Call us on: 0330 030 0031
Mental Health Support Worker
Working life
Their role is to support individuals to live as independently as possible, often following illness. Their work is predominantly support and enabling, rather than personal care, and involves providing advice and guidance as part of a range of support activities rather than a specialist service.
Roles and Duties
They work in teams with other professionals, including managers, social workers, other outreach and community support workers, drug action groups, youth offending services, and with the police, education authority and schools, health authorities and housing departments etc.
They provide support and guidance in various ways, including individual support and counselling via such activities as shopping with people who need care and support, taking them to appointments, developing everyday skills such as how to make a cup of tea or prepare and cook a meal safely, or simply being with them in their home environment. Other ways of providing support and guidance include organising activities such as sports, drama and educational activities, group discussions, and compiling and disseminating information.
These workers usually have a number of individuals that they get to know very well. They may work from individuals’ homes, outside in the local area, on the wards of the local hospital and in community or day centres.
Experience
Qualifications for all types of mental health support worker is variable.For some roles there are no formal entry level qualifications, but entrants need to be literate and numerate. The Level 3 Preparing for Work in the Care Sector would provide underpinning knowledge for this role. Previous experience of working with people in a social care/support setting can be very useful.
For others it is necessary to have at least one year’s experience of working/caring for people who need care and support, and be willing to undertake further training. A Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (HSC) is desirable, or be working towards a qualification relevant to this area of work.
Skills
Everyone working in adult social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills (including team work, problem solving, planning your ongoing learning and development and managing your own health and wellbeing.). Together these are known as core skills.
Different roles require a different level of skill. Here are a few examples of the core skills you might need as a mental health support worker: