About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time Recovery Support Worker to join the rough sleeping and mental health community team. The rough sleeping team works with adult rough sleepers predominately aged 18-74 who have moderate to severe mental health conditions and are rough sleeping in the Boroughs of Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston, Merton, and Sutton. This is currently a fixed term contract until the 31st of March 2027.
You will play a vital role in providing support to individuals experiencing serious mental illness and their families within the community. This position involves addressing diverse needs and facilitating their journey to recovery.
We're looking for someone who:
o Has lived experience or experience in mental health support.
o Is compassionate, empathetic, resilient, and culturally aware.
o Can build trusting relationships and communicate effectively.
o Is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
o Has knowledge of local services and community networks.
Main duties of the job
Successful applicants will assist qualified clinicians in the team who are working as care coordinators, psychiatrists and psychologists to:
Provide clearly defined recovery focused interventions, in line with patients' care plans.
Be able to develop positive relationships with clients, adopting a pragmatic and non-judgmental approach.
Contribute to meaningful care plans, risk management plans, and deliver appropriate and therapeutic interventions.
Actively participate in team meetings including zoning, seeking to provide high-quality services, strongly focused on recovery.
Positively promote and support independent living for patients in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and actively supporting patients to access them.
Enable patients to acquire daily living skills, such as shopping, cooking, accessing community activities etc
Help patients to gain access to resources and information about welfare benefits.
Help patients access physical health services and gain skills to monitor their health needs in the community on an on-going basis.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Unless expressly stated in the job advert this role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Working autonomously in a specialist rough sleeping community mental health team within the parameters of the role leading on implementing the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.
2. Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support.
3. Supporting the patients management of care needs through:
a. Initial data collection
b. Monitoring of individual service user / patient progress
c. Feedback and discussion
d. Producing reports and in-care reviews
e. Devising a plan of care and interventions supervised by a Registered Nurse.
4. In a junior leadership role leading on and directing junior to staff in providing hands-on care to service users including:
a. Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental way.
b. Recognising and valuing service users as individuals, acknowledging the importance of always maintaining the service users respect and dignity and ensure that the care provided respects equality and diversity.
c. Contributing to the development of care plans that reflect service user needs and relevant patient care documentation working in partnership with service users, wider MDT and friends/relatives/significant others.
d. Escalating any concerns to relevant Health Care Professional.
e. Monitoring and recording service user clinical observations, such as physical observations and vital signs and escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration or that do not fulfil the personal parameters to the relevant professional (Registered Nurse or Doctors). Promote healthy lifestyles and give health promotion advice and support.
f. Implementing the principles of recovery: encouraging and supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles, facilitating psychosocial activities and other activities of their interest. Where appropriate contributing to psychological interventions under the guidance of a registered professional.
5. Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
6. Advocating for service users needs and rights within Trust policy. Encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care.
7. Supporting the registered nurse to coordinate and prioritise activities within the clinical area and in the community.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications
If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.
Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.
Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications Essential
Completion of Care Certificate and acquired competencies. English and Mathematics basic qualifications (eg GCSE at Grade C or above or evidence of Level 2 in Functional skills for numeracy and literacy)
Desirable
Level 2/3 Health and Social care qualification / working towards qualification.
Experience & Knowledge Essential
Clinical experience minimum 1 year and experience of engaging with service users / patients. Knowledge of treatment options.
Desirable
Experience in different clinical care settings. Experience in supervision of staff.
SKills & Abilities Essential
Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user's needs, with supervision available but not always present, and acting on own initiative, within protocols, policies and care plans. Communications skills - receiving and conveying sensitive information, with staff and with service users and able to keep accurate records. Knowing when to escalate concerns and to whom credible in a multi-professional environment. Able to plan and co-ordinate and prioritise own and team work. Approachable and self-aware, including the ability to self-reflect. Understanding forms of effective working relationships with colleagues. Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times.
Desirable
Training and experience in specialist skills such as ECG, Vital Signs, Phlebotomy. Experience in facilitating groups
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).
Employer details Employer name South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Address Elizabeth Newton Building Entrance 2, Springfield University Hospital
Elizabeth Newton Way
London
SW17 0YG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)