Job Description

Join Our Team as a Mental Health Support Worker
Location: Derwent Lodge, Derby

Fixed Term Contract until - May 2027

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives? We’re looking for an experienced and caring Mental Health Recovery Worker to join our dedicated team at Derwent Lodge – a CQC Registered home supporting individuals with severe and enduring mental health challenges.

Derwent Lodge is a 16-bed, single-level service providing a safe, welcoming, and comfortable environment that supports recovery and independence. Each resident has a private bedroom with an en-suite wet room, alongside access to shared kitchens, bathrooms, and communal living spaces.
We encourage residents to develop independent living skills, with support available as needed, and promote a sense of home by supporting individuals to personalise their rooms. The service is based in Chaddesden, close to Derby city centre, with easy access to local shops, transport links, and community amenities.

What you will do and achieve?

• Act as a key worker for service users, providing one-to-one support, advocating on their behalf, and working collaboratively with mental health professionals and external agencies.
• Deliver high-quality, person-centred support on a 24/7 basis, including assisting with personal care such as washing, dressing, eating, and maintaining personal hygiene in line with individual care plans.
• Use a recovery-focused approach to motivate and empower individuals to achieve their personal goals, build confidence, and improve both their mental and physical wellbeing.
• Develop trusting, respectful relationships while maintaining professional boundaries and adhering to organisational standards and codes of conduct.
• Support individuals to live more independently by developing daily living skills, managing personal responsibilities, and accessing community services and opportunities.
• Carry out needs assessments and contribute to the development, review, and monitoring of personalised care, support, and safety plans.
• Identify and respond to risks appropriately, contributing to safeguarding and promoting the safety and wellbeing of all service users.
• Work in partnership with external organisations, community groups, and statutory services to ensure holistic and effective support is provided.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records, monitor progress and outcomes, and contribute to reporting and service improvement.
• Work effectively as part of a team, supporting colleagues and contributing to a positive, safe, and continuously improving service.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience supporting people with mental illness or in a social care setting (paid or voluntary)
• Good listening skills, empathy, understanding, kindness, patience, and a willingness to learn.
• Ability to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Charity's values.
• Excellent administration, organisation and planning skills.
• Competent in the use of IT systems including Microsoft applications, email and internet.

If you have transferable skills and a passion for helping others, we’d love to hear from you!

Apply today and be part of a team that truly makes a difference!

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Why Work With Rethink Mental Illness?
At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe that when you feel supported, you can make the biggest difference. That’s why we offer a range of benefits to help you thrive:
• Inclusive Culture: Join staff networks that champion diversity and inclusion.
• Wellbeing Support: Access our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, and the Unmind mental health app.
• Recognition & Rewards: Enjoy discounts, cashback offers, and celebrate achievements through our PULSE platform.
• Flexible Working & Generous Leave: Starting at 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with options to buy or sell extra days.
• Learning & Development: Grow your career with structured onboarding and training opportunities.
• Financial & Family Support: Contributory pension scheme, enhanced family leave, and travel benefits like season ticket loans and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Referral Bonus: Earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Diversity is important to us, and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.
We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation
We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.