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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health Inpatient Services
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (shift patterns on a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year basis.)
Job ref
350-MHC7176586-E
Employer
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Various Trust sites
Town
Whiston, St Helens
Salary
£24,937 - £26,598 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
03/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust logo

Nursing Assistant - St Helens & Knowsley Services Recruitment Event

Band 3

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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

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Job overview

Join our team as a Nursing Assistant!

Are you passionate about providing exceptional care and support to patients? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of those in need? We are looking for dedicated and compassionate Nursing Assistants to join the following services; 

  • Grasmere Ward (Knowsley Resource and Recovery Centre)
  • Coniston Ward (Knowsley Resource and Recovery Centre)
  • Rydal Ward (Knowsley Resource and Recovery Centre)
  • Taylor Ward (St Helens)
  • Iris Ward (St Helens)

Our values are at the heart of everything we do, they are: 

  • Continuous improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respect
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support

If you share our values and want to be part of a team that makes a real difference, we want to hear from you. 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend our assessment centre on 15 August 2025, those that successfully pass the assessment will then be invited to an interview on 22 August 2025. 

Main duties of the job

You will support the clinical team in the delivery of a high standard of care by assisting with and carrying out a range of duties as directed by registered staff. This will be in line with individual care and treatment plans for patients and service users.

You will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values patients, service users and their carers ensuring they are at the centre of care and treatment planning.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Principal 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.

Clinical:

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 individuals plan of care.

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

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 assist service users with self-administration of oral medication and ensure any concerns / issues about medication are reported back to a qualified practitioner.

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 user in the community (where appropriate).

To carry out specific duties that contributes 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 (where appropriate).

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

To carry out observations and inform the Registered Nurse of any concerns. e.g. temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, diet and fluid intake, weight as requested by a qualified practitioner.

To contribute to the development of risk management plans for service users by reporting, to the qualified practitioner any issues or concerns regarding service users behaviour / action towards themselves or others.

Respond to the changing needs of service users.

Control the assessments of implemented individual service users care plans.

To undertake and understand the support of observations as per policy

To carry out escorts with service users on and off the hospital site.

To support qualified nurses in the administration of medicines by acting as a witness.

Provide advice and guidance related health promotion to the service user.

Plan social and therapeutic work with service user using a range off therapeutic approaches.

Participate in presenting multi disciplinary reviews, daily reviews and handovers.

Undertake surveys and audits.

Assist in the collection of data from a variety of resource.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Health and Social Care Level 2 qualification or equivalent experience

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working in a care setting
  • Understanding of issues of confidentiality

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Able to communicate effectively
  • Able to communicate effectively
  • Ability to demonstrate a non-judgemental attitude
  • Ability to work on own initiative under the supervision of a qualified practitioner
  • Ability to provide support and guidance to junior staff
  • Ability to work as a member of a team

Values

Essential criteria
  • Continuous improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respect
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Employment Charter Status - Aspiring LevelVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardCTP The Ministry of Defence partnering with Right ManagementNavajo - Merseyside and CheshireDisability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthArmed Forces Covenant

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Hannah Greenough
Job title
Recruitment Event Co-ordinator/Trainer
Email address
[email protected]
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