient, every day.

Theres never been a better time to join the Epsom and St Helier team. Our hospitals are facing a bright and busy future, and our staff have a proven track record in providing high quality, compassionate care for our patients.

Boasting incredible staff benefits and dedicated training schemes, working for us will not only take your career forward, but could help to transform the lives of our patients and visitors.

We offer all employees some fantastic staff benefits, and are the only hospitals in Surrey to offer staff the London high cost area supplement. Our hospitals also benefit from great locations, so whether you\’re attracted to the bright lights of the city or the countryside of Epsom Downs, both are within easy reach.

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