Uncovering The Gaps In The Mental Health Support System: A Senior Support Worker’s Perspective
25 Sep, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- The responsibilities of a Senior Mental Health Support Worker.
- The gaps in the current mental health support system.
- Essential skills for a Senior Mental Health Support Worker.
- Where the latest Mental Health Support Worker jobs are and how to apply for them.
The demand for mental health services keeps on rising and according to the NHS Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, at the end of March 2024, there were 1,941,391 people in contact with mental health services.
With the figures being so high, it shows that there are just not enough professionals within the mental health workforce to close the gaps in the current mental health support system.
We recently interviewed a Senior Mental Health Support Worker, Eliise, to learn more about her role and give you a clear picture of what it takes to make a difference to an individual's life.
Eliise studied Psychology for four years at the University of Nottingham with the hopes of becoming a Clinical Psychologist.
However, she later discovered that to be able to undertake the career path of a Clinical Psychologist, experience within the mental health field is required and therefore she chose to pursue a career within mental health support work.
Through the incredible work she does, Eliise is now a Senior Mental Health Support Worker and will be a qualified Mental Health Nurse in 2025, after completing her masters in mental health nursing.
Whether you’re an aspiring Mental Health Support Worker or simply curious about the role, this industry interview is full of insights and advice to help you find your feet.
Can you describe your main responsibilities as a Senior Mental Health Support Worker?
As a Senior Mental Health Support Worker, I play a key role in supporting individuals with
complex mental health needs who may also have a history of criminal behaviour.
My responsibilities include providing direct care, including offering day-to-day emotional and practical support and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of service users in a secure environment.
In addition to this, risk management is a vital responsibility as well, this includes monitoring and managing potential risks, maintaining a safe therapeutic setting and adhering to legal and organisational security protocols.
Another responsibility is team leadership. I take the lead in training new staff and building the skills of the Support Workers who work within my team. I conduct line management monthly and take time to offer support and a safe space for individuals to talk about any areas of worry or concern.
Effective record keeping is also an important part of my job role as I’m responsible for ensuring all information is recorded on the correct systems, as well as making sure all other staff know how to complete daily notes and capture the necessary information.
It’s also my responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the shift, assisting the Nurses in charge and ensuring the day is organised in a way that is efficient and well managed for everyone.
How does your role differ from a standard Mental Health Support Worker?
I think the biggest difference when my role changed from a Mental Health Support Worker to a senior was the responsibility that I have for my team. All Support Workers look up to me for support, guidance and advice so it’s my responsibility to support them.
In addition to this, the Nurses also require your support. There are other key differences in the role of a senior, for example being able to hold safe keys, which means you are responsible for organising patient monies and also completing monthly line managements.
During times of crisis, staff will look to the senior for reassurance that they are doing something correctly and it’s important to remain calm and composed.
What skills are essential for a Senior Mental Health Support Worker?
Effective leadership skills are vital as well as managing high pressure situations and levels of
stress, so a certain level of internal resilience is necessary to be able to manage emotions in
this environment.
It’s also essential to be kind, compassionate and empathetic towards others, this includes service users and the rest of the team. Good problem solving skills are also important as you will face a variety of challenging situations.
De-escalation skills and ways to manage conflict are another vital skill in my role, as working with individuals with high levels of violence, aggression and self-harm can be extremely difficult.
What gaps do you see in the current mental health support system and how can they be addressed?
I think the current mental health support system faces several gaps that hinder its effectiveness. Firstly, access to services. Many people experience long waiting times for mental health services, particularly for specialist care like therapy or psychiatric assessments.
This can be addressed by expanding the workforce, increasing funding for mental health services and utilising digital tools that can reduce waiting times.
Another one would be underfunding. Mental health services are chronically underfunded compared to physical health, despite rising demand. This leads to insufficient resources, staffing shortages and service cuts.
This can be addressed by ensuring parity of funding between physical and mental health. This requires sustained government investment and long-term financial planning.
There is also a shortage of trained mental health professionals, including Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Mental Health Support Workers, limiting service capacity.
