Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Nursing Assistant - Learning Disability & Autism inpatient services

The closing date is 20 July 2025

Job summary

Do you have a passion for putting patients first and experience caring for service users with a Learning Disability and/or Autism diagnosis?

If you share our vision to support service users along their care pathway ensuring appropriate assessment, engagement and therapeutic activity; whilst aiming to support a timely discharge into the community - we would love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

As a nursing assistant in our Learning Disability and Autism inpatient service you will be required to carry out assigned duties involving direct patient care and observation of service users under guidance and supervision of qualified staff. The successful candidate will be self-motivated and able to work in a fast paced environment.

Additionally, you will be able to work autonomously and as part of a well-established team whilst working with service users who may present with extreme challenging behaviour including physical and verbal aggression, changes in mental health, forensic needs and complex physical health needs.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a range of communication skills & techniques to enable positive communication to take place with individuals who may have complex communication needs.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Date posted

02 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

350-SC7110585-A

Job locations

Secure Care Division

12 Birch Avenue

Warrington

WA2 9TN

Job description

Job responsibilities

To carry out assigned duties, involving direct care and observation of service users under the guidance and indirect supervision of qualified staff.

To report to the qualified staff any observations made whilst providing care to service users activities and leisure, providing details of mental state and risk factors.

To work with service users on an individual and group basis as outlined in the care plan and as directed by the appropriate named lead professional.

Please see attached job description and person specification for full details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To carry out assigned duties, involving direct care and observation of service users under the guidance and indirect supervision of qualified staff.

To report to the qualified staff any observations made whilst providing care to service users activities and leisure, providing details of mental state and risk factors.

To work with service users on an individual and group basis as outlined in the care plan and as directed by the appropriate named lead professional.

Please see attached job description and person specification for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Health and Social Care Level 2 qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable

Phlebotomy trained
Physical Health competency basic passport
MEWS
Level 2 Smoking Cessation
Care Certificate
Good standard of education.
Qualification in craft, domestic skills, leisure or health equivalent to City & Guild Part 1-, or 2-year experience working in a health setting
Willing to work towards Level 3 Health Care qualification.

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

Essential

Able to communicate effectively.
Understanding of issues of confidentiality.
Ability to work as a member of a team.
Ability to demonstrate a non-judgmental attitude.
Ability to work on own initiative under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Experience working in a care setting

Desirable

Experience of individuals with mental health problems or personal lived experience of mental health problems.

Skills

Essential

Ability to provide support and guidance to junior staff

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Health and Social Care Level 2 qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable

Phlebotomy trained
Physical Health competency basic passport
MEWS
Level 2 Smoking Cessation
Care Certificate
Good standard of education.
Qualification in craft, domestic skills, leisure or health equivalent to City & Guild Part 1-, or 2-year experience working in a health setting
Willing to work towards Level 3 Health Care qualification.

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

Essential

Able to communicate effectively.
Understanding of issues of confidentiality.
Ability to work as a member of a team.
Ability to demonstrate a non-judgmental attitude.
Ability to work on own initiative under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Experience working in a care setting

Desirable

Experience of individuals with mental health problems or personal lived experience of mental health problems.

Skills

Essential

Ability to provide support and guidance to junior staff

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

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Secure Care Division

12 Birch Avenue

Warrington

WA2 9TN

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Secure Care Division

12 Birch Avenue

Warrington

WA2 9TN

Employer's website

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