Healthcare Support Worker

Company: Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
Apply for the Healthcare Support Worker
Location: Gillingham
Job Description:

This is an exciting opportunity for Healthcare Worker to join our experienced multi-disciplinary team at the Newhaven Lodge Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit.

Newhaven Lodge is comprised of 8 single bedrooms offering 24 hour care – 7 days a week for individuals with complex mental health needs. It is situated in Gillingham on the Medway Maritime Hospital Site and is one of 6 Rehabilitation Units across Kent, which provides open Inpatient Recovery and Rehabilitation.

Under the guidance and supervision of the team, you will deliver an effective and competent level of care to adults with mental health rehabilitation needs, in the Unit and the local community. You will be involved in assisting patients in their day-to-day activities, supporting them to maintain and develop skills towards independence, and continue their recovery.

This post will involve shift working to cover 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Main duties of the job

The post is suitable for non-registered support staff, with some prior experience working with adults with mental health difficulties.

You will need to support registered staff in carrying out a variety of mental health needs assessments and interventions, both with individuals, their carers and groups.

You will need to be confident and competent in working with individuals in an inpatient rehabilitation setting based in the community and be able to work effectively in a multi-professional context.

You should have collaborative and enthusiastic styles as well as have a passion and commitment to promote service provision for adults with complex mental health needs.

The post requires that you are good communicator, and are able to adopt a flexible, adaptable and proactive approach to your work.

You will need to work with a defined caseload of clients who have identified rehabilitation and recovery needs as a result of mental health issues using specific approaches as directed by the clinicians responsible for the care plan in a recovery focussed and socially inclusive manner.

This post consists of working days and occasionally nights as per rota roster.

You will be benefiting from encouragement to continue to develop your own specialist skills, knowledge and competence through participation, reflection, supervision and training and your development will be guided using the Trust’s appraisal process.

Qualifications

  • NVQ or equivalent in a relevant subject (e.g. Health and Social Care) or be prepared to work towards this.
  • Good general education, competent in literacy and numeracy.

Experience

  • Experience of working with individuals with complex mental health problems.
  • Experience of working in a community mental health setting.
  • Experience of implementing rehabilitation plans.
  • Experience of individual and group work.

Knowledge & Skills

  • An awareness of enduring mental health disorders.
  • A basic understanding of the Recovery Model.
  • An awareness of the impact of mental health needs on clients, families and carers
  • Ability to follow specific directions as required.
  • An ability to form rapport with individuals and groups.
  • An ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times, even in challenging/complex situations.
  • A willingness to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
  • Ability to work autonomously and cooperatively as part of an interdisciplinary team, showing an awareness of team dynamics.
  • Basic awareness of clinical governance.
  • Effective organisational/planning and decision-making skills
  • Sound knowledge and practice of IT skills.
  • An awareness of social activities and amenities within the local community
  • Knowledge of benefits and employment systems.
  • Awareness of tenancy issues.
  • Basic health and safety awareness.
  • A basic understanding of the Mental Health Act.

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.

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Posted: July 11th, 2026