Job summary Full time Community Support Worker - 37.5 hours Monday to Friday We are seeking to recruit an experienced hardworking, flexible Community Support Worker to join the Specialist Outreach Recovery Team to work full-time. This post will offer a challenging and exciting opportunity. You will be part of a an exciting, passionate, friendly, hardworking team offering a range of city wide community based interventions. We are a mental health recovery focused team, you will be working with a client group who have a diagnosis of a complex psychosis. You will be supporting registered members of the team in delivering biopsychosocial interventions under the PCF framework. This role is an integral part in the developing recovery programme that is being devised by the team. The role is diverse, and no one day is the same. All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service. Main duties of the job The role is an integral part of the multi disciplinary team that consists of Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Community mental health nurses, Occupational therapists, substance use practitioner, social inclusion worker, assistant practitioners and support workers. The team are implementing a recovery programme, the support workers will play an important part in this programme, working under direction of the OTs, taking the lead on groups, co facilitating recovery programmes /groups with other Professionals, service users, and working autonomously at times. You will hold a reduced caseload, any interventions will be planned in conjunction with the key worker, you will be part of the care planning process, assessment of risk, assessment of safeguarding and maintaining accurate recording and reporting any concerns to the MDT. You will be given the appropriate training and any additional training can be identified as part of line management supervision. You will be working with individuals with complex needs, the candidate must have excellent communication skills, the ability to confidently liaise with other Professionals, and have the ability to manage stress appropriately. You will be invited to reflect on your practice with the team psychologist and participate in caseload formulation sessions with the MDT. This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please note that we may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline. About us Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert. Date posted 23 April 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 3 Salary £24,625 to £25,674 a year pa pro rata Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working Reference number B9832-2025-NM-9749 Job locations 200 Mount Gould Road Mount Gould Plymouth Devon PL4 7PY Job description Job responsibilities Communication and Relationship skills Verbal and written information sharing, within the Team or the wider Multi Disciplinary Team, which may include other community based mental health teams and inpatient services. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively over the telephone within the boundaries of confidentiality. Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with the Livewell policies, including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Confidentiality Policy. The post holder demonstrates a positive attitude to mental health attending to patients with respect and courtesy. The post holder will ensure that professional boundaries are always adhered to. Collaborating in completion of personalised care framework documentation under supervision of a qualified staff ensuring all entries are countersigned in accordance with the Record Keeping Policy Has confidence to communicate with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties when English is not their first language. Liaise with MDT members and other agencies at the request of qualified staff. Attend meetings and be confident to discuss patient care with other Professionals Assisting patients in various social and therapeutic activities delegated by the qualified staff as care planned in agreement with the key worker. Collaboratively plan, assess, contribute to the development and delivery of the recovery programme Co facilitate recovery focused groups with peer navigators, volunteers and other Professionals Knowledge, Training and Experience The post holder will participate in updating their practice; knowledge and skills within their sphere of practice, under the guidance of qualified staff, including mandatory training and Mental Health essential training e.g. Mental Health Act and PCF Experience dealing with a variety of mental health problems in various settings both in the community and in hospital with support and supervision from qualified staff. To be aware of and adhere to policy and legislation relating to Mental Health and able to access the information both in writing and electronically. An awareness of Mental Health service delivery. Adhere to the lone worker policy. Be aware of standards required by mandatory bodies such as CQC. Analytical and Judgmental Skills Able to plan the safest most cost-effective route for community visits. When working out in the community, have the ability to weigh up situations and seek support and guidance over the telephone where necessary. Must have the ability to make rapid risk assessments on each visit to promote the safety of the patient, staff, carers and general public, e.g. Risk assessment tools v experience and acting safely to protect all. Planning and Organisational Skills Liaise with other services to arrange appointments that both meet patient needs and service demands. Able to plan own workload including completing White Board (lone worker policy), Implementing a variety of packages of care as outlined in the