Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Support Worker - Social Care

The closing date is 13 October 2025

Job summary

We have an exciting and rare opportunity within Mental Health Services for Older People for an experienced Senior Support Worker to join our social care team to assist us with the smooth running of the service.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to assess need, plan, implement/ commission and evaluate care for a number of people that are allocated to them; this will include decisions regarding risk and risk management. The post holder will regularly work alone, without direct supervision, they will however be accountable to a qualified member of the team. The post holder will exercise communication skills, both verbal and written and be able to engage with acutely distressed people in challenging and unknown situations.

As a staff member the post holder represents Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and will play a vital role in fostering positive relationships and communication between the Mental Health Trust and not only the clients and their carers and relatives, but also other agencies, charities, and providers.

All staff should comply with the Trust's Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity.

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Date posted

29 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,860 to £31,671 a year Per annum, Pro rata (5% HCAS Included)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

367-SS-9738

Job locations

Rosanne House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6HG

Parkway

Welwyn Garden City

AL8 6HG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Be allocated a number of people, whom they will complete an assessment of care needs (primarily social care) and risk assessment of patients presenting with a wide variety of clinical conditions. Following this the post holder will be responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of programmes of care, without direct supervision (though clinical supervision is implemented as per policy to support you).

Be required to provide advice, guidance and education to clients and their carers and families regarding social care provision and policy.

Participate fully in providing quality of care in line with local and national guidelines.

Act as a role model in providing a service for people with mental health problems.

Participate in team audit projects associated with the service.

Be required to challenge practice that compromises or challenges high quality care to older people

To advise Team Manager of any resource short falls.

To partake in continuing professional development that will also benefit the development and quality of the service.

Document all activity on Care Notes (PARIS), ACSIS and Outlook, and to utilise Employee Online, Online Expenses and other computerised systems.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Be required to provide advice, guidance and education to clients and their carers and families regarding social care provision and policy.

Participate fully in providing quality of care in line with local and national guidelines.

Act as a role model in providing a service for people with mental health problems.

Participate in team audit projects associated with the service.

Be required to challenge practice that compromises or challenges high quality care to older people

To advise Team Manager of any resource short falls.

To partake in continuing professional development that will also benefit the development and quality of the service.

Document all activity on Care Notes (PARIS), ACSIS and Outlook, and to utilise Employee Online, Online Expenses and other computerised systems.

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE and TRAINING

Essential

Experience of working within mental health services (or other social care service)
Knowledge of relevant legislation, eg. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, National Service Framework for Older People, National Dementia Strategy
Use of computer programmes eg. Word

Desirable

Completed training courses relevant to mental health and cognitive disorders
Knowledge of FACS criteria
Knowledge and able to use to Care Notes and ACSIS computer systems

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential

Excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing
Ability to feedback and discuss cases within the multi disciplinary team
Excellent documentation of duties performed.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential

Good range of problem solving skills
Good range of information gathering skills.

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE and TRAINING

Essential

Experience of working within mental health services (or other social care service)
Knowledge of relevant legislation, eg. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, National Service Framework for Older People, National Dementia Strategy
Use of computer programmes eg. Word

Desirable

Completed training courses relevant to mental health and cognitive disorders
Knowledge of FACS criteria
Knowledge and able to use to Care Notes and ACSIS computer systems

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential

Excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing
Ability to feedback and discuss cases within the multi disciplinary team
Excellent documentation of duties performed.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential

Good range of problem solving skills
Good range of information gathering skills.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rosanne House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6HG

Parkway

Welwyn Garden City

AL8 6HG

Employer's website

https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rosanne House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6HG

Parkway

Welwyn Garden City

AL8 6HG

Employer's website

https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)