Senior Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner - ARRS HaLo PCN

Job summary
We are excited to recruit to the role of Senior Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner (Band 7) in Hertfordshire's HaLo Primary Care Network (PCN) covering the following GP surgeries in the St Albans area:

The Lodge Health Partnership

Harvey House Practice

The role will involve travel between the PCN sites as well as travel to HPFT sites for things such as mandatory training.

You will work alongside other clinicians within the PCN as part of a multidisciplinary team.

You will need to be able to work autonomously to triage, assess, case manage and discharge a patient without referral to a GP where appropriate.

You must be able to advise on medications, identify and intervene to meet social needs, order investigations and refer on to secondary care services where necessary.

You will act as a first point of contact in primary care. You will accept referrals for triage via agreed routes within the PCN. You will offer rapid and autonomous 'first contact' assessment and promote early treatment by supporting people directly into appropriate mental health pathways across both the statutory and voluntary sectors and will provide short term interventions on the telephone, via video link options, at the surgery or in the person's home where appropriate.

Main duties of the job
You will provide mental health assessment and brief interventions to service users in GP surgeries.

Your tasks will include early triage, assessment, treatment, risk management, identifying and dealing with safeguarding concerns as well as contributing to case discussions and service-related meetings across the adult mental health primary care pathway ensuring good links with secondary care services.

You will coordinate the time limited care of primary care-based service users delivering integrated care which takes account of social care needs. You will be someone who enjoys adapting and learning as you contribute to embedding this new role into primary care.

You will also take a leading role for service innovation and development in primary care mental health. This could include projects with other junior staff to ensure delivery of safe and effective primary care mental health services and making a significant contribution to the development and leadership of mental health services within Primary Care Networks. You may be expected to conduct audits to help understand the efficacy of these roles. You will also take part in training other colleagues in subjects related to your field of expertise.

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 4,000 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: 17 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £51,657 to £58,785 a year
per annum, pro rata including 5% fringe allowance
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 367-ACMS-101323-A
Job locations: Prospect House, Peace Drive, Watford, WD17 3XE, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
The role aligns with the NHS 10 year plan and focuses on improving access to specialist support within the neighborhood. It centres around early recognition of common mental health and early employment of NICE recommended interventions to prevent more severe and enduring presentations.

A snap shot of the duties include :-

• Case find, screen, triage, assess and coordinate the development of care plans for people as part of the Primary Care Team
• Provide brief, outcome focussed support and time limited evidence-based interventions for people.
• Offer interventions to people using the principles of motivational interviewing.
• Support people to build their emotional resilience and crisis planning tools, promoting self-management skills
• Ensure systems are in place to promote smooth pathways between primary care and secondary mental health services.
• Proactively recognise and effectively manage the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate onward referral to HPFT crisis management teams, community teams or via SPA. Where appropriate, you will complete joint assessments with ACMHS. The Mental Health Practitioner will act to negotiate rapid re-access to HPFT clinical services should the need arise and will jointly work with ACMHS to help identify and support patients ready to transition to primary care. The Mental Health Practitioner will be part of developing care plans and preparing people for step down.
• Work in partnership with Health and social care professionals from other agencies and organisations including Mental Health Link Workers, Community Navigators, Social Prescribers and other practice staff to map community resources and assets that are available for those with mental health needs within the specific PCN geography and ensure awareness of these is communicated throughout the Primary Care Network.
• Work within Primary Care to reduce the need for onward referral to secondary care services where consultation with the Community Psychiatrist or Psychologist can provide the required support whether this is medication review or additional advice and guidance.
• To lead collaborative working between the full range of physical health and mental health services to ensure that people who need care are able to access it quickly and are prevented from being excluded from services or falling through gaps.
• Establish an ethos within the Primary Care Network based on individual strengths and community assets. Support service users, carers and families to access voluntary services and other relevant community providers and utilise available information to promote self-management approaches as part of a holistic approach

For a more detailed Job Description and Person Specification please see attached document

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Current professional registration: Registered Mental Health Nurse
• Evidence of relevant post registration training and development in particular motivational interviewing, brief solution focussed interventions, cognitive and behavioural approaches and psychosocial interventions
• Willingness to complete Independent Prescribing within 12m of starting post

Desirable

• Independent Prescriber
• Recognised Post Graduate clinical or leadership qualification relevant to the role
• Mentor and mentorship training

Experience
Essential

• Extensive post registration experience in working with people with mental health needs.
• Community experience in mental health services for adults and older age adults with severe / significant mental illness
• Experience of providing a range of evidence based interventions to people with a variety of mental health problems and serious mental illness
• Considerable experience in the assessment and management of clinical risk.
• Experience in physical health assessment for people with mental health needs.
• Experience of effective collaborative working in partnership to deliver holistic health and social care outcomes.
• Evidence of Interdisciplinary / multi-agency working experience including primary care and community/ voluntary sector.
• Experience of leadership and development of junior colleagues.

Desirable

• Proficient in clinical audits and research.
• Experience of working in primary and secondary mental health services.
• Experience in the planning and delivery of training and practice developments to staff.
• Experience in service evaluation and improvements.
• Experience working in a CAMHS and/or OPMH service

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: Prospect House, Peace Drive, Watford, WD17 3XE, United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Clinical Matron
Ben Mahoney
View email address on meeveem.com
View phone number on meeveem.com

Supporting documents
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