Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner

Islettechnologies; Dawlish; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health trust in the UK is looking for a Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner to join their team in Dawlish. The role involves managing cases with complex forensic needs, providing assessment and treatment, and contributing to the development of the service. Candidates should have a professional mental health qualification and extensive experience. The position offers a salary range of £38,682 to £46,580 annually with full-time flexible working options.

Qualifications

• Professional mental health qualification (e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree).
• Postgraduate qualification relevant to forensic mental health.
• Experience managing complex caseloads.

Responsibilities

• Act as a core member of the multi-disciplinary FIND service.
• Provide expert assessment and treatment for people with complex difficulties.
• Deliver care management and care planning.

Skills

Expert assessment and treatment skills

Clinical supervision

Communication skills

Planning and evaluation skills

Ability to work independently

Education

Professional mental health qualification

Postgraduate qualification relevant to forensic mental health

Job description

Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner

Join to apply for the Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner role at Islet Systems

We are seeking a dynamic, highly motivated & enthusiastic senior Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) to join the Forensic Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental disorder team (FIND) based at Easby House. The FIND Team is managed within the Secure Services directorate in Devon Partnership NHS Trust and is part of the Community Forensic Services (CFS), which includes the Specialist Community Forensic team (SCFT), FIND and the Forensic Personality Disorder service (FPDs). Since 2021 the CFS has been working to integrate the management of the SCFT, FIND and FPD teams to ensure a single point of entry to the service, centralising triage and gatekeeping functions. This is an exciting opportunity to join our FIND team at one of the country’s most respected providers of secure mental health services.

FIND aims to reduce length of stay for secure care patients with a primary diagnosis of Learning Disability (LD), Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and/or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and reduce the use of out‑of‑area or specialist placements to support the use of South West network beds. This involves the development of a structured approach of direct work with patients (e.g. intervention, specialist assessment, case management) as well as indirect work with staff teams (e.g. consultation, training, supervision).

Responsibilities

• Act as a core member of the multi‑disciplinary FIND service, carrying a case load of varying complexity, focusing on service users who would benefit most from a specialist forensic LD and A intervention.
• Provide expert assessment and treatment for people with complex difficulties and their carers, including recovery care co‑ordination.
• Deliver care management, assessment, care planning, review and evaluation.
• Liaise with a wide range of statutory and non‑statutory agencies and contribute to the clinical leadership of the team.
• Provide supervision for other members and participate in team and service development and evaluation.
• Prioritise tasks, manage workload, and provide support for colleagues where required.

Qualifications and Experience

• A professional mental health qualification (e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree or equivalent, BSc/Diploma in OT).
• Postgraduate qualification relevant to forensic mental health.
• Student supervisor/assessor or Practice Educator accreditation or equivalent.
• Evidence of postgraduate courses, ongoing training and development.
• Established learning disability, autism and acquired brain injury experience.
• Experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload of clients with a range of complex forensic needs.
• Working within a community mental health setting in the statutory or voluntary sector.
• Experience of clinical supervision for qualified and/or support staff.
• Experience of working in a multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency environment.
• Understanding of current issues within secure services, clinical governance, practice education.
• Application of health and safety and risk management policies.
• Awareness of the implications of long‑term institutional care.
• Understanding of team dynamics.
• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area and respond promptly to emergencies.

Assessment of Core Competencies

• Understanding of the Mental Health Act and Mental Health Capacity Act requirements.
• Awareness of community structures and social care management responsibilities.
• Understanding of recovery principles.
• Good working knowledge of health legislation and current practice including CPA, CeTR and risk assessment and management.
• Training and presentation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Group work skills.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings.
• Ability to assess and develop plans to manage risk, reflect and critically appraise own performance and ethical issues.
• Skilled in assessing, planning and evaluating profession‑specific interventions.
• Demonstrate an ability and awareness to maintain personal and professional boundaries.
• Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans, including complex multi‑agency care plans.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent self‑management skills and ability to set own priorities.
• Ability to take initiative and develop new ideas.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Recruitment and Contact

Reference number: C9369‑25‑0907
Band: 6
Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time, Flexible working
Job locations: Easby House, Langdon Hospital, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 0NR

Employer

Easby House, Langdon Hospital, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 0NR
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/

EEO Statement

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and encourage applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.