Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Community Support Worker

The closing date is 19 February 2026

Job summary

Do you believe that everyone deserves the chance to live a safe, meaningful life in their community?

If so, this role is more than about tasks and routines. Its about

Seeing the person

working with compassion, curiosity and integrity

Balancing care with accountability

Promoting dignity, rights and least restrictive practice

The Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team works with individuals who are at imminent risk of admission to hospital due to significant risk to self or others and individuals who may be at risk of placement breakdown. Intervention from the service seeks toenable individuals to live safely and meaningfully within the community.

As a support worker you will play a vital role in delivering high quality, trauma informed care under the guidance and supervision of qualified clinicians. You will support individuals to develop daily living skills, improve and develop emotional regulation strategies and work towards personal goals identified in their care and risk management plans. This may include promoting independence, supporting community access and contributing to behaviour support and offence related interventions.

Main duties of the job

The Specialist Community Forensic Team is a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Nursing, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational therapists, Social Work, Psychology and Psychiatry. You will be expected to work in all areas of Cheshire and Merseyside and to liaise with a number of partner agencies including Health, Social Care and the Criminal Justice agencies to develop proactive and preventative risk mitigation and support.

The primary role of the Community Support Worker is 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 / productivity 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.

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles. Please note that this role covers a 7 day period, between the hours of 9am and 8pm, therefore working hours and days will be on a scheduled rota. Working patterns and flexibility will be discussed at interview.

Details

Date posted

06 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

350-SC7731681

Job locations

Merseycare Specialist Support Team, 2 City Approach, Floor 7

Albert Street

Eccles

M30 0BL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find below the main responsibilities of this role:

To coordinate the assessment and delivery of a planned programme of care with guidance and indirect supervision from a qualified practitioner and to contribute to formal assessment and delivery of an individual plan of care.

To actively engage in the implementation of treatment and care plans, and to actively engage service users to maintain and develop social, self-help, occupational and personal skills.

To provide assistance with activities of daily living, social, recreational and occupational activities as agreed in the service user care plan.

To function as a support worker enacting specific care planned interventions under the direction of the lead Clinician / senior staff.

To report general observations and provide feedback to a qualified practitioner both verbally and in written formats, if required. This should include any concerns arising from the service user physical or mental health.

To contribute to effective running of the service by providing and receiving information to/from other departments or services. Ensure this information is provided in the most effective way i.e. telephone, fax or in writing.

To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by service users due to their mental health needs.

To contribute to maintaining a safe environment for service users in the community.

To carry out specific duties that contribute to the assessment of service users as requested by a qualified practitioner.

To develop and maintain links with other agencies and services, both statutory and voluntary.

To support statutory and voluntary sector social care staff in the delivery of appropriate care in accordance with the treatment and care plan, acting as a role model and in a supervisory role.

Working hours will be rostered on a 7 day week, 08:00-20:00 basis.

To use skills and techniques, to de-escalate situations where service users become physically or verbally aggressive.

To work directly with service users in their own homes to complete assessments, to deliver interventions and at times in response to a crisis where additional intensive support is required.

To support the delivery of group interventions by facilitating programmes with senior members of staff.

To support the development and delivery of training for staff teams and groups under indirect supervision of senior staff.

To maintain accurate charts and data collection protocols that contribute to the assessment process.

To contribute to the development of risk management plans, working in collaboration with the lead SST practitioner.

Please refer to Job Description and Personal Specification for further information

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find below the main responsibilities of this role:

To coordinate the assessment and delivery of a planned programme of care with guidance and indirect supervision from a qualified practitioner and to contribute to formal assessment and delivery of an individual plan of care.

To actively engage in the implementation of treatment and care plans, and to actively engage service users to maintain and develop social, self-help, occupational and personal skills.

To provide assistance with activities of daily living, social, recreational and occupational activities as agreed in the service user care plan.

