Psychological Support Worker: Sponsorship Available

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Psychological Support Worker to be appointed on a fixed-term basis to work with the Hiraeth Service.

The Hiraeth service provides a clinical and consultation service for individuals with highly complex psychological needs including personality disorder, complex trauma, psychosis and substance misuse. The service provides support for individuals living across the footprint of Aneurin Bevan Health Board and also works to repatriate a small group of patients who currently reside in out of county placements. The service has been developed to support individuals who have become ‘stuck’ in the cycle of increasing expression of risk behaviours, and the resulting increase in control measures taken by services in order to manage this risk e.g. ongoing hospital admission, increase in levels of observation, detention under the Mental Health Act, and placements in secure settings. Hiraeth aims to work extensively with the individual, and existing teams and providers, in order to develop a thorough psychological understanding of an individual’s ongoing distress, and to understand the function of risk behaviours, to implement positive risk management plans, to support the individual to live as independently as possible.

 

Main duties of the job

  • The post holder will support the provision of an innovative approach to delivering mental health care for individuals with severe, enduring and complex mental health needs, presenting with high levels of distress, risk to self, and interpersonal complexities
  • The post holder will need to form trusting therapeutic relationships with individuals to support them to manage their risk, to improve their independence, and to improve their quality of life
  • The post holder will need to work autonomously and use their initiative, whilst providing support as outlined in support plans and reviews. Support could take various forms, including engaging individuals in meaningful activities in the community, supporting them in their own home with daily living activities, providing emotional support, connection, and problem solving where needed.

This post is fixed term for 24 months due to – meet the needs of the service

Person Specification

Qualitifications and knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent level of demonstrable knowledge and experience
  • Demonstrates introductory-level knowledge and understanding of relevant psychological theory (e.g Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Attachment Theory, trauma-informed practice)

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial experience of working at Band 3 or equivalent in a mental health or social care setting
  • To be able to demonstrate evidence of working clinically with people who are experiencing complex mental health problems
  • Experience of working with people presenting with high levels of risk to themselves, deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation
  • Ability to communicate (verbally and written) and relate to others in situations that can be complex

Desirable

  • Ability to reflect on own lived experience of psychological distress or caring for someone with mental health needs

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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: 19 March 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.