individual patients care plan. Reporting back to qualified staff. Recording information of visits electronically. Planning further interventions as indicated within the care plan. Utilise the online diary system for managing visits Complete and submit e-expenses as per policy Physical Skills Confidence to navigate in an urban and rural environment Competent keyboard skills to enable information to be inputted into electronic clinical database and PCF. Must be able to keep electronic diary up to date and confidence to take on more IT skills as clinical technology improves. With appropriate training and support ability to take accurate physical observations i.e. blood pressure, pulse and temperature and record in notes advising qualified staff if there were any problems. Home visits to multi-occupied buildings, many without lifts. Escorting patients out of their home environment providing programmes of care and ongoing assessment of need (e.g. Anxiety Management Programmes). Carry out frequent home visits throughout the city Due to patients living conditions it may be necessary to stand/crouch for periods of time. Responsibilities Awareness of independent responsibilities in the implementation of Lone worker policy. Assist in formulation and planning of care alongside qualified member of staff. Implement plans of care or patients on the team caseload. Observe, report and record progress on patients visited in the community and to pass on to the person with overall responsibility. Responsibility to ask qualified staff to countersign written and electronic communication. Assist qualified staff on assessments or reviews. Report to qualified staff any perceived risks to patients and staff. Contribute to clinical case discussions. Observe for any evidence of side effects of medication and report to qualified staff. Promote RECOVERY. Escort patients to appointments where appropriate. Work with qualified staff to ensure patient care delivered to high standard. Assist in smooth running of Team base and conducting various administration tasks. Support new staff when they join the Team. Be aware of and adhere to all infection control procedures and precautions in line with COVID 19 guidance. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Involvement in development of the Team in a named locality of Plymouth. Adhere to all appropriate National, and the Livewell protocols. Adhere to Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support workers (Skills for Health DM 2013) Responsibilities for Human Resources May be involved in interview panels. The post holder will behave in a manner that does not bring the Team or Livewell southwest into disrepute. Responsibility for information resources Responsible for electronic contacts. Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with the LiveWell SouthWest policy. Responsibility for Research and Development Have an awareness of and participate in clinical audit in the Locality Team. Mental Effort Accurate record keeping whilst coping with constant interruptions and distraction in the work place for example: telephone calls and questions from colleagues. Concentration whilst navigating to visits at busy times of day. Concentration for short and prolonged periods of time depending on the clinical environment. Managing to extract information from people with communication difficulties due to a variety of different circumstances. The post holder will constantly deal with sensitive, intricate and complex clinical and service decisions whilst frequently being required to change from one activity to another at a third party request i.e. Telephone or staff interruption and be able to respond in a positive and constructive manner to emergency situations. Physical Effort Home visits to multi-occupied buildings, many without lifts. Escorting patients out of their home environment providing programmes of care and ongoing assessment of need (e.g. Anxiety Management Programmes, recovery group programmes). Carry out frequent home visits throughout the city. Due to patients living conditions it may be necessary to stand/crouch for periods of time. Moving and handling load in line with LiveWell SouthWest policy Emotional Effort Ability to deal with people who in mental health crisis on a daily basis e.g. People actively wishing to kill themselves. People who self-harm. People who are volatile. People who are thought disordered. People who are very difficult to engage within a therapeutic relationship. People who are in high states of emotional stress Ability to cope with stress generated from the constant changing priorities within the Team. People who may be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol Working Conditions Ability to cope with visiting people who are living a squalid, unpleasant accommodation often dirty and smelling with cigarette smoke. Ability to make safe decisions and take the necessary action to reduce the risks associated with community work for yourself and colleagues. Ability to assess the location of the visit and take steps to minimize any risks identified, (e.g. visits to tower blocks, accessing via a lift at night, parking availability, assessment to plan joint visits, visits to high crime areas or anti-social behaviour problems). Job description Job responsibilities Communication and Relationship skills Verbal and written information sharing, within the Team or the wider Multi Disciplinary Team, which may include other community based mental health teams and inpatient services. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively over the telephone within the boundaries of confidentiality. Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with the Livewell policies, including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Confidentiality Policy. The post holder demonstrates a positive attitude to mental health attending to patients with respect and courtesy. The post holder will ensure that professional boundaries are always adhered to. Collaborating in completion of personalised care framework documentation under supervision of a qualified staff ensuring all entries are countersigned in accordance with the Record Keeping Policy Has confidence to communicate with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties when English is not their first language. Liaise with MDT members and other agencies at the request of qualified staff. Attend meetings and be confident to discuss patient care with other Professionals Assisting patients in various social and therapeutic activities delegated by the qualified staff as care planned in agreement with the key worker. Collaboratively plan, assess, contribute to the development and delivery of the recovery programme Co facilitate recovery focused groups with peer navigators, volunteers and other Professionals Knowledge, Training and Experience The post holder will participate in updating their practice; knowledge and skills within their sphere of practice, under the guidance of qualified staff, including mandatory training and Mental Health essential training e.g. Mental Health Act and PCF Experience dealing with a variety of mental health problems in various settings both in the community and in hospital with support and supervision from qualified staff. To be aware of and adhere to policy and legislation relating to Mental Health and able to access the information both in writing and electronically. An awareness of Mental Health service delivery. Adhere to the lone worker policy. Be aware of standards required by mandatory bodies such as CQC. Analytical and Judgmental Skills Able to plan the safest most cost-effective route for community visits. When working out in the community, have the ability to weigh up situations and seek support and guidance over the telephone where necessary. Must have the ability to make rapid risk assessments on each visit to promote the safety of the patient, staff, carers and general public, e.g. Risk assessment tools v experience and acting safely to protect all. Planning and Organisational Skills Liaise with other services to arrange appointments that both meet patient needs and service demands. Able to plan own workload including completing White Board (lone worker policy), Implementing a variety of packages of care as outlined in the individual patients care plan. Reporting back to qualified staff. Recording information of visits electronically. Planning further interventions as indicated within the care plan. Utilise the online diary system for managing visits Complete and submit e-expenses as per policy Physical Skills Confidence to navigate in an urban and rural environment Competent keyboard skills to enable information to be inputted into electronic clinical database and PCF. Must be able to keep electronic diary up to date and confidence to take on more IT skills as clinical technology improves. With appropriate training and support ability to take accurate physical observations i.e. blood pressure, pulse and temperature and record in notes advising qualified staff if there were any problems. Home visits to multi-occupied buildings, many without lifts. Escorting patients out of their home environment providing programmes of care and ongoing assessment of need (e.g. Anxiety Management Programmes). Carry out frequent home visits throughout the city Due to patients living conditions it may be necessary to stand/crouch for periods of time. Responsibilities Awareness of independent responsibilities in the implementation of Lone worker policy. Assist in formulation and planning of care alongside qualified member of staff. Implement plans of care or patients on the team caseload. Observe, report and record progress on patients visited in the community and to pass on to the person with overall responsibility. Responsibility to ask qualified staff to countersign written and electronic communication. Assist qualified staff on assessments or reviews. Report to qualified staff any perceived risks to patients and staff. Contribute to clinical case discussions. Observe for any evidence of side effects of medication and report to qualified staff. Promote RECOVERY. Escort patients to appointments where appropriate. Work with qualified staff to ensure patient care delivered to high standard. Assist in smooth running of Team base and conducting various administration tasks. Support new staff when they join the Team. Be aware of and adhere to all infection control procedures and precautions in line with COVID 19 guidance. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Involvement in development of the Team in a named locality of Plymouth. Adhere to all appropriate National, and the Livewell protocols. Adhere to Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support workers (Skills for Health DM 2013) Responsibilities for Human Resources May be involved in interview panels. The post holder will behave in a manner that does not bring the Team or Livewell southwest into disrepute. Responsibility for information resources Responsible for electronic contacts. Maintain accurate, timely paper and electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with the LiveWell SouthWest policy. Responsibility for Research and Development Have an awareness of and participate in clinical audit in the Locality Team. Mental Effort Accurate record keeping whilst coping with constant interruptions and distraction in the work place for example: telephone calls and questions from colleagues. Concentration whilst navigating to visits at busy times of day. Concentration for short and