IST Senior Support Worker

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 23 May 2025

Job summary

The Intensive Support Team (IST) provides a rapid, time limited, community based assessment and treatment service for people with learning disability living in Buckinghamshire, who challenge services and have additional mental health needs. IST seeks to provide an alternative, where appropriate, for Service Users to hospital admission, so as to minimise further disruption to their lives and to the people who care for them within a Multi Disciplinary Team.

We are looking to appoint anenthusiastic and forward thinking Learning Disability Senior Support Worker to join the Intensive Support Team (IST) in Buckinghamshire. The team are based within Buckinghamshire locality with existing links to other local health and social care services.

The successful candidate will assist with the developing and implementation of care planning and assessment working with individuals and their families / carers within their own homes.

In return you will have many opportunities to develop professionally by the provision of regular supervision both on a 1:1 basis and peer group and opportunities to develop you further through training programmes offered.

Please note we are recruiting for 1 Fixed term contract for 12 months.

Main duties of the job

The team provide care for people who have a Learning Disability and or mental Health or Challenging behaviour needs within their own environments.

For this role we are looking for candidates who posses excellent communication skill and can identify and use different methods of communication.

Candidates must have an awareness in assessing risk

IST uses a Positive Behavioural Support as a framework so would be involved in developing and implementing PBS plans in conjunction with the wider Multi Disciplinary Team

This role requires regular travel between sites, potentially at short notice. You will therefore need to have reliable transportation to meet this requirement. Please confirm you are a car driver with a current UK driving license, unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

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

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,857 to £30,570 a year per annum, Pro Rata (inclusive of HCAS)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

367-LD&F-9330

Job locations

Unit 1, Midshires Business Park

Smeaton Close

Aylesbury

HP19 8HL


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To work with an allocated caseload under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
  • To acknowledge & respect the physical, psychological, emotional, and environmental needs of the service users and their carers during contacts.
  • To plan and lead group and individual interventions in conjunction with the case holder.
  • To carry out delegated tasks without direct supervision from a qualified practitioner, in a variety of settings, including LD and MH inpatient services, and then to report observations back to the case-holder.
  • To attend and contribute to meetings as agreed with the case holders.
  • To participate in the assessment and treatment process so as to further develop individual service users skills. This will include direct and indirect support to maintain the service users physical and psychological wellbeing. It may also include transportation of service users to support them to access appropriate services & facilities as part of the assessment and treatment plan.
  • To keep accurate records of tasks undertaken, observations and events concerning service users and to report to the relevant members of the team, as appropriate.
  • To prepare reports on individual service users, as requested.
  • To maintain and promote good communication and working relationships both within the team and with colleagues from other agencies.
  • To develop a knowledge and understanding of the specialist needs of individual service users, and the approaches used in their care plans.
  • To maintain skills and knowledge by actively participating in all mandatory training and professional developmental opportunities.
  • To report and document any changes or concerns in a service users health / behaviour to a senior member of staff.
  • To report and document incidents to a senior member of staff.
  • To participate in regular supervision and the annual appraisal process.
  • To participate in the induction of new staff members, students, and trainees.
  • To work within Team and Service standards.
  • To be willing to continue to develop their skills and knowledge through training opportunities.
  • To be willing to participate in promotional activities such as healthcare events, team presentations both local to Hertfordshire and nationally, to raise awareness of the work of the team and of the healthcare needs of people with learning disabilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To work with an allocated caseload under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
  • To acknowledge & respect the physical, psychological, emotional, and environmental needs of the service users and their carers during contacts.
  • To plan and lead group and individual interventions in conjunction with the case holder.
  • To carry out delegated tasks without direct supervision from a qualified practitioner, in a variety of settings, including LD and MH inpatient services, and then to report observations back to the case-holder.
  • To attend and contribute to meetings as agreed with the case holders.
  • To participate in the assessment and treatment process so as to further develop individual service users skills. This will include direct and indirect support to maintain the service users physical and psychological wellbeing. It may also include transportation of service users to support them to access appropriate services & facilities as part of the assessment and treatment plan.
  • To keep accurate records of tasks undertaken, observations and events concerning service users and to report to the relevant members of the team, as appropriate.
  • To prepare reports on individual service users, as requested.
  • To maintain and promote good communication and working relationships both within the team and with colleagues from other agencies.
  • To develop a knowledge and understanding of the specialist needs of individual service users, and the approaches used in their care plans.
  • To maintain skills and knowledge by actively participating in all mandatory training and professional developmental opportunities.
  • To report and document any changes or concerns in a service users health / behaviour to a senior member of staff.
  • To report and document incidents to a senior member of staff.
  • To participate in regular supervision and the annual appraisal process.
  • To participate in the induction of new staff members, students, and trainees.
  • To work within Team and Service standards.
  • To be willing to continue to develop their skills and knowledge through training opportunities.
  • To be willing to participate in promotional activities such as healthcare events, team presentations both local to Hertfordshire and nationally, to raise awareness of the work of the team and of the healthcare needs of people with learning disabilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Evidence of academic achievement to at least GCSE level or equivalent in English, Maths, and a science subject

Desirable

  • A relevant care qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with people who have learning disability and who may have mental health needs and/or challenging behaviour

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY

Essential

  • The ability to work under the direction and indirect supervision of qualified practitioners.
  • The ability to deliver the band 4 role within an agreed care plan.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Evidence of academic achievement to at least GCSE level or equivalent in English, Maths, and a science subject

Desirable

  • A relevant care qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with people who have learning disability and who may have mental health needs and/or challenging behaviour

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY

Essential

  • The ability to work under the direction and indirect supervision of qualified practitioners.
  • The ability to deliver the band 4 role within an agreed care plan.

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

Unit 1, Midshires Business Park

Smeaton Close

Aylesbury

HP19 8HL


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

Unit 1, Midshires Business Park

Smeaton Close

Aylesbury

HP19 8HL


Employer's website

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


For questions about the job, contact:

Buckinghamshire IST Lead

Olivia Addae

olivia.addae@nhs.net

07920211627

Date posted

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,857 to £30,570 a year per annum, Pro Rata (inclusive of HCAS)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

367-LD&F-9330

Job locations

Unit 1, Midshires Business Park

Smeaton Close

Aylesbury

HP19 8HL


Supporting documents

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