Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

We are looking for experienced health care assistants to join Pavilion Ward. Pavilion Ward is a 10 bedded, male, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). We primarily work with individuals who are aged 18-65 and we are located within Mill view hospital in Hove.

Our shared values within the team at Mill View are important to us, we are one hospital, not individual areas and wards that work in isolation, we look after each other and support each other when it's needed, particularly during timesthat are difficult. Your voice and your concerns are important to the leadership team, we encourage you to talk about areas of concern and empower you to implement positive changes. We value diversity and opportunity for everyone that works here and we are incredibly proud to have won the Equality and Diversity award at the Positive Practice Awards 2021 and Team of the Year Award in 2019

We are passionate on Pavilion Ward about providing the highest standards of care and ensuring to implement least restrictive practice. We were part of an 18 month quality improvement project which allowed us to monitor and implement change around restrictive practices. This project has now finished but is something that we are continuing to implement on the ward.

Main duties of the job

As a health care assistant, you will be working alongside an established and experienced multi-disciplinary team (MDT), including an experienced ward manager and ward matron. The team consists of nurses, healthcare assistants, nursing associates, doctors, the occupational therapy team, a psychologist, the pharmacy team, expert by experiences and volunteers. It is important you have an understanding of relational security and risk management.

Our vision on Pavilion Ward is "together we will create a supportive, encouraging and inclusive community where our wellbeing can flourish and we can become our happiest, strongest and wisest selves".

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Working for our organisation

You will be provided with consistent, meaningful supervision and yearly appraisals. We have a dedicated psychologist who provides reflective practice and complex case discussions. As a leadership team, we are committed to ensuring the team gets two away days a year. There is access to training and professional development opportunities in nursing associate and nursing degrees. We encourage health care assistants to take a lead on areas that interest them, such as physical health care.

Flexible working is important to us at Mill View Hospital and we would consider any flexible working requests you may have which will help you have a healthy work-life balance.

There are lots of vacancies and positions available within the trust and elsewhere, so I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this advert and for hopefully applying. If you aren't sure, or you maybe you have some questions, I'd welcome you to give me a call or drop me an email so we can go through them. I would also be more than happy to show you around the hospital.

We'd love you to join our Trust, rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To get to know patients and use that professional relationship to care for them effectively and support their family/carers. It will important you take part in nurse led activities, such as table tennis, art groups and general activities which is an significant aspect of the role and you would be encouraged to do this.

• To support the nurse in charge and provide care and treatment to those on the ward
• To monitor and observe individual's mental health presentation and report any concerns to the nurse in charge
• To conduct therapeutic observations and engage individuals within their recovery
• To escort and support individualsto use their section 17 leave
• All training and support are available

Person specification

EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Good communication skills
• Previous HCA experience

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.