Mental Health Care Assistants

A Mental Health Care Assistant provides basic care and assistance with daily activities to patients with mental illnesses or cognitive disabilities. Helps patients dress and eat, monitors patients' well-being, and restrains patients if they become physically violent. Works in hospitals or mental health care facilities.

About this Career

Average Salary

£18,162

New workers start at around £5,808. Normal pay is £18,162 per year. Highly experienced workers can earn up to £29,942

Annual Openings

1968

Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons in London, and do not distinguish between full and part-time jobs

Daily Tasks

Liaises with professional staff in carrying out care plans etc..
Monitors service users’ conditions by taking temperature, pulse, respiration and weight, and contributes to record keeping.
Undertakes light cleaning and domestic duties including meal preparation as required.
Helps with daily activities such as letter writing, paying bills, collecting benefits.
Provides interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user.
Assists with service users’ overall comfort and wellbeing.
Serves meals to service users at table or in bed, and assists with feeding if required.
Assists and enables service users to dress, undress, wash, use the toilet and bathe.

Skills Employers are looking for

Skills	Importance
Active Listening	70%
Critical Thinking	70%
Learning Strategies	68%
Monitoring	67%
Reading Comprehension	64%
Active Learning	64%
Writing	63%
Speaking	62%
Mathematics	28%
Science	22%