Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Join Our Female Pathway as a Band 3 Mental Health Support Worker!
Are you passionate about women’s mental health and eager to make a meaningful difference? Whether you're a psychology graduate, someone with lived experience, or simply deeply interested in supporting women through their recovery, this is your chance to build a rewarding career.
We are expanding our dedicated female inpatient services, including two new wards focused on gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented care. Be part of a growing, specialist team committed to empowering women at every stage of their mental health journey.
In this role, you'll support women with daily activities, foster safe, trusting relationships, and work alongside a multidisciplinary team. Your empathy, resilience, and emotional intelligence will help create a caring environment for women who may have experienced trauma, adversity, or complex life circumstances.
If you’re looking to gain invaluable experience in a supportive setting and contribute to impactful mental health care, we want to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities:
1. Work as part of the relevant team to provide care to patients in the community setting either in their own home, clinics or inpatient units.
2. Responsible for own work and that of others within a broad framework.
3. Carrying out and monitoring treatment programmes as directed.
4. Forming part of an interdependent multi-disciplinary team helping to ensure that their input is integrated in to the patients overall care & treatment plans.
5. Promoting the recovery of patients and maintain their independence in the community.
6. Working a 24 hour, 365 day shift pattern including night shifts.
What we offer:
7. A supportive and welcoming team environment
8. Training and development opportunities to help you grow your skills
9. The chance to play a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of our community
10. The satisfaction of making a real difference to patients’ lives every day
About You:
We seek compassionate, reflective individuals dedicated to recovery-focused care. While previous mental health or NHS experience is a bonus, what matters most are your values, motivation, and potential.
Working for our organisation
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15%of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata for part time
At NELFT, we are committed to building a workforce that reflects and supports the diverse communities we serve. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen local employment and deliver high-quality, person-centred care, we will prioritise applications from individuals living in our local boroughs and surrounding areas.
Supporting Our Communities
At NELFT, we are committed to supporting and investing in our local communities. As part of this, we are prioritising applications from individuals who live within the areas we serve. This helps us build a workforce that truly reflects the diverse populations we care for, improves our ability to provide culturally informed services, and strengthens local employment opportunities. By recruiting locally, we aim to foster a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable health and care system.
This post is not eligible for sponsorship
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
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Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification when completing your application
Don't worry if you have no experience – we'll teach you everything you need to know. What matters most to us is that you're a caring and kind person with a genuine desire to help and support patients and their families. If that sounds like you, you already have the skills that make a great Healthcare Support Worker.
As soon as you join us, you'll have access to learning, development, and training opportunities. As you progress in your NHS career, you'll gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence you need to provide safe and compassionate patient care.
Want to find out more?
Contact us:
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
11. Educated to GCSE level or Equivalent
Desirable criteria
12. Basic IT skills
13. Experienced in Rio or other EPR systems
Communication
Essential criteria
14. NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
Desirable criteria
15. Effective communication Skills
16. Effective therapeutic engagement with patients
Experience
Desirable criteria
17. Experience in mental health setting
18. Experience in a care setting
Team work
Essential criteria
19. Experience of working within a team
20. Demonstration of NELFT trust Values
Desirable criteria
21. Ability to work efficiently alone and as part of a team
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
22. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
23. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
24. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
25. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.