Job summary
NHFT are building on their work alongside 3rd sector partners in order to provide service users and their family/carers with a first point of contact to the Mental health support within the Integrated Response hub (telephone contact) and our crisis cafes within Northamptonshire.
The role requires a support worker that can 'think outside the box' where taking initiative is essential. The role incorporates leadership skills. Taking a key part in decision making forums and supporting colleagues is essential. It will require advanced skills in prioritisation so to best support the service user and colleagues.
Main duties of the job
The post of Support Worker will apply a strength based approach to work collaboratively with service users, their link care coordinators and their family/carers to facilitate the following:
* Support achievement of a personally acceptable quality of life
* To help guide the process of recovery
* To help to restore what has been lost through illness
* To enable access to community resources
The support workers will work closely with our qualified mental health professionals, who will also provide them with regular supervision and guidance.
About us
The post holder will work as part of the Integrated Response Hub, at Highfield clinical care centre, with the ability to cover if required and to support the wider Crisis Care Pathway including the Crisis Houses, Acute hospital and police liaison. This is a developmental post that will require the post holder to build strong links with 3rd sector partners to collaboratively support the management of service users in crisis attending the acute hospitals across the county.
The post holder will have experience of community engagement and have worked in teams that support individuals at the point of crisis or with increased risks. The service developments will endeavor to create an effective first point of contact to mental health services
Details
Date posted
10 February 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 4
Salary
£27,485 to £30,162 a year pa pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Part-time
Reference number
270-TG701-MH
Job locations
Highfield House Northampton
Clifftonville Road
Northamptonshire - Countywide
NN1 5BD
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
* To liaise and communicate effectively with statutory and non-statutory mental health agencies regarding identification of individuals with mental health needs
* To provide an intervention to ensure individuals are appropriately supported and facilitate links with community resources and specialist services as required.
* To support colleagues in specialised risk and mental health assessments of individuals and inform recommendations for their care/treatment.
* To be actively involved in the support of service users and their carers from their first point of contact with the Acute Liaison Mental Health Service through to their discharge from hospital.
* Improve the experience of patients with mental health illnesses who receive care in the Acute General Hospitals.
* To support in partnership with clinical staff and service users in the planning and implementation of care.
* Help the service user gain access to resources to include benefits and welfare rights.
* Provide information on health promotion.
* Help to identify early signs of relapse by monitoring the service users progress, level of functioning and mental state and alert the appropriate staff involved in the service users care.
* Provide support with the wider team to service users in crisis.
* Supporting individuals on the acute hospital wards, through providing structured interventions to support behavioural change using motivational interviewing communication style.
* To liaise closely with the full range of services within the local community; statutory and non-statutory services.
* To facilitate access for family members, partners and carers with information and support to ensure a coordinated and enhanced approach to working with individuals.
* Promote choice during all interactions.
* Use of IT including Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint and Internet.
* To be open to learning and creatively finding solutions.
* To actively promote individuals and colleagues rights and responsibilities, and diversity in line with NHFT policies and procedures.
* To promote and develop effective working relationships with key agencies.
* To take personal responsibility to keep knowledge up to date.
* To maintain records, collect statistical data and store information in accordance with the requirements of the post, NHFT and protocols and the Data Protection Act.
* Productive working relationships with team, clinician, senior practitioners, managers and other NHFT Departments.
* To prepare for and participate in regular supervision/peer support meetings with senior practitioners.
* Improve the experience of patients with mental health illnesses who receive care in the crisis care pathway.
* Provide perspective to multi-disciplinary team members regarding assessment, intervention, management and safety planning.
* Provide a service to the Crisis Care Pathway countywide.
* Contribute to support, training and skill development for individuals and groups in mental health awareness.
* To promote and develop effective working relationships with key groups with the general acute hospitals and associated community based teams, EMAS, Police and 3rd sector colleagues.
* There will be an expectation that out of hours support will be provided within this role, and that the post holder will be able to provide cover for the service Countywide, working on a shift pattern across a 24/7 basis.
