Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Mental Health Practitioner to join our Community Mental Health Service across Somerset. As a registered Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker, you will provide high-quality assessment, care planning and evidence-based interventions for adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties.

Working within a progressive Community Mental Health Service, you will support individuals using recovery-focused and strengths-based approaches, helping people achieve their goals, maximise independence and improve their wellbeing. You will work collaboratively with service users, carers, primary care, voluntary sector partners and other health and social care professionals to deliver person-centred care.

As a senior member of the team, you will contribute to clinical leadership, support service development initiatives, provide supervision to colleagues and help maintain high standards of patient care.

Main duties of the job

• Manage a caseload of individuals with severe and enduring mental health needs, providing assessment, care planning and therapeutic interventions.
• Deliver evidence-based, psychosocial and recovery-focused interventions that promote wellbeing, resilience and independence.
• Undertake comprehensive risk assessments and develop effective risk management and recovery plans in partnership with service users and carers.
• Build and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users, families and carers.
• Work closely with partner agencies including primary care, inpatient services, social care, housing providers, substance misuse services and voluntary sector organisations.
• Safeguard vulnerable adults and children, identifying concerns and taking appropriate action in line with local and national guidance.
• Provide clinical supervision, mentorship and support to junior staff, support workers and students.
• Participate in service development, clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives and clinical governance activities.
• Contribute to team leadership, including coordinating team activity and supporting operational delivery when required.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and ensure compliance with professional standards, Trust policies and information governance requirements.

About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities
You will join a multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Service providing support to adults with complex and enduring mental health needs across Somerset. You will be responsible for delivering specialist mental health assessments and interventions while promoting recovery, social inclusion and positive outcomes for the people you support.

Using a strengths-based and recovery-focused approach, you will work collaboratively with service users to identify goals, develop personalised care plans and support individuals through periods of stability, relapse and recovery. You will utilise a range of psychosocial interventions and draw upon knowledge of psychological approaches such as CBT-informed and solution-focused practices.

You will assess, manage and respond to risk, exercising sound professional judgement in challenging and complex situations. The role requires excellent communication skills, enabling you to engage effectively with service users, carers, families and a broad range of professionals and agencies.

As a senior practitioner, you will contribute to the leadership and development of the service by providing supervision, mentorship and support to Band 5 practitioners, support workers and students. You may also be required to coordinate team activities, support recruitment and induction processes, and deputise for the Team Manager when appropriate.

You will actively contribute to clinical governance, audit, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives, ensuring practice remains evidence-based, safe and aligned with professional standards. You will be expected to maintain continual professional development and remain up to date with developments in mental health practice and policy.

Qualifications
Essential

• RMN, Social Work or Occupational Therapy Qualification
• Current registration with relevant professional body
• Evidence of post qualifying professional development in an acute setting.

Experience
Essential

• Significant post registration experience in multi-disciplinary community mental health services.
• Good knowledge of resources and working practices across health and social care.
• Ability to be innovative in practice.
• Experience of managing risk of clients in crisis.
• Experience of assessment, care-plan, development and evaluation in conjunction with clients and carers.
• Experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems.

Desirable

• Experience of mental health difficulties.

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).

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.