Job Description:

Mental Health - Ambulance Care Assistant 

📍 Burgess Hill, Sussex
🕒 Bank / Flexible Shifts (Ad hoc & ongoing rota)

About the Role
We are recruiting Agency Mental Health Ambulance Care Assistants to join our clients Safe Care Mental Health team based in Burgess Hill.
This is a rewarding and varied role supporting individuals with mental health needs during transport between healthcare and secure settings. You will work closely with multidisciplinary professionals to ensure safe, dignified, and person-centred care at all times.
Transfers are usually completed in two- or three-person crews, with occasional solo driving required depending on operational need.

Shift Patterns & Availability

• Rota issued weekly (rolling 2-week schedule)
• On average: 2 shifts available per day
• 7-day service (one rota):
  • 4 on / 4 off rotation
  • 07:00–19:00 / 10:00–22:00 / 08:00–20:00
• 5-day service (second rota):
  • 09:00–17:00 / 06:00–14:00 / 08:00–16:00 / 10:00–20:00

Main Duties

• Working as part of a team to support the service user on board
• Taking responsibility for ensuring the vehicle is safely and responsibly driven
• Assisting service users with challenging behaviour and/or mental health illnesses
• Supporting challenging service users who may require physical intervention when necessary
• Working alongside police and other professionals to transport vulnerable service users between hospitals, homes, prisons, and medical/care settings including A&E, outpatient departments, and hospital wards
• Liaising with hospital staff and police to ensure safe conveyance of service users to and from places of safety
• Responsible for lifting, securing, and assisting service users in and out of the ambulance
• Transferring service users from beds to stretchers, chairs to chairs, or similar, both in and out of hospital and medical/commercial settings
• Completing safe and accurate handover of service users to appropriate staff on arrival at treatment centres/hospitals
• Ensuring the ambulance is kept safe, clean, and tidy at all times

What We’re Looking For

• Full manual UK driving licence (Desirable)
• Full UK Right to Work (NO SPONSORSHIP)
• Experience in care, security, prison, or public service environments 
• Experience supporting individuals with mental health needs (HCA / Support Worker background essential)
• PMVA training (essential)
• Calm, considerate, and confident driver (no more than 6 penalty points)
• Strong communication skills in emotionally challenging situations
• Ability to build rapport with service users and remain patient-centred
• Team-focused with a collaborative approach
• Physically fit for patient handling, moving, and occasional restraint
• Able to problem-solve and identify changes in behaviour in demanding situations

What's on Offer

• Flexible bank shifts with ongoing rota availability
• Opportunity for block bookings once established
• Potential progression into dedicated driver roles
• Supportive multidisciplinary working environment

Compliance & Pay

• £14.24-£16.01p/h dependent on shift worked (PAYE inclusive of holiday pay)
• Full compliance required prior to placement

If you are an experienced Mental Health HCA or Support Worker looking for flexible agency work within a specialist setting, apply today.