Careers in health and social care are extremely rewarding and varied. There are patient, resident or client-facing roles. At Northern Healthcare these include Support Workers, Team Leaders, Occupational Therapists and Mental Health Nurses. There are also valuable behind the scenes functions, with opportunities in business, marketing, or HR. At Northern Healthcare, we believe everyone plays an equal part, no matter what their role, in creating services our residents can thrive in and are proud to call home. Here is a little more information about the mental health support roles we have available and some other career opportunities in adult health and social care.
Support Workers provide care and support to individuals who require additional help with tasks such as cooking and cleaning, taking medication, budgeting, and appointments. As a Support Worker at Northern Healthcare, you are empowering individuals to be as independent as possible and build valuable life skills.
Typically, Support Workers at Northern Healthcare will work a mix of daytime and overnight shifts on a rotational basis, to provide 24/7 support to individuals.
Whilst qualifications such as Level 2 or Level 3 in Health & Social Care are beneficial to the role, becoming a Support Worker does not necessarily require qualifications. Often, you will be supported to work towards a qualification as part of your role.
All you need to begin your career in adult health and social care as a Support Worker are the personal qualities that match the core social work values. Find out more about the social work values. Northern Healthcare also have a set of company values that are now embedded in our recruitment process – you can read more about Northern Healthcare values here.
Read more about what the role of a Support Worker entails, or watch the video below to find out more about working as a Support Worker for Northern Healthcare:
The main role of a Mental Health Nurse is to support the recovery of their patients. The role involves a variety of duties, from helping patients take medication, to advising on suitable therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), counselling or creative therapies such as art therapy or drama therapy.
As a Mental Health Nurse at Northern Healthcare, you would be responsible for the all-round care of residents, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
A degree is required for this role; however, it is also accessible through advanced degree apprenticeships. Find out more about the role of a Mental Health Nurse.
Occupational Therapists provide tailored support to individuals with a range of support needs. As an Occupational Therapist, you will plan, organise, and facilitate activities for people to get involved in, and encourage participation. You could also be helping people relearn independence after a prolonged hospital stay or an illness such as a stroke or brain injury; helping individuals with permanent physical disabilities discover ways to adapt day-to-day tasks to make them easier, and risk assessing individuals and tailoring your support to their individual needs.
Read more about the benefits of Occupational Therapy.
You will need a degree for this role, but there are a couple of study options. Universities offer full-time or part time degrees in Occupational Therapy, or there are Occupational Therapy degree apprenticeships that combine on the job learning with your study.
In the video below, Vicky, one of our Occupational Therapists, talks about her role and the impact Occupational Therapy has on individuals.
In addition to the resident-facing roles described above, there’s a variety of opportunities available behind the scenes in office-based roles in social work within adult mental health. These range from jobs in Business, Marketing, and Finance, to HR, Recruitment, and Administration roles.
Business & Marketing
Business roles can vary from Business Development Managers, who work to grow our reach to help more people access the mental health support they need, to Business Administrators, who provide support with all administration tasks such as processing referrals.
At Northern Healthcare the marketing team also sits within the business development team. The marketing team will showcase all the good things the company has been working on; create content including blogs and social media assets, as well as the design of brochures, leaflets and flyers; manage social media channels; and look after the website, answering any questions and enquiries from potential residents and referrers.
The business team ensures that the services we provide are of the highest quality and standard and continue to grow the business in order to be able to provide more support to individuals with a mental health diagnosis, mild learning disability or autism.
HR & Recruitment
The HR team are the first point of contact for anyone requiring advice within an organisation, for example on company policy, sick leave, or grievances. HR also handle payroll. The recruitment team work within the HR department, and they work to recruit the best candidate possible for each company vacancy.
Finance
The Finance department handles everything money related, including company purchases, invoices, petty cash, budgets, and profit and loss.
Administration
Administration roles include receptionists, personal assistants, customer service teams, secretaries. These roles are vital to the smooth running of a business!
We also work in close partnership with a range of other health and social care professionals. These roles are great options to consider as additional careers in adult health and social care.
Social Workers assess individuals and develop support plans to help provide specialised support. They work closely with other health professionals, local authorities, and communities, to ensure their clients receive the support they need. Social Workers are often the first point of contact for their clients and can offer advice and information.
Social Workers can also refer their clients to specialist services such as supported living accommodation, counselling, or other specialist mental health support services.
A degree in Social Work is required for this role.
A Care Coordinator is responsible for overseeing all the care of their clients. Care Coordinators will draw up a care plan for each individual they supervise, liaising with various specialists to ensure each individual is able to receive the care they need for their specific needs. The Care Coordinator will continually monitor and evaluate all the care an individual receives to ensure that it is high quality and meets the needs of the individual.
Counsellors help people to talk through their problems, identify any triggers or underlying causes, and help develop coping strategies and techniques to help people work through and overcome their problems.
Situations a Counsellor may help with include addiction, bereavement, relationship problems, or coping strategies for mental health diagnoses.
All of the roles detailed above play a vital part in an individuals recovery, and work together to provide the highest quality care for each individual they care for.
There are plenty of other opportunities for a career in health and social care, whether in adult mental health or in other areas such as education, child services or psychology.
For a more in depth list of careers in health and social care, check out the National Careers Service website.
Why not take a look at our current vacancies? We have a range of roles, both clinical and non-clinical, so you can find the perfect role for you!
Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash.