prolonged periods of time depending on the clinical environment. Managing to extract information from people with communication difficulties due to a variety of different circumstances. The post holder will constantly deal with sensitive, intricate and complex clinical and service decisions whilst frequently being required to change from one activity to another at a third party request i.e. Telephone or staff interruption and be able to respond in a positive and constructive manner to emergency situations. Physical Effort Home visits to multi-occupied buildings, many without lifts. Escorting patients out of their home environment providing programmes of care and ongoing assessment of need (e.g. Anxiety Management Programmes, recovery group programmes). Carry out frequent home visits throughout the city. Due to patients living conditions it may be necessary to stand/crouch for periods of time. Moving and handling load in line with LiveWell SouthWest policy Emotional Effort Ability to deal with people who in mental health crisis on a daily basis e.g. People actively wishing to kill themselves. People who self-harm. People who are volatile. People who are thought disordered. People who are very difficult to engage within a therapeutic relationship. People who are in high states of emotional stress Ability to cope with stress generated from the constant changing priorities within the Team. People who may be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol Working Conditions Ability to cope with visiting people who are living a squalid, unpleasant accommodation often dirty and smelling with cigarette smoke. Ability to make safe decisions and take the necessary action to reduce the risks associated with community work for yourself and colleagues. Ability to assess the location of the visit and take steps to minimize any risks identified, (e.g. visits to tower blocks, accessing via a lift at night, parking availability, assessment to plan joint visits, visits to high crime areas or anti-social behaviour problems). Person Specification Qualifications Essential Maths & English GCSE Grades 4 and above or equivalent Commitment to further education NVQ III or equivalent in Mental Health and/or able to demonstrate the skills, knowledge and ability to work to this level Desirable Breakaway and or conflict resolution Knowledge of Care Programme or PCF Approach or Mental Health Law Child and adult protection issues Certificate in Mental Health level 3 Experience Essential 2-years experience of working and supporting with people with mental health problems Experience of Team working Desirable Experience of mental health work within either inpatient or community services Multi-disciplinary team working Experience of helping people who are suffering from a mental health crisis Experience of lone working Group work experience Knowledge and Skills Essential Ability to travel across Plymouth Practical life skills Able to follow instruction from qualified practitioners Excellent communication skills Confident talking to a variety of people Clear accurate record keeping Keyboard skills Self-management skills, e.g., prioritisation, organization of own workload Self-aware Ability to manage own stress Good telephone manner Positive attitude to Mental Health Belief in Recovery Enthusiastic and motivated Aware of own boundaries and limitations Able to work flexibly Desirable Full and valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes is required Microsoft Outlook Familiar with computer based recording systems Clinical Risk Assessment Skills Able to support service users/carers to access resources that are provided by numerous agencies Supporting the change process Desire to develop self and services Use own initiative Person Specification Qualifications Essential Maths & English GCSE Grades 4 and above or equivalent Commitment to further education NVQ III or equivalent in Mental Health and/or able to demonstrate the skills, knowledge and ability to work to this level Desirable Breakaway and or conflict resolution Knowledge of Care Programme or PCF Approach or Mental Health Law Child and adult protection issues Certificate in Mental Health level 3 Experience Essential 2-years experience of working and supporting with people with mental health problems Experience of Team working Desirable Experience of mental health work within either inpatient or community services Multi-disciplinary team working Experience of helping people who are suffering from a mental health crisis Experience of lone working Group work experience Knowledge and Skills Essential Ability to travel across Plymouth Practical life skills Able to follow instruction from qualified practitioners Excellent communication skills Confident talking to a variety of people Clear accurate record keeping Keyboard skills Self-management skills, e.g., prioritisation, organization of own workload Self-aware Ability to manage own stress Good telephone manner Positive attitude to Mental Health Belief in Recovery Enthusiastic and motivated Aware of own boundaries and limitations Able to work flexibly Desirable Full and valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes is required Microsoft Outlook Familiar with computer based recording systems Clinical Risk Assessment Skills Able to support service users/carers to access resources that are provided by numerous agencies Supporting the change process Desire to develop self and services Use own initiative 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Additional information 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Employer details Employer name Livewell Southwest Address 200 Mount Gould Road Mount Gould Plymouth Devon PL4 7PY Employer's website https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)