About this role
Job summary
Assertive Outreach support worker Band 4 Full-time, 37.5 hours Community Mental Health Hub (Kensington & Chelsea)
Make engagement happen. Prevent crisis. Change trajectories. We're building a focused Assertive Outreach (AO) offer within our Community Mental Health Hub to reach adults with severe mental illness (SMI) who are at risk of disengaging from care. If you thrive on meaningful relationship-building, rapid decision-making, and real-world impact, this role is for you.
About the role as an Assertive Outreach support worker, you'll be the consistent, trusted keyworker for a small caseload, delivering time-limited, intensive support over a stepped 6-month model. You'll combine engagement and therapeutic skill with creativity and persistence--meeting people where they are, in homes and community spaces across Kensington & Chelsea--to stabilise engagement, reduce risk, and prevent crisis.
Main duties of the job
The Assertive Outreach Support Worker will provide practical, engagement-focused support to adults with severe mental illness (SMI) who are at risk of disengaging from services. Working under the direction and supervision of the Band 6 Assertive Outreach Worker, the postholder will help stabilise engagement, reduce risk, and support individuals to access essential practical, social, and community resources.
This role is central to the Assertive Outreach model described in the Band 6 JD, which emphasises persistent outreach, flexible engagement, and holistic support (this includes community-based contacts, and phone/text engagement).
The Band 4 role contributes to this by delivering practical support that enables engagement and reduces barriers.
The postholder will:
Provide practical, hands-on support in community settings where the service user feels most comfortable. Assist with housing, benefits, appointments, and daily living tasks. Support the team in delivering the stepped 6-month outreach model. Build trusting, consistent relationships using trauma-informed and person-centred approaches. Contribute to risk monitoring and communication within the MDT. This role requires excellent interpersonal skills, persistence, and the ability to work safely in the community with the support of your team.
About us
We have a hub in the North (Woodfield road) and a hub in the South (Nightingale place). The team will be expected to work across sites to support where the need is.
You will be based within our Community Mental Health Hubs and work within a large multidisciplinary team.
We are friendly and supportive. We encourage staff to develop and you will have access to in house and trust wide training.
Job description Job responsibilities
Carry out outreach activities as directed by the Band 6 AO Worker, including home visits, community meetings, and phone/text contact. Support the no discharge for DNA approach by using persistent, creative engagement strategies. Provide practical support that enables engagement, such as: Attending housing appointments Supporting with benefits forms Helping with ID applications Accompanying service users to GP or D&A appointments Supporting access to community resources Build rapport through empathy, reliability, and traumainformed practice. Maintain regular contact attempts in line with the AO model.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Good standard of general education (GCSE or equivalent).
Desirable
NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent. Training in mental health, substance use, or housing support
Experience Essential
Experience working with people with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities. Experience providing practical support (housing, benefits, community support). Experience working in community settings. Experience working with people who may be reluctant to engage.
Desirable
Experience in NHS or social care settings. Experience supporting individuals with SMI or dual diagnosis. Experience working with multidisciplinary teams.
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 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address Hathway house
woodfield road
london
W9 2BA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)