Healthcare Assistant (Phoenix Ward)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time HCA - Band 3 to be part of our inpatient team on Phoenix ward within the rehabilitation service. If you are a forward-thinking staff looking to start or develop your experience in Rehabilitation this is an excellent opportunity to consider

We are committed to getting the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations.

We are a team enthusiastic about Quality improvement; we work closely with the Qii team to continually improve the care we provide. The successful applicant will be involved in evidence-based treatment and service development opportunities.

The Phoenix Unit is a high dependency/high support locked rehabilitation ward which has a focus on managing severe and complex mental disorders within the recovery model. The ward provides intensive support to those patients who present with severe and treatment resistant symptoms of mental illness, associated with multiple or severe co-morbid conditions, functional deficits, significant risk histories and inability to be maintained in the community.

There are 16 beds, and all patients are detained under the Mental Health Act. Patients are admitted from acute psychiatric wards, forensic settings, as well as from the private sector. The expected length of stay is 6 months to a year.

Main duties of the job

There is a multidisciplinary team which consists of medical staff, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, and nursing staff. There are individual and group therapeutic sessions and activities that runs daily offered by nursing staff, occupational therapists, and psychologists, and which incorporate several further sessions facilitated by external therapists. The focus is on engagement, ongoing assessment, maximizing benefits from medication, and re-engaging with families and communities. Patients have varying levels of functional skills and require therapeutic programs tailored to their individual needs. There are 3 "bed-sits" within the unit which enable patients to increase and demonstrate their independent living skills within the supportive framework of the rehabilitation setting in line with their care plans. This may also include self-medicating.

The Phoenix Unit works with the patients to improve their access to community resources, and they can be supported to access educational activities or vocational activities. They are supported to attend their GP (if registered) to access primary care interventions and St Georges Hospital if they need specialist care for physical health conditions. The Phoenix Unit works in collaboration with the patient's care coordinator and community mental health team, who will facilitate the discharge process and integration into the community once the patient has completed their rehabilitation and is ready for discharge.

Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.