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Job summary

Main area
Specialist Learning Disability Service
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift Patterns are 08:00 - 16:00hrs or 12:00 - 20:00hr over 7 day rota 09:00hrs to 17:00hrs weekends and bank holidays)
Job ref
367-LD&F-10178
Employer
Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Unit 1 Midshires Business Park, Smeaton Close, Aylesbury, HP19 8HL
Town
Aylesbury
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust logo

IST Senior Support Worker

Band 4

Values Based Screener

At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form. 

http://hpft.recruitforvalues.co

Job overview

Whilst we welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.

The Intensive Support Team provides a rapid, time limited, community based assessment and treatment service for people with learning disability living in Hertfordshire, 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. 

Candidates must hold a valid driving licence and access to a car due to having to travel around East and North Hertfordshire to enable our service to be provided in the persons own home or workplace. driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within a Multi- Disciplinary Team and will carry out direct Service User work under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

To participate in assessing the specialist needs of people with a learning disability living in the community or as inpatients in Hertfordshire LD Inpatient services and in the implementation of their individual care plans.

To develop and maintain professional working relationships with service users, carers, team colleagues and other agencies.

To work flexibly over a 7-day period in a variety of health and social care settings.

To work as a lone worker using delegated autonomy and initiative.

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

Working for our organisation

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?

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Clinical 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 user’s skills.  This will include direct and indirect support to maintain the service user’s 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/EDUCATION/TRAINING

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of academic achievement to at least GCSE level or equivalent in English, Maths, and a science subject
Desirable criteria
  • A relevant care qualification

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

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

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY

Essential criteria
  • 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.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential criteria
  • Excellent written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to use the appropriate reporting structure as timely to individual situations.
  • Willingness & ability to promote the independence and social inclusion of people with a learning disability.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge and skills in behaviour management.
  • Decision making skills both in routine practice and in crisis situations.
  • Knowledge & skills of non-adverse risk assessment & management planning.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoAge positiveMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantCare quality commission - OutstandingStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Happy to Talk Flexible Working

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application promptly.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Olivia Olivia Addae
Job title
Nursing Team Leader
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07920211627
Additional information

Olivia Addae 

07920211627

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
The Colonnades
Hatfield
AL10 8YE
Telephone
07484 987720
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