Job Summary
We are currently expanding the well-established Countywide Early Intervention in Psychosis service. The service provides a focussed and specific community provision for the population of Bedfordshire & Luton, in response to the needs of individuals and their families experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The team works across CAMH services and Adult Mental Health Services with an age range starting at 14 years. We are therefore looking for a skilled and well-motivated community mental health support worker (band 4) to join the team.
The post holder will need use of a car for business use and have a UK driving license.
This post will cover the whole of Bedfordshire. We have bases in Clapham (Bedford) and Luton.
Main duties of the job
- To work as an integral and highly valued member of the Multi-Disciplinary Team under the direction and supervision of Care coordinator’s in promoting and monitoring the physical and mental health of service users. Providing person centered and holistic care which enables service users to be empowered and follow their recovery goals.
- The Community Support Worker will work with service users under the Care Program Approach for a time limited period of up to 12 sessions and review, developing goal based strategies to promote independence and recovery, these will be under the direct supervision of the service users Care Coordinator.
- To support individual service users in identifying, accessing and engaging in support in their local community, fulfilling independent life skills and developing an individual support network to promote service users’ recovery journey.
- The post holder will work with service users and carers with assessed eligible social care needs in order to promote recovery or prevent deterioration. They will offer direct support for carers completing carer’s assessments, reviews, offering advice & guidance, signposting to support services and completing funding applications
Person Specification
Education Training and Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent mental health experience
Previous Experience
Essential
- Relevant experience working with adults with acute and chronic mental health problems
- Working within a multidisciplinary team environment
- Working with service users and carers within their own homes.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work with patients on an individual or group basis, focusing on their recovery pathway.
- Ability to enable and empower patients in a way that increases their self esteem, raises their confidence and help them to identify positive qualities in self.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills relevant to the legal requirements of client care and related issues and the documentation of that care.
- Ability to support the multidisciplinary team in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of mental and physical care appropriate to the needs of the client group and clinical specialty and the ability to use evidenced based approaches in the delivery of care.
- Ability to work autonomously and to work as part of a team
- Demonstrate an awareness how your own approach and communication style may impact on service users, their carers and members of your own team.
- Be prepared to use reflection in action and on action to gain a deeper understanding and insight from situations and experiences occurring inside and outside the work environment and how these can impact on each other.
- Be able to respond with compassion towards clients when they present in a way that is considered aggressive, maladaptive or socially immature or unacceptable
Knowledge
Essential
- Mental Health issues relevant to adults with acute and chronic mental health issues and or forensic histories
- The impact mental health difficulties have on other areas of a service user’s life. E.G. Lack of social inclusion, inability to reach life goals, inability to reach others expectations, inability to maintain relationships. Poverty financial and social.
- An understanding of the Care Programme Approach and Mental Health Act and how this impacts on the service user group.
- A knowledge and understanding of the Care Act and the rights of individuals
- An ability to monitor physical observations and identify when results are outside considered normal parameters.
- To have an awareness of the side effects of medication.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 26 October 2025
