Mental Health Support Worker
At a glance
- Band
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time, Part-time
- Hours / week
- 22.5
- Posted
- 04/09/2026
- Closes
- 20/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This advert explicitly states that sponsorship is not offered.
The source advert contains explicit wording ruling out sponsorship for this specific role. Consider other live roles at the same band from sponsorship-friendly trusts.
“Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Please ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role is for a compassionate and adaptable Mental Health Support Worker to join the Allocate on Arrival team at St Ann's Hospital, Poole. You will work flexibly across various mental health wards, including Psychiatric Intensive Care Units and Acute Assessment wards. The position involves supporting patients experiencing acute mental illness, engaging them therapeutically, and assisting with their recovery. Experience in mental health or learning disabilities is required, and you must be able to work calmly under pressure.
Key responsibilities
- To work flexibly according to service and clinical need across the inpatient mental health wards and units.
- Therapeutically observe and engage with patients in accordance with their care plan, reporting and escalating to registered staff.
- Spend time listening to people with empathy and compassion, helping them identify solutions and access resources for recovery.
- To therapeutically engage and support patients in emotional regulation strategies and de-escalation of aggression.
- To undertake and accurately record physical health monitoring and observations, reporting as required.
Essential criteria
- What experience do you hold which is relevant to the role?
- Personal Qualities/Atrributes [PS Criteria: 3.1]
- Have you previously worked or volunteered in a busy or high-paced environment? Please provide an example where you have remained calm under pressure.
- Knowledge, Skills and Training [PS Criteria: 1.2]
- Have you undertaken any previous training to develop your skills and/or willing to professionally develop to meet the needs of the service. (Please provide details).
- Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 2.5]
- How do you work well in a team? (Please provide an example)
- Personal Qualities/Attributes [PS Criteria: 3.2 / 3.3 / 3.4 / 3.5]
- Thinking about the skills neeed for this position such as listening, empathy, motivation and prioritisation. Please state how your personal skills allign and why this role appeals to you.
- Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 2.1]
- What experience do you have of working with people with mental health and / or learning disabilities, including demonstrable skills in supporting people in emotional distress. How does your experience meet these essential criteria?
- Knowledge, Skills and Training / Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 1.1 / 2.2]
- What experience do you hold which is relevant to the role?
- Personal Qualities/Atrributes [PS Criteria: 3.1]
- Have you previously worked or volunteered in a busy or high-paced environment? Please provide an example where you have remained calm under pressure.
- Knowledge, Skills and Training [PS Criteria: 1.2]
- Have you undertaken any previous training to develop your skills and/or willing to professionally develop to meet the needs of the service. (Please provide details).
- Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 2.5]
- How do you work well in a team? (Please provide an example)
- Personal Qualities/Attributes [PS Criteria: 3.2 / 3.3 / 3.4 / 3.5]
- Thinking about the skills neeed for this position such as listening, empathy, motivation and prioritisation. Please state how your personal skills allign and why this role appeals to you.
- Job Specific Experience [PS Criteria: 2.1]
- What experience do you have of working with people with mental health and / or learning disabilities, including demonstrable skills in supporting people in emotional distress. How does your experience meet these essential criteria?
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 3 at £24,625 – £25,674 a year, across England.
This advert: £25,760 – £27,476 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 3d ago · Closes in 14d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Mental Health Support Worker
The closing date is 20 September 2026
Job summary
We are looking for compassionate and adaptable Mental Health Support Workers, to join us in an exciting new opportunity to work as part of the Allocate on Arrival team based at St Anns Hospital, Poole. This team will work according to service need across our mental health wards and units; including Psychiatric Intensive Care Units, Adult and Older persons Acute Assessment and Treatment wards, and Health Based Place of Safety.
St Ann's Hospitalprovides care and treatment to those experiencing acute episodes of mental illness and supporting patients through distressing and vulnerable time in their lives. All wards aim to promote a calm and therapeutic approach and environment where our patients are supported by friendly, skilled and enthusiastic teams to enable them to move forwards with their recovery.This role requires the experience, willingness and skills to work in different clinical wards and environments and take a positive approach in team working. Experience of supporting people with mental health and/ or learning disabilities is required. We are looking for people who can support patients in a calm and therapeutic manner, especially in difficult or distressing circumstances, in accordance with their care plans and under superv
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