Investing in training and retention of mental health professionals is crucial to addressing this issue. This includes creating more educational pathways, offering better pay and working
conditions and developing clear career progression opportunities for support workers
and allied staff.
What kind of training and qualifications did you need to reach your position?
I had only been a Support Worker for one year when I applied for the senior job and due to the fact I had learnt a lot in a short space of time, I was ready to step up in my
responsibilities and role.
There are no qualifications or training required, but I had a master’s degree in Psychology, which helped me with knowledge and understanding of various mental health disorders and their presentations.
The company I work for requires all new staff to complete their three week training course, including safety interventions and in-depth training about various areas such as security, safe observations and mental health issues.
I found the training extremely helpful, so making use of the organisation’s own training is often very useful.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain your own mental health in this role?
I make sure to manage my stress by utilising my time off with activities that I find helpful for
me, such as walking or going to the gym. It’s also important to utilise means such as clinical
supervision and line management, to be able to discuss any issues that you are facing.
I have found this very helpful, although it is often too busy to go off ward and utilise this, but I
make it my priority to try to have this once a month.
It’s also important to remain self-aware and know your own limits, when at times situations have been really hard for me, I have told people on the ward that I need a couple of minutes to collect myself. Looking out for each other at work also makes the biggest difference!
What are the most challenging aspects of your job, and how do you manage them?
The most challenging aspect of my job is balancing the various responsibilities and
managing my time effectively. Often managers and Nurses will request you to complete a task but the staff on the ward require your help and support with something else and it’s then about navigating what to prioritise.
There are times when I’ve had to have meetings with staff about issues that have arisen and at the beginning I found this challenging as I don't like telling people that there are areas needed to improve on, but I worked on this and it’s a skill that you can develop and build on.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
The most rewarding part of my job is being the person that others can look up to and getting
to be a role model for staff. Getting to teach people new skills and watch their journeys of self-development is so rewarding and incredible.
I also find the therapeutic rapports with service users rewarding as they also come to you more with complex requests because they know you will either solve the issue or find the right person to solve it.
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a Senior Mental Health Support Worker?
I would recommend being a Senior Mental Health Support Worker to anyone who loves
working with people, as part of a team and making a difference in people’s lives.
If I had to give advice to someone, I would say be confident in yourself and your skills as there will be many transferable skills that you’ve already learnt in other jobs that you can apply to this role.
I would also say be a good listener and communicate clearly and with compassion and kindness. Always be patient-centred, but always remember you cannot be there for others if you do not take care of yourself first. You come first!
How do you see the role of Mental Health Support Workers evolving in the next few years?
In an ideal world, I would hope that in the future there will be more widespread use of
technology for record keeping and note taking instead of paper, which is still used in many
organisations.
I think this would be more effective in capturing information and less time consuming than writing things by hand. I think this also reduces the risk of paperwork going missing or being misplaced and the difficulties that come with this.
I also think further training on managing complex needs and dual diagnoses as these often come with complex communication and care needs. A lack of training in this area can really hinder the support and care of individuals with these difficulties.
I also think that there should be further banding in the role of a Support Worker with
individuals having more incentive to stay in a Support Worker role, similarly to how the NHS have bands for Nurses, such as Band 5, Band 6 etc.
Mental Health Support Worker jobs
If you’re searching for your next Mental Health Support Worker job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Metal Health Support Work recruitment services
As healthcare recruitment specialists, we support local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs.
If you’re struggling to fill a Mental Health Support Worker vacancy, why not get in touch with our healthcare specialist, Kaylah Henderson on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?
Share your experience
Every individual brings a unique set of experiences, thoughts, and insights to the table. We believe in giving a voice to a community of professionals to inspire positive change and champion reform in the healthcare sector.
If you work in the healthcare sector and would like to share your own personal and professional experiences, we’d love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a different perspective, could offer a fresh angle, or want to challenge assumptions.
Simply reach out to our Head of Content, Nicole Sherwood, to discuss a collaboration which makes your voice count.
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