Community Mental Health Nurse

Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Community Mental Health Nurse to join our Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in Stevenage / North Hertfordshire.

The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as into London and beyond. We are looking for someone who is passionate about delivering care to Adults with mental health issues.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

We can offer you a competitive salary, staff benefits package, excellent career development and training that comes from working for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT. We are on a "Good to Great" journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.

Please refer to the "Main Duties Of The Job", "Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities" sections and the Job Description and Person Specification documents attached elsewhere for full details.

Main duties of the job
The Community Mental Health Nurse will be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care for a defined caseload of people with complex mental health and or social care needs; and maintaining associated records. They will also act as mentor for Student Nurses as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To support the CMHT Team Leader in establishing and maintaining effective inter-team and inter-agency communication.
• To provide effective liaison/communication relating to referrals to and discharge from the CMHT across in-patient, primary care and community services.
• Maintain effective joint working with Sector EPMHS, CATTs, EIP's, AOTs and other community based teams according to local circumstances.
• Ensure that all relevant information regarding client care is communicated to the appropriate persons within and outside the team, bringing to the CMHT Team Leader's attention issues of concern regarding practice or workload.
• Ensure effective communications with relatives, visitors, voluntary organisations and the general public, thus encouraging participation in care delivery. To respond sensitively to the needs of relatives and carers, often in a highly emotive setting.
• To liaise with other professionals in relation to client care, actively co-ordinating care planning and review meetings, and case conferences as appropriate.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Details
Date posted: 13 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum pro-rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 367-ACMS-101493
Job locations: Stevenage Adult Community Mental Health Services, Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, STEVENAGE, SG1 3LJ, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibility

• To manage a patient caseload, identified in consultation with medical, nursing and other professions and agreed by the CMHT Team Leader.
• To establish and maintain effective individualised nursing and social care by assessment of patients problems; planning; implementation and evaluation of agreed interventions; clear and concise documentation of individualised client care and use of electronic patient record systems.
• To be aware of the physical needs of people with mental health problems and refer physical conditions on as appropriate.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with individual clients, relatives and carers.
• Be responsible for the administration, carriage and storage of medication in accordance with relevant Trust policies. To ensure safe disposal of equipment used in the Community e.g. syringes, needles, in accordance with Trust policies.
• Be responsible for the administration of prescribed medical treatments and monitoring effects in accordance with clinical procedures adopted by the Trust.
• Use research findings in designing nursing care programmes and develop awareness of the significance of nursing research and wider evidence based practice in community mental health care.
• Participate and be responsible for running nurse led clinics e.g. Clozapine.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the needs of carers of patients with mental health problems and develop strategies to meet those needs; e.g. self-help groups, respite care, Carers Act.
• Ensure that the principle of continuity of care is maintained and that appropriate plans are made for clients discharge and transfer from the clinical areas in line with Care Programme Approach (including acting as care coordinator), Community Care Act 1990 and Discharge Policies and the National Service Framework for Mental Health.
• To have a working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and subsequent legislation as it affects the client group.
• To participate in the Trusts adverse incidents reporting systems and comply with the Trusts procedure and techniques for managing risks.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility

• Assist in identifying training needs with the community team for self and team members.
• Act as preceptor and mentor for learner nurses.
• Participate in annual appraisal, professional development and mandatory training.

Managers have a duty to promote and support staffs personal health and wellbeing at all times, this includes both physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Managers have a responsibility to support staff by directing employees to services that are available to everyone to help in managing health and wellbeing.

They should be open and approachable as well as proactive in discussing and agreeing a process to monitor an employees mental and physical health.

Financial Responsibility

• To assist the Team Manager to manage the Team budget effectively.
• Comply with relevant Trust and Team financial policies and procedures to ensure cost effective and efficient use of team and Trust resources.

Service Development and Improvement

• To be involved in clinical audit and evaluation of mental health services within secondary care. Playing an enthusiastic role in the achievement of the teams contribution to achieving NSF objectives for the service at a local level and contribute to such audit requirements (of own practice and recording) as are requested from time to time.
• To contribute to data collection and entry as part of audit and evaluation of such services.
• To participate fully in training relevant to the delivery of the services outlined above.
• To actively seek supervision for all aspects of the post.
• To recognise personal and professional limitations.

Communications

• To provide and receive complex, sensitive and contentious information using developed skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation, empathy and re-assurance to ensure client assessments, care planning, reviews and other tasks can be completed.
• To be able to communicate with clarity, tact and purpose in all relevant situations.
• To be able to use effectively a range of modes of communication including verbal, by email, by telephone, in formal reports, written clinical notes and in presentations taking into account issues of confidentiality.
• To be able to communicate to people at various points within the hierarchy of relevant organisations.
• Ensure effective and confidential communication between medical, nursing, social care and health care agents on significant information governing patient care and treatment. Adhere to NMC Code of Conduct and the HPFT policies on confidentiality and information sharing.
• To keep accurate records on all clients in accordance with Trust Policy and guidance from professional bodies.
• To collect data in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
• To collect and submit activity statistics as required.

Other
Physical Working Conditions and Environment

• The post holder is based within the Community Mental Health Team and will be expected to visit people within their own homes, or a variety of public places or voluntary organisations within the community as well as GP practices throughout the Trust.
• The post holder will also be expected to carry out duties such as Phlebotomy or giving intramuscular injections on a frequent basis and dealing with people daily who display a full spectrum of behaviour from potentially violent and aggressive to suicidal and extremely distressed.
• Travel throughout the County is required.

Knowledge and Skills Framework

• The post holder will be expected to meet the requirements of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) appropriate outline for the post.

Car driver essential as a majority of the posts are community based, the post holder will need a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes including business insurance (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

For full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role please refer to the job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential

• RMN or Dip / BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing

Desirable

• ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential

• Demonstrable post-registration experience at Band 5 in a relevant Mental Health Setting
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Working knowledge of MHA (1983), CPA, Risk Assessment and Section 25 etc
• Effective multi-professional team communication and team working. Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate Nursing care with Supervision. Medication administration.

Desirable

• Experience in working with acute mental health problems in a community setting.
• Understanding of the National Service Framework.
• Understanding Primary / Secondary Care interface
• Successful change experiences

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Essential

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with colleagues, service users, carers and relatives. Also, with a range of local statutory and non-statutory agencies

Desirable

• High standard of report writing

ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Essential

• Able to elicit information from service users, carers and professional staff in regard to a wide range of topics
• Ability to use problem solving techniques in a variety of situations
• Able to manage own time and caseload and have good administration skills
• Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathetic or reassuring skills are required

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Stevenage Adult Community Mental Health Services, Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, STEVENAGE, SG1 3LJ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head Of Service North/Stevenage/Central/NW ACMHS, Karen Howard, View email address on meeveem.com, View phone number on meeveem.com

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)

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