Mental Health Practitioner

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Bedford; On-site; GBP 38,000 - GBP 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare foundation trust in Bedford is seeking a Clinical Practitioner with a focus on mental health. This full-time position involves providing clinical leadership and therapeutic interventions to individuals with complex mental health needs. The role offers a unique opportunity to become a core member of a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring high-quality mental health services within a prison environment. Candidates must have relevant clinical qualifications and experience in working with adults suffering from mental illness.

Qualifications

• Must possess a valid UK professional registration.
• Experience in supervising junior staff and students.
• Strong skills in self-management and time management.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and serve as Care Program Coordinator.
• Conduct assessments and deliver structured therapeutic interventions.
• Support the team manager in developing operational and clinical service mechanisms.

Skills

Clinical qualification to degree or diploma level

Understanding of individuals with complex needs

High quality risk assessment knowledge base

Training relevant to Practice Post Graduate Diploma

Working with adults with mental illness

Training in Leadership

Job description

Main area Secured Services Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (One year cover with possibility of extending) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 270-TG679-MH

Site BEDFORD Town BEDFORD Salary £38,682 - £46,580 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/02/2026 08:00

Job overview

This is an excellent opportunity for a Clinical Practitioner, Mental health practitioner, social worker to join our multi-disciplinary team and share their knowledge and clinical expertise. As a senior Practitioner, you will provide Clinical Leadership and will act as Care Program Co Ordinator (CPA) with individuals who have complex mental health problems. Undertake assessments and provide structured therapeutic interventions with complex individuals, treatment programs and / or interventions to support recovery. The Mental Health Team provides a seven-day service. Monday to Sunday (8:30 - 16:30) the post holder will work as a core member of the team delivering and providing a comprehensive safe, effective mental health service that encompasses Primary and Secondary mental health provision within the prison. The Post holder will support the Team Manager in their development of operational and clinical Service Mechanisms. Act as an exemplary professional role-model in embracing core values of dignity, respect, care and compassion. Be aware of and keep updated on wider issues affecting future professional practice in mental health and the wider context of health and social care and ensure these are communicated to members of the team. The post holder will provide highly visible, authoritative leadership and management to deliver services within agreed service models. The post holder will work to establish effective multi-disciplinary work within the wider prison establishment.

Main duties of the job

Mental health team operate a seven day service (Monday - Sunday).

Triaging referrals on the mental health waiting list

Completing screening assessments for new patients

Completing Mental health assessments

Holding a mental health caseload

Attending ACCT reviews and GOAD reviews

Completing Inpatient assessments and Screenings

Supervising junior staff and students

Providing interventions for patients as per care plan

Working for our organisation

NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our ‘outstanding’ rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the ‘About You’ Section of the document.

Person specification

Experience

• Clinical qualification to degree or diploma level.
• Understanding of individuals with complex needs
• High quality risk assessment knowledge base
• Training relevant to Practice Post Graduate Diploma
• Working with adults with mental illness
• Training in Leadership

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of the Mental Health Act utilised in the prisons and court
• Working knowledge of CPA and Section 117 meetings
• Experience of working with personality disordered individuals and those on the autistic spectrum
• Supervising staff and students
• Skills in self-management and time management

By completing an application you are giving authorisation for the transfer of your data. In submitting an application form, you authorise us to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, including factual reference, occupational health clearance and statutory and mandatory training records and full service history.

You must ensure that your application, including supporting statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Correspondence regarding your application will be sent to you via a TRAC system account.

Please submit your application as soon as possible; due to the high volumes of applications we receive we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications.

We are an equal opportunities employer, which aims to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.

All roles are subject to the home office immigration rules and therefore eligibility must meet certain requirements for any sponsorship to be considered. Please visit the government website for more information regarding eligibility.

At NHFT we support many of our colleagues to work flexibly and we will consider requests for flexible working from day one. For this role, we are open to discussing a range of options including flexible hours, agile/home working, compressed hours and part time hours. Please have a conversation with the recruiting manager about the flexibility you need and we will promise to explore what is possible with you.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

All posts that are engaged in a regulated activity will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and a DBS re-check on a three yearly basis whilst employed in such a role. Staff employed in these posts will therefore be asked to register with the DBS Automatic Update Service upon receipt of their DBS certificate and must update yearly, the annual fee will be reimbursed subject to Trust policy. For further information please visit: DBS Update Service: applicant guide - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please note if a DBS is applicable for the position then a charge will be deducted from your first salary or upfront cost if a staff bank position.

Please note that all new starters to the trust are subject to a probationary period.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.