Mental Health Support Worker Job Description
Ready-to-use job description content for recruiting Mental Health Support Workers in community or residential settings. Editable, UK-focused and written for hiring teams.
What does a Mental Health Support Worker professional do?
A Mental Health Support Worker provides day-to-day practical and emotional support to people with mental health needs, helping them to live independently and work towards recovery goals.
Mental Health Support Worker job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Mental Health Support Worker
About the role
[Employer name] is recruiting a Mental Health Support Worker to join our team supporting adults with mental health needs in [location]. You will deliver person-centred support, assist with daily living skills, contribute to care plans and record progress. This role involves shift work including evenings/weekends and requires an enhanced DBS check. Competitive salary and training opportunities available. To apply, send your CV and a short cover letter to [contact details].
Key responsibilities
- Provide one-to-one and group support to people with mental health conditions to promote independence and recovery.
- Support daily living tasks such as personal care, meal preparation, budgeting and household tasks where required.
- Work with service users to follow individual support plans and contribute practical input to care planning and risk assessments.
- Observe and record changes in behaviour, mood and wellbeing; maintain accurate and confidential case notes.
- Support access to local services, education, employment and community activities to reduce isolation and improve outcomes.
- Follow safeguarding procedures and escalate concerns promptly to the nominated safeguarding lead.
- Work collaboratively with families, carers and multidisciplinary teams including nurses, social workers and clinicians.
- Participate in shift handovers, team meetings and regular supervision; attend mandatory and role-specific training.
Essential skills and experience
- Experience of working with adults with mental health needs or equivalent transferable experience.
- Relevant qualification or training (for example Level 2 or 3 in Health & Social Care) or demonstrable on-the-job experience.
- Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to obtain) and right to work in the UK.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, with empathy and respect for service users’ dignity.
- Ability to follow care plans, complete accurate records and work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Willingness to work shift patterns which may include evenings, weekends and occasional sleep-in duties.
Desirable
- Experience in community-based services, residential care or supported housing.
- Training in safeguarding, positive behaviour support, de-escalation or health and safety.
- Understanding of person-centred and recovery-focused approaches.
- Experience supporting people with co-occurring needs such as substance misuse or learning disabilities.
- Valid driving licence and access to a vehicle where the role requires travel to community activities.
What we offer
- [Auto-enrolment pension scheme]
- [Paid induction and mandatory training]
- [Flexible working / shift allowances where applicable]
- [Generous annual leave entitlement]
- [Travel or mileage expenses for work-related journeys]
- [Employee assistance or wellbeing support services]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Mental Health Support Worker role?
A Mental Health Support Worker delivers practical and emotional support to adults with clinical or enduring mental health needs. They help people manage daily routines, participate in community life and work toward personal recovery goals. The role requires close liaison with clinical teams, accurate record-keeping and adherence to safeguarding and health & safety procedures.
Who you’ll support
Adults with a range of mental health conditions in community, supported living or residential settings.
Working pattern
Shift-based work commonly including evenings, weekends and occasional sleep-ins; flexibility is often required.
Team & supervision
Day-to-day work within a small team with regular supervision from a team leader or clinical professional.
Training & progression
Mandatory training provided; routes for progression include senior support worker, coordinator or specialist roles.
Typical Mental Health Support Worker responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Provide one-to-one
Provide one-to-one and group support to people with mental health conditions to promote independence and recovery.
Support daily living tasks such as personal care
Support daily living tasks such as personal care, meal preparation, budgeting and household tasks where required.
Work with service users
Work with service users to follow individual support plans and contribute practical input to care planning and risk assessments.
Observe
Observe and record changes in behaviour, mood and wellbeing; maintain accurate and confidential case notes.
Support access
Support access to local services, education, employment and community activities to reduce isolation and improve outcomes.
Follow safeguarding procedures
Follow safeguarding procedures and escalate concerns promptly to the nominated safeguarding lead.
Work collaboratively with families
Work collaboratively with families, carers and multidisciplinary teams including nurses, social workers and clinicians.
Participate in shift handovers
Participate in shift handovers, team meetings and regular supervision; attend mandatory and role-specific training.
Mental Health Support Worker skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Experience of working with adults with mental health needs or equivalent transferable experience.
- Relevant qualification or training (for example Level 2 or 3 in Health & Social Care) or demonstrable on-the-job experience.
- Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to obtain) and right to work in the UK.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, with empathy and respect for service users’ dignity.
- Ability to follow care plans, complete accurate records and work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Willingness to work shift patterns which may include evenings, weekends and occasional sleep-in duties.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in community-based services, residential care or supported housing.
- Training in safeguarding, positive behaviour support, de-escalation or health and safety.
- Understanding of person-centred and recovery-focused approaches.
- Experience supporting people with co-occurring needs such as substance misuse or learning disabilities.
- Valid driving licence and access to a vehicle where the role requires travel to community activities.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Mental Health Support Worker job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about client group
State whether the role supports adults, older people, people with complex needs or a particular service user cohort so candidates can self-select.
Clarify shift patterns and travel
List typical hours, whether evening/weekend work is required and any travel between sites to avoid mismatched expectations.
Set out mandatory checks and training
Make it clear if an enhanced DBS, right to work, or specific training is required to reduce unsuitable applications.
Highlight development opportunities
Mention on-the-job training and potential career pathways to attract candidates seeking long-term roles in social care.
Mental Health Support Worker salary considerations
Pay for Mental Health Support Workers varies with employer type, location, experience and role responsibilities. Instead of a fixed market figure, consider the factors below when setting a salary range.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Mental Health Support Worker candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the exact shift patterns and working hours?
Candidates need to know typical start/finish times, frequency of weekends and any sleep-in/on-call expectations.
Which client group will I be supporting?
Specify age range, typical diagnoses or complexity of needs so applicants can assess fit and safety.
What safeguarding and supervision arrangements are in place?
Experienced applicants will ask about supervision frequency, named safeguarding lead and policies.
What training and development is provided?
List mandatory training and career development opportunities to attract candidates seeking progression.
Will I need to travel between sites and is mileage reimbursed?
Travel expectations and reimbursement affect candidate availability and willingness to apply.
Where to post a Mental Health Support Worker job
Recruitment for Mental Health Support Workers performs well through a mix of general and specialist channels. Post on broad UK job boards and LinkedIn to reach active job-seekers, while also using sector-specific platforms, local authority portals and community or mental health charity networks to target experienced support staff. For community roles, local advertising and college noticeboards can be effective for attracting people already based in the area.
Mental Health Support Worker job description FAQs
Is an enhanced DBS check required?
Yes — an enhanced DBS check is normally required for roles that involve working with vulnerable adults. Employers should state this requirement and whether they will obtain it on the candidate's behalf.
What training should employers provide?
Provide mandatory induction and training such as safeguarding, basic life support, moving and handling where relevant, and role-specific modules like positive behaviour support and record-keeping.
Do candidates need a qualification?
A Level 2 or 3 health and social care qualification is common, but employers may accept equivalent experience. Be explicit on your minimum requirement to manage applicant expectations.
How should employers set working hours in the advert?
State typical shift patterns and any rota flexibility required (evenings, weekends, sleep-ins). Clear hours reduce unsuitable applications and save screening time.
What should be included in the probation and supervision arrangements?
Confirm the length of any probationary period, frequency of supervision, appraisal cycles and access to clinical or managerial support so candidates understand oversight and development.
Ready to publish?
Use this template to create a clear vacancy listing, adapt the essential requirements to match your service and advertise through a mix of general and specialist channels to reach suitable candidates.
