Exploring a career: Support worker
Become a Mental Health Support Worker
Are you passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of people facing mental health challenges? As a mental health support worker you will play a crucial role in supporting people by providing compassionate care and guidance to those who need it most.
Starting your journey here can open the door to a rewarding career in mental health. We provide fully funded apprenticeships once you've gained foundational experience, helping you progress towards a career in nursing or other healthcare roles.
As a Mental Health Support Worker, you'll play a vital role in supporting service users with daily living, personal care, and therapeutic activities. Whether you're beginning your career in mental health or bringing experience from a similar role, we offer comprehensive training and development to equip you with the skills and confidence needed to succeed.
What will I do in this role?
The team is made up of nurses, doctors, occupational therapists and healthcare workers amongst others. We all work really closely together, supporting each other and getting on really well– it’s a bit like a big family!
- Teaching and supporting life skills, such as using public transport, paying for bills, managing a home to live independently, helping with personal care, shopping and meal preparation, engaging in hobbies/Interests and communicating with others
- Providing emotional support for an individual and their families
- Connecting with community resources and relationship building with other services
- Assist in maintaining general and specific patient observations under the supervision of registered nursing staff
- Facilitate and participate in recreational and physical activities in the provision of health and social care to service users
- Participate in the escorting of patients as required
- Provide direct physical, social and psychological care to service users
- Supporting patients to regain independence and confidence by helping them to gain new skills
- Support recovery to live as independently as possible to reach their optimal mental health
- To build and maintain therapeutic relationships whilst maintaining boundaries
What we offer
- Full training and professional development
- A supportive and collaborative working environment
- Opportunities for career progression such as a fully funded apprenticeship
- Great NHS benefits package
- Flexible working options
The current rates of pay for entry on band 3 are:
- Weekday Mon – Fri - £12.59 per hour
- Nights/Saturday - £15.75 per hour (includes additional unsocial hours payment)
- Sunday/Bank Holiday - £19.72 per hour (includes additional unsocial hours payment)
Top of band 3 is:
- Weekday Mon – Fri - £13.13 per hour
- Nights/Saturday - £16.81 per hour (includes additional unsocial hours payment)
- Sunday/Bank Holiday - £21.04 per hour (includes additional unsocial hours payment)
Staff benefits
- Flexible working
- Excellent working environment
- Early access to our staff wellbeing service and psychology therapies
- Regular clinical supervision and an annual appraisal
- Free car parking
- NHS Pension
- Access to brilliant NHS Discounts and free event tickets

Becky, one of our wonderful Healthcare Support Workers who works on one of our inpatient wards, also shared this:
"I’ve been in my role for the last two years, working on one of our inpatient wards.
It’s such a rewarding opportunity to know that when I come to work I make a real difference to the lives of our patients, who are at the heart of everything we do.
The job is so varied and exciting. One day I’ll be supporting a patient getting out of bed, or helping them with their meals and personal care. Other days I will just talk and listen to them or we can play games, do some colouring, or help to write down their feelings and plans for the future."
Begin an apprenticeship
There’s plenty of training and job progression opportunities if you want them. And talking of progression - here's Kayna sharing her story. She joined us a a mental health support worker and now has her perfect job as a mental health nurse after completing a fully funded mental health nurse apprenticeship!
