Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.

We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible.

We are looking for Healthcare Assistants (HCA) to join our energetic and passionate team, working alongside nurses, doctors, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, family therapists, and dieticians.

The Highfield unit is a purpose-built tier 4, inpatient CAMHS unit. We are a multidisciplinary team offering inpatient and day patient admission for young people with acute mental health problems.

We provide care for young people with a range of difficulties including eating disorders, anxiety OCD, depression and bipolar mood disorders, unusual experiences and psychosis, trauma, self-harm, and relationship and attachment-based difficulties. Families are often contending with multiple and complex psycho-social difficulties, and we aim to take a holistic approach guided by evidence and best-practice.

You will work alongside the nursing team to deliver care directly to young people and their families. We have a skillful and dedicated team of nurses and HCAs, and within this team you will be directly involved in the assessment, care planning, and delivery of treatment. Each young person has a dedicated case team whom works closely alongside colleagues supporting an individual young person.

The role importantly involves 24 hours, 7 days a week care therefore shift patterns are in place which will include nights. It is a varied role that can be rich and rewarding, and you will be valued and supported by the team around you.

There will be many opportunities available for you to develop your skills and competencies. We offer a range of therapeutic groups on the ward, such as DBT-informed skills, community meetings, a psychodynamic-informed reflective group, patient involvement forum, eating disorder group, a collaborative weekly case review base on a CBT-E model, and psychoeducational parents groups.

We have strong links with the university and as a unit have contributed to much research, and HCAs interested in research have gained valuable experience this way.

You do not need prior experience in the field as comprehensive training will be provided such as ASC course, breakaway and management of violence and aggression, DBT-informed skills, and Positive Engagement And Caring Environments (PEACE) an innovative, experiential training package.

If you are looking for a new opportunity, a career change or seeking clinical experience we encourage you to contact the Highfield to arrange an informal visit with current Staff and Patients.

Benefits of working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust include:

  • Excellent opportunities for career progression
  • 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
  • NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
  • Staff accommodation
  • Competitive pension scheme
  • Lease car scheme
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • New starters have a 6 month probationary period. This, together with the induction process aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
  • Candidates not currently employed by the Trust who attend an interview for non-qualified Band 1-5 posts are required to undertake numeracy and literacy assessments.
  • Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
  • Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
  • We positively encourage applications from all areas of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation and we encourage applications from users of mental health services. This is part of our commitment to equality and reflecting the diversity of our population.
  • Oxford Health is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

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