Mental Health Practitioner

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

Are you passionate about reshaping mental health care? Do you believe in the power of community, collaboration with community partners and local voluntary care sector, inclusion, and peer support to transform lives? We’re launching an innovative community care centre inspired by world-class models like the Trieste Mental Health Community Network, Navigo in Grimsby, and Clubhouse models in New York and Brixton.

We have an incredibly exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new community mental health pilot. This centre will hold a major national profile with NHS England who are hoping that the pilot will radically transform how we deliver mental health care in the UK.

We are looking for dedicated staff to help us pioneer this revolutionary approach to care.

• A Unique Care Model: Join a programme focused on community, social inclusion, and holistic recovery.
• Supportive Environment: Collaborate with peers, contribute to a recovery-oriented care system, and make a real difference.
• Development Opportunities: Be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of mental health care, with training and career growth built-in.

• To support the team with overall management of referrals, providing screening, triage & trusted assessments for patients with range of mental disorders.
• To work in collaboration with our partner agencies and the MDT to provide a range of interventions to support