Mental Health Practitioner - CAP or Senior MHWP

Job summary
We are seeking to employ and support a Mental Health Practitioner trained in the delivery of low-medium intensity psychological formulation, assessment and treatment in Adult Secondary Care. The post holder will take on a role as a Named Key Worker within the Croydon South Adult Community Secondary Care Neighbourhood Centre. They will hold a dedicated caseload, developing risk management and care plans, coordinating care, and delivering a high quality and structured treatment approach. This will involve both individual case management and low-medium intensity psychological interventions.

Applications are welcome from qualified, experienced and accredited practitioners - Clinical Associates in Psychology and Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners.

The Centre provides evidence-based treatment for service-users with Severe Mental Health difficulties including those with Psychosis Condition, Eating Disorders, Complex Emotional Needs, Complex Trauma, and a diagnosis of Personality Disorder.

The post holder will need excellent clinical and risk assessment skills and can work autonomously in carrying out prompt and comprehensive patient assessments whilst ensuring effective transition to other appropriate clinical pathways.

The post holder will work a normal shift pattern of Monday- Friday 9:00-17:00.

Main duties of the job
This post holder will provide psychological interventions to the Croydon South Adult Community Secondary Care Neighbourhood Centre and to individuals with complex and severe mental health problems, focusing on individual strengths and the utilisation of community assets and resources to help people with what matters most to them.

The work undertaken will be supervised by a Qualified Senior Specialist Psychological Therapist who will provide governance for the clinical work carried out according to an individual's specified Care Plan.

About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient, and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley, and Greenwich.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care.

You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014: providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels.

In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Details
Date posted: 26 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £45,953 to £54,254 a year
per annum inclusive of HCAs
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 334-CLI-8222696
Job locations: Jeanette Wallace House
Croydon
CR0 1ER
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
A key feature of our approach to Adult Community Secondary Care Mental Health is development of a care offer delivered by staff from multiple disciplines and in partnership with organisations, services and teams internal and external to SLaM in a Neighbourhood Approach to deliver what really matters to people who need mental health support in the local population. This emerging model of care is flexible to peoples changing needs, with people stepping up and stepping down levels of support and intervention according to the complexity of their needs.

The characteristics of the core population receiving direct services are people with complex psychological and emotional needs who may have experienced adverse life events and are experiencing socio-economic disadvantages.

Psychological based provision is offered to the local/identified population at the individual, group, couple and family level through to teams, systems and community level.

The post holder will work with people who use our services to develop a shared understanding of the complex issues they are facing, how they cope, and the impact this has on their mental and physical health and well-being as well the health of those around them, by undertaking Psychological Assessment and Formulation. Under supervision they will explore a range of psycho-social-bio options for improving health outcomes and help people to achieve agreed goals.

Individuals seen clinically by the post holder will include those who have experienced high levels of distress and complex mental health difficulties. They may also present with a high level of risk to both themselves and sometimes to other people.

Assessments and interventions will be delivered in a range of settings, including the Adult Community Secondary Care Mental Health Neighbourhood Centre, Acute Pathway Settings, Individuals Homes, and Third Sector locations, in person, by telephone or via digital platform.

The post holder would be expected to work closely with Experts-By-Experience, Local Communities, and Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises, to help in the co-production and co-development of services. Partnership working, liaising with various stakeholders in the system, such as GPs, Primary, Secondary, Acute and Tertiary Care Mental Health Services, Colleges and Universities, Employers, and the Third Sector.

The post holder will also be involved in raising the awareness of the complexity of the health and social challenges many people face and the impact this has on mental health & well-being and vice versa. A key aim of the service is to help people build resilience and feel more connected to their community, and to instil a sense of belonging.

We sincerely welcome applications from people who have previous experience of using Mental Health services, and/or individuals who are/have been a carer for someone. We are also very interested in receiving application from people who have strong local connections to the Borough of Croydon.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Completed BPS [British Psychological Society] accredited CAP or MHWP apprenticeship training programme including EPA to IFA standards.
• Registered as a CAP or MHWP with either the BPS or BABCP.

Desirable

• Post registration qualification in specialty
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Training in SCM or other evidence-based intervention for this client group
• Post-registration qualification/ accreditation relevant to the post

Experience
Essential

• Strong ability to engage with a variety of services and community partners and stakeholders, and to expand existing networks, and to nurture and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders
• Understand how to analyse and appraise key theoretical concepts of psychological models of treatment both at individual and group level recognised in evidence-based national guidelines
• Communicate effectively, share information and check understanding using clear language and appropriate, written materials, making reasonable adjustments where appropriate in order to optimise people's understanding
• Recognise and accommodate sensory impairments during all communications and the use of personal communication aids
• Take account of how conflicting and sometimes contradictory information from carers and other healthcare professionals, in emotive and challenging situations and contexts, may impact on the outcome of assessment
• Apply and analyse a range of research approaches including both qualitative and quantitative methods in clinical practice
• Evaluate and audit clinical practice through conducting service evaluations/QI projects to inform change through dissemination of findings ensuring best use of publicly funded resources
• Apply and review risk assessments and formulations when working with complex patients within scope of practice
• Assess and identify appropriate practice in relation to critical incident and severe adverse events
• Provide consultation/supervision with regards to psychological formulation, assessment, and intervention
• Able assess limits of professional boundaries and capacity and understand when to seek appropriate supervision/advice on practice and whom to refer to so as to ensure best care

Desirable

• At least one-year post-qualification experience
• Lived experience of using services, and/or being a carer for someone

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• To be able to assess and formulate someone's experiences drawing on a range of psychological models and theory
• Awareness of diversity of cultural norms across the borough, and being able to respond to this appropriately
• Work cross-culturally and/or in different languages
• Understand the principles of clinical supervision using them to provide a safe and supportive environment to reflect, review and discuss personal and professional responses to work
• Able to correctly handle confidential information and knowing how and when to share this information for appropriate professional purposes and only with appropriate individuals, and as necessary with appropriately gained consent
• Maintain and implement knowledge of contemporary evidence-based practice through appropriate continued professional development
• Understand and recognise professional duty to challenge and report discriminatory behaviour
• Ability to maintain accurate clinical records and why all entries in clinical and practice records are dated, timed and signed
• Ability to analyse and appraise the range of psychological assessment methods used within applied clinical practice to underpin assessment
• Ability to analyse outputs from specialist psychological assessments across a broad range of patient needs
• Knowledge of the range of legal, ethical, professional, financial and organisational policies and procedures that apply to clinical research activities
• Adept in understanding and using models of clinical supervision and requirements for practice in line with the evidence-base and professional codes of conduct
• Skilled in continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills
• Dedicated in treating residents with dignity, respecting individuals' diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
• Able to show respect and empathy for residents and colleagues and have the courage to challenge concerns, working to evidence-based best practice
• Adaptable, reliable and consistent, show discretion, resilience and self-awareness and demonstrate professional and clinical competence
• Demonstrates evidence of Trust values
• Ability to travel independently where required

Desirable

• Experience of working closely experts-by-experience, local communities, Community and Voluntary and Social Enterprises, to co-produce and co-develop services
• Knowledge and implementation of local, regional and national policy
• Able to understand and critically appraise best evidence and existing practice to inform clinical decision making where there is no agreed consensus on treatment protocols and evaluate outcome
• Understand and utilise learning styles, tools and techniques that can be used to support learning
• Experienced in using a range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies relevant to situation and service context that draw on specialist psychological tools to collect data to evaluate own practice as well as to enhance service delivery

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).

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