To function as a support worker enacting specific care planned interventions under the direction of the lead Clinician / senior staff.

To report general observations and provide feedback to a qualified practitioner both verbally and in written formats, if required. This should include any concerns arising from the service user physical or mental health.

To contribute to effective running of the service by providing and receiving information to/from other departments or services. Ensure this information is provided in the most effective way i.e. telephone, fax or in writing.

To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by service users due to their mental health needs.

To contribute to maintaining a safe environment for service users in the community.

To carry out specific duties that contribute to the assessment of service users as requested by a qualified practitioner.

To develop and maintain links with other agencies and services, both statutory and voluntary.

To support statutory and voluntary sector social care staff in the delivery of appropriate care in accordance with the treatment and care plan, acting as a role model and in a supervisory role.

Working hours will be rostered on a 7 day week, 08:00-20:00 basis.

To use skills and techniques, to de-escalate situations where service users become physically or verbally aggressive.

To work directly with service users in their own homes to complete assessments, to deliver interventions and at times in response to a crisis where additional intensive support is required.

To support the delivery of group interventions by facilitating programmes with senior members of staff.

To support the development and delivery of training for staff teams and groups under indirect supervision of senior staff.

To maintain accurate charts and data collection protocols that contribute to the assessment process.

To contribute to the development of risk management plans, working in collaboration with the lead SST practitioner.

Please refer to Job Description and Personal Specification for further information

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working in a care setting
  • Demonstrate evidence of working well in a team
  • Experience of working with people who have learning disabilities and who offend of display challenging behaviour

Desirable

  • Experience working in a supervisory role

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Responsive to patient need
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Honesty and transparency
  • Discrete
  • Engaging leadership style

Skills

Essential

  • Able to satisfactorily complete physical intervention training
  • Able to work within unpredictable circumstances
  • Able to take direction and instruction
  • Good communication skills - verbal and non-verbal
  • Able to work under supervision
  • Ability to remain calm in difficult situations and support others
  • Ability to meet the day to today needs of the service users including providing practical support with daily living activities
  • Work as part of a multidisciplinary team
  • To have good observation and report skills
  • Ability to supervise

Knowledge

Essential

  • Apprenticeship in H & SC Level 3
  • Able to communicate effectively
  • Understanding of issues of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work as a member of a team
  • Ability to demonstrate a non-judgemental attitude
  • Ability to work on own initiative under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working in a care setting
  • Demonstrate evidence of working well in a team
  • Experience of working with people who have learning disabilities and who offend of display challenging behaviour

Desirable

  • Experience working in a supervisory role

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Responsive to patient need
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Honesty and transparency
  • Discrete
  • Engaging leadership style

Skills

Essential

  • Able to satisfactorily complete physical intervention training
  • Able to work within unpredictable circumstances
  • Able to take direction and instruction
  • Good communication skills - verbal and non-verbal
  • Able to work under supervision
  • Ability to remain calm in difficult situations and support others
  • Ability to meet the day to today needs of the service users including providing practical support with daily living activities
  • Work as part of a multidisciplinary team
  • To have good observation and report skills
  • Ability to supervise

Knowledge

Essential

  • Apprenticeship in H & SC Level 3
  • Able to communicate effectively
  • Understanding of issues of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work as a member of a team
  • Ability to demonstrate a non-judgemental attitude
  • Ability to work on own initiative under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

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

Merseycare Specialist Support Team, 2 City Approach, Floor 7

Albert Street

Eccles

M30 0BL


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Merseycare Specialist Support Team, 2 City Approach, Floor 7

Albert Street

Eccles

M30 0BL


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Operational Team Manager

Sammy Porter

sammy.porter@merseycare.nhs.uk

01613834460

Details

Date posted

06 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

350-SC7731681

Job locations

Merseycare Specialist Support Team, 2 City Approach, Floor 7

Albert Street

Eccles

M30 0BL


Supporting documents

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