South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Healthcare Assistant (Phoenix Ward)
The closing date is 15 November 2026
Job summary
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.
About us
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.
Details
Date posted: 06 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £31,554 to £33,270 a year per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 294-FASP-8420604-EB
Job locations: Springfield University Hospital, Tooting, SW17 0YF, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• Working under the guidance of a Registered Nurse/ AP/NA/B4, to implement the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.
• Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support.
• Supporting junior to staff and leading on providing hands-on care to service users including: a. Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental way. b. Recognising and valuing service users as individuals, acknowledging the importance of always maintaining the service users respect and dignity and ensure that the care provided respects equality and diversity. c. Escalating any concerns to a Registered Nurse. d. Monitoring and recording service user clinical observations, such as Physical observations and vital signs and escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration or that do not fulfil the personal parameters to the relevant professional. (Band 4 or Registered Nurse). e. Implementing the principles of recovery: encouraging and supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles, facilitating psychosocial activities and other activities of their interest.
• Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
• Facilitating the admission and discharge of service users, ensuring needs of the patient are met including activities such as property checks, orientation to services, and ensuring that community support needs are met under direction of a senior clinician.
• Advocating for service users needs and rights within Trust policy.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications
If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.

Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential: Care Certificate; English and Mathematics basic qualifications (eg GCSE at grade C or above) or equivalent
Desirable: Level 2/3 Health and Social care qualification / working towards qualification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential: At least one year as a Healthcare Support Worker, or equivalent level of experience.
Skills and Abilities
Essential: Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times. Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user's needs, without close supervision, and acting on own initiative, within protocols, policies and care plans. Communications skills - receiving and conveying information accurately with staff and with service users and able to keep accurate records.
Desirable: Training and experience in specialist skills such as ECG, Vital Signs, Phlebotomy; Experience in facilitating groups
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name: South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Address: Springfield University Hospital, Tooting, SW17 0YF, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Ward Manager Linda Lutchmayah, Linda.Lutchmayah@swlstg.nhs.uk, 02035136780
Supporting documents
Privacy notice: South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust's privacy notice