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Job description

Do you want to make a difference to children and young people’s lives in your community?

The team at Amber Lodge are looking for a motivated support worker to join our team who has a passion for working with children/ young people in a mental health setting.

No experience? No problem. We will teach you everything you need to know. To us, it is more important that you are a caring and kind person with a genuine desire to help and support the children and their families. If this sounds like you, then you already have the skills that make a great Health Care Support Worker.

Amber Lodge is an intensive, specialist mental health service for primary school aged children (5-11) who are experiencing a range of complex mental health, developmental and emotional and behavioural issues. The service is focussed on the child and family in a holistic way, providing assessment and therapeutic services both in the home and in the community and in a day setting.

The successful applicant will join a highly experienced staff team to assist children in exploring, understanding and managing their thoughts feelings and emotions by offering a suite of therapies. They will work alongside the multidisciplinary team at Amber Lodge to support the delivery of individually tailored care plans to meet each child’s specific requirements and contribute to the teams formulation and assessment processes.

The work delivered on the Lodge is through a combination of day unit attendance and intensive community outreach to ensure a robust and comprehensive level of care is provided to the young people attending the Lodge. The support worker role will find the successful applicant working predominantly on the day unit delivering structured/ unstructured/ individual/ group based work alongside the multidisciplinary staff team. Working hours are Monday to Friday 0830-1630.

The post holder will assist the registered nurses in meeting the identified needs of children, young people and families.

To be directly responsible to and work under the direct / indirect supervision of the shift coordinator, registered nurses and unit / deputy unit managers.

To work as a member and alongside the multidisciplinary team supporting the nurses to fulfil the nursing process and strive to make positive changes for the children in our care.

To provide care to our young people based around the trusts values .

Sheffield Children’s is one of three independent, specialist paediatric hospitals in the country, providing dedicated healthcare for children and young people across community, mental health and acute specialist settings.

We have three overarching aims that set the direction for the Trust in our vision “to create a healthier future for children and young people.”

• Outstanding patient care
• Brilliant place to work
• Leader in children’s health

Our commitment to rewarding colleagues is demonstrated through our brilliant reward and benefits offer including; generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme and access to salary sacrifice schemes such as cycle to work and lease cars.

We are committed to supporting colleagues from different heritages and lifestyles while at work. This is supported through the offer we have in place for flexible working and the three equality network groups we have in place. Colleagues are encouraged to join these groups and request flexible working.
1. Communication and Relationship Skills

• To maintain confidentiality of information regarding children, young and families at all times
• To provide and receive routine information where there are barriers to understanding
• To communicate and liaise effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary team, both verbally and in writing
• Promote and maintain good and effective communication with children young people, families.
• To develop therapeutic relationships with children, young people and families using tact reassurance and empathy
• To work collaboratively with colleagues for the benefit of children, young people and families
• Act as an advocate for children, young people and families
• Interact with child, young person, parents/carers, visitors and other staff in a professional manner
• Communicate with the nurse in charge on shift and deputy / unit managers regarding any problems, untoward occurrences or incidents / accidents that occur

1. Knowledge, Training and Experience

• To perform a range of work procedures that require on the job support / training.
• To have a basic knowledge of safeguarding.
• To contribute to the induction of new staff and students.
• To have an awareness of legal frameworks e.g. Mental Health or Children’s Acts

1. Analytical Skills

• Ability to judge straightforward role related facts or situations.
• Analysis of immediate child, young people and families immediate presentations

1. Planning and Organisational Skills

• Under the direction of the registered nurse, organises day to day work tasks or activities.

1. Physical Skills

• To be trained in and utilise techniques and strategies for the safe physical management of children and young people
• To have basic key board / I.T. skills to effectively use hospital information systems, including inputting data and e-mail.
• Demonstrate and maintain skills in basic life support.

1. Responsibility for Patient / Client Care

• To assist registered nurses in the delivery of individualised care to children, young people and their families.
• Under the guidance and supervision of a registered nurse or senior colleague provide prescribed care and treatment / care and treatment packages
• Undertake a range of delegated clinical care duties
• Where required provide escort to children and young people e.g. as part of therapeutic leave / specific interventions, transfers and day trips
• Where identified and agreed by the post holder provide transport via driving the Unit mini bus (subject to completion and passing of the prescribed mini bus test)
• Participate in and utilise clinical supervision to enhance practice
• Provide physical and emotional containment of children and young people with complex mental health difficulties
• Contribute to the maintenance of a safe clinical and workplace environment by reporting any concerns to the shift coordinator or unit / deputy unit manager
• Assist in the preparation of meals and snacks

1. Responsibility for Policy Implementation

• Contribute to policy development in own are by providing comments / feedback
• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust’s policies and procedures.

1. Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

• Personal duty of care to follow procedures for handling client money / property
• Personal duty of care in handling equipment / resources and that it is stored appropriately and safely
• Ensure that the client environment is kept tidy and free of hazards

1. Responsibility for Human Resources

• To contribute to the induction of new staff and students by discussing and demonstrating own activities / duties

1. Responsibility for Information

• Record personally generated information
• Complete client records accurately, using both paper and computerised systems

1. Responsibility for Research and Development

• Occasionally participate in unit audits, surveys
• Utilise evidence based interventions

1. Freedom to Act

• Under the direct / indirect supervision of a registered nurse / senior colleague work within well established procedures
• Under the direct / indirect supervision of a registered nurse / senior colleague carries out routine care duties

1. Physical Effort

• Requirement to engage in short term physical movement / containment of children and young people on an occasional basis

1. Mental Effort

• To frequently respond to unpredictability in the workload and the different levels of concentration required.
• To carry out interventions that require concentration e.g. client care

1. Emotional Effort

• Frequent exposure to emotional demands of working directly with children, young people and families involved in distressing situations e.g. distressing life events, safeguarding issues, challenging behaviour and mental health presentations

1. Working Conditions

• To have rare exposure to blood and body fluids.
• To have occasional exposure to verbal and / or physical aggression

Inclusive Recruitment & Selection

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and accurate data capture is an important part of that to ensure we are supportive and representative. Our aim is to ensure that all applicants can see themselves in the available categories on our application form, but we recognise that some of our data capture fields are not inclusive. We have flagged this with our system provider to ask for change.

We offer encouragement and active support to applicants with additional needs, including those from ethnic minorities, with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you wish to adjust any aspect of the recruitment process or wish to find out more about our recruitment & selection processes, please get in touch with our Recruitment Manager: [email protected]

We are continually reviewing our recruitment & selection process to support the long-term aim of Sheffield Children’s being a champion of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. If you have any ideas for improvement, please get in touch with Catherine Gilbert [email protected]

Trust Values

The Trust is committed to providing great quality patient care and keep children, young people and families at the heart of what we do by following our CARE values:

• Compassion – leading by kindness and showing empathy, understanding and respect
• Accountability – striving to do the right thing and owning responsibility
• Respect – value differences, tackling inequality and fostering a culture of inclusion
• Excellence – delivering a high-quality standard of care