Children & Young People Mental Health Support Worker - Bank in Carshalton

Overview

Epsom & St Helier Staff Bank are looking to recruit Mental Health Support Workers who specialise with Children & Young People. You must have one year of experience working in a mental health setting. It is desirable that you have worked with Children & Young People. You must have a full Care Certificate to be considered and 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 and 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 being 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.

Role and responsibilities

• The role of a MHSW is a very privileged role where 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.
• The post holder will be working in the Children\'s Emergency Department and Children\\\'s in-patient wards, providing support for children and young people in mental health crisis who 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 person\\\'s care plan is adhered to, which may involve recording 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 Children\\\'s Ward.
• 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.
• Providing 1-1 nursing care to a child/young person assessed as medium or high risk of self-harm/harm to others/behaviour challenges; some of these children/young people may 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.
• Completing environmental checklists at the start of the shift and at other times 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 (e.g., playing a game, leading an art/craft activity).
• Having an awareness of mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm) and how they are managed.
• Contributing to MDT meetings by providing feedback on the child/young person\\\'s presentation and progress.
• Monitoring and documenting behavioural changes, mood, and engagement levels.
• Encouraging participation in education, hobbies, and social activities to promote holistic recovery.
• Ensuring safe practice by following Trust Policies and Procedures regarding Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression, Children\'s Safeguarding, Management of Rapid Tranquilisation, and Management of Restraint.
• Working collaboratively with parents, carers and guardians to support the child/young person\\\'s care and recovery.
• Escalating to the Nurse in Charge, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Medical and CAMHS teams any safeguarding concerns and documenting the concern clearly in the patient\\\'s records.
• Ensuring incidents are reported on the Trust DATIX system.
• Maintaining accurate, timely records on the Trust electronic record system, which may include hourly observations of mood/behaviour.
• Participating in safeguarding supervision if required.
• Promoting equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of care.
• Escorting children/young people to access facilities/open air outside the clinical area following a risk assessment, which 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.
• Using sensory boxes appropriately in engaging with children and young people.
• Supporting children, young people and their families to have individual care by completing hospital/Playwise passports for staff to use when caring for them.
• Recognising and responding to escalating situations, using de-escalation techniques to maintain a safe environment for the young person and others.
• Ensuring full compliance with all Information Governance requirements as set out by the Trust.
• Being 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).
• Supporting a child/young person to adhere to dietary plan and supervising mealtimes when assessed as requiring this.
• Responding to clinical emergencies as required.

Qualifications and requirements

• One year of experience in a mental health setting.
• Full Care Certificate to be considered.
• Desirable: Seni Lewis Law compliant restraint training.

Additional information

• We are a growing and changing organisation and are looking for new team members to work with us during this time of change.
• If you are interested and available, please apply today. Certification and confirmation of experience will need to be provided prior to your interview.
• Role is based in the Children\\\'s Emergency Department and Children\\\'s Ward with a focus on supporting children and young people in mental health crisis.

Miscellaneous

See attached JD for Additional Duties & Information. 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. For new entrants into the NHS, your pay under the Agenda for Change or Medical & Dental Pay Bands will normally be set at the minimum of the pay band as advertised.