* To promote co-production with the service user in all processes and interventions throughout the services within the pathway.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
* To liaise and communicate effectively with statutory and non-statutory mental health agencies regarding identification of individuals with mental health needs
* To provide an intervention to ensure individuals are appropriately supported and facilitate links with community resources and specialist services as required.
* To support colleagues in specialised risk and mental health assessments of individuals and inform recommendations for their care/treatment.
* To be actively involved in the support of service users and their carers from their first point of contact with the Acute Liaison Mental Health Service through to their discharge from hospital.
* Improve the experience of patients with mental health illnesses who receive care in the Acute General Hospitals.
* To support in partnership with clinical staff and service users in the planning and implementation of care.
* Help the service user gain access to resources to include benefits and welfare rights.
* Provide information on health promotion.
* Help to identify early signs of relapse by monitoring the service users progress, level of functioning and mental state and alert the appropriate staff involved in the service users care.
* Provide support with the wider team to service users in crisis.
* Supporting individuals on the acute hospital wards, through providing structured interventions to support behavioural change using motivational interviewing communication style.
* To liaise closely with the full range of services within the local community; statutory and non-statutory services.
* To facilitate access for family members, partners and carers with information and support to ensure a coordinated and enhanced approach to working with individuals.
* Promote choice during all interactions.
* Use of IT including Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint and Internet.
* To be open to learning and creatively finding solutions.
* To actively promote individuals and colleagues rights and responsibilities, and diversity in line with NHFT policies and procedures.
* To promote and develop effective working relationships with key agencies.
* To take personal responsibility to keep knowledge up to date.
* To maintain records, collect statistical data and store information in accordance with the requirements of the post, NHFT and protocols and the Data Protection Act.
* Productive working relationships with team, clinician, senior practitioners, managers and other NHFT Departments.
* To prepare for and participate in regular supervision/peer support meetings with senior practitioners.
* Improve the experience of patients with mental health illnesses who receive care in the crisis care pathway.
* Provide perspective to multi-disciplinary team members regarding assessment, intervention, management and safety planning.
* Provide a service to the Crisis Care Pathway countywide.
* Contribute to support, training and skill development for individuals and groups in mental health awareness.
* To promote and develop effective working relationships with key groups with the general acute hospitals and associated community based teams, EMAS, Police and 3rd sector colleagues.
* There will be an expectation that out of hours support will be provided within this role, and that the post holder will be able to provide cover for the service Countywide, working on a shift pattern across a 24/7 basis.
* To promote co-production with the service user in all processes and interventions throughout the services within the pathway.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
* Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experiences
* Some experience of working with people with complex mental health needs
* Some of experience of working with people who are in crisis
* Some experience of liaising with a variety of people/organisations
* Experience of working effectively and constructively as part of a team and willing to undertake additional training
Desirable
* Motivational Interviewing
Skills & Abilities
Essential
* Relationship building skills, can autonomously pro-actively network with Mental Health and Well-Being Services across the County and effectively communicate with medical professionals
* Active listening skills
* Effective Planning
* Autonomy - working alone to managing own workload of individual interventions
Desirable
* Driver with full license and ability to travel between locations.
* Solution Focused Problem solving
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
* Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experiences
* Some experience of working with people with complex mental health needs
* Some of experience of working with people who are in crisis
* Some experience of liaising with a variety of people/organisations
* Experience of working effectively and constructively as part of a team and willing to undertake additional training
Desirable
* Motivational Interviewing
Skills & Abilities
Essential
* Relationship building skills, can autonomously pro-actively network with Mental Health and Well-Being Services across the County and effectively communicate with medical professionals
* Active listening skills
* Effective Planning
* Autonomy - working alone to managing own workload of individual interventions
Desirable
* Driver with full license and ability to travel between locations.
* Solution Focused Problem solving
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address
Highfield House Northampton
Clifftonville Road
Northamptonshire - Countywide
NN1 5BD
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
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Employer details
Employer name
Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address
Highfield House Northampton
Clifftonville Road
Northamptonshire - Countywide
NN1 5BD
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
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