Job overview
This full time post (Between Monday-Sunday 8:00am-10:00pm) is primarily based within the adolescent inpatient units at Prestwich Hospital (Junction 17 and Gardener Unit) although there is an expectation the post holder will contribute directly into other services within CAMHS if required. Junction 17 is a mixed adolescent acute unit (15 beds). The Gardener Unit is a medium secure unit for adolescent males (10 beds). Both units are currently accredited with QNIC and received outstanding for caring domain from the CQC.
The post holder will join an experienced and welcoming Multi-Disciplinary Team, including Psychiatrists, Registered Mental Health Nurses, Clinical Psychologists and Social Workers and be part of a specialist Occupational Therapy service, made up of Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Activity Coordinators.
The post holder will plan and coordinate and implement a range of creative individual and group activities designed to meet the needs of the services users.
Main duties of the job
· The post holder will be required to use their initiative when working independently on the wards and or out in the community and are expected to report any clinical progress or change to a qualified practitioner and record findings in electronic care records.
· The post holder will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users’ and their carer’s.
· The post holder will embrace the core values of the organisation and adopt the principles of Recovery. Promote safe practice; Value the aims of service users; Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice; Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change; Value social inclusion.
· The post holder will carry out assigned tasks involving direct/indirect service user care and support service users under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
Staff benefits
1. 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
2. Excellent pension
3. Cycle to work scheme
4. Salary sacrifice car scheme
5. Wellbeing programme
6. fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)
Person specification
Essential for the role
Essential criteria
7. Experience of running group activities
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of working with young people
9. Experience of engaging young people with activities to aid recovery
Essential qualifications
Essential criteria
10. Qualification or relevant experience within sports/art/cooking/music etc
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it.
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.