Bank- Mental Health Healthcare Assistant

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

Are you an experienced and compassionate mental health worker looking for flexible work that truly makes a difference?

The Kent and Medway Adolescent Hospital is seeking Band 3 Mental Health Healthcare Assistants to join our dedicated service supporting children and young people with complex needs. We offer flexibility around night and weekend shifts — ideal if you’re seeking work-life balance or looking to enhance your experience alongside your current role.

KMAH provides a welcoming, responsive, and safe environment for young people between the ages of 13 and 18 years, within which it delivers mental health assessment, treatment, care, and management, which cannot be safely delivered in a community setting. KMAH refers to the hospital building and the immediate surrounding hospital grounds. KMAH is home to the following services: 

-Woodlands Ward – 11 Bedded General Adolescent Unit + 3 ED Patient Beds

-HBPoS – One Suite 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for managing a defined group of patients with complex needs, including a wide range of physical disabilities as well as cognitive, perceptual and mental health problems. They may have acute or chronic conditions and will be treated individually or in group settings using evidence-based practice as defined below: 

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.  Responsible for own work and that of others within a broad framework.  Carrying out and monitoring treatment programmes as directed.  Forming part of an interdependent multi-disciplinary team helping to ensure that their input is integrated into the patient’s overall care & treatment plans.  Promoting the recovery of patients and maintain their independence in the community. 

Working for our organisation

✔ Flexible bank shifts to suit your lifestyle (nights/weekends)
✔ Work with a friendly, passionate and supportive multidisciplinary team
✔ Make a real difference in the lives of children and families across Kent
✔ Gain valuable experience in Children and Young People's Mental Health inpatient settings

If you’re motivated by meaningful work and want to use your skills to support children and families when they need it most — we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us deliver compassionate mental health care.

We operate a Temporary Staffing service and offer our Bank Staff excellent benefits including:

Competitive hourly rates and weekly pay;

Access to paid annual leave and statutory sick pay;
My Trust Benefits discount scheme;
Access to the NHS pension scheme;
Paid mandatory training;
Opportunities for locally agreed training;
PAMOVA training for Mental Health inpatient staff;
Flexibility of hours/location;
Priority over agency staff for booking shifts;
Opportunity to apply for permanent posts.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main duties of this position are outlined fully in the attached job description. 

For more information about working on the Temporary Staffing Bank please contact the Temporary Staffing Team on .

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of mental health services (as a worker or service user/carer)

Desirable criteria

At least 1 year recent relevant Experience in a healthcare setting and basic level of theoretic knowledge.

Skills

Essential criteria

An enthusiasm to make a positive contribution to improving the quality of life for people with mental health problems

Qualifications

Essential criteria

NVQ level 3 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy

NHS Care Certificate or 2nd/3rd Year Nursing Student

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:

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.

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.
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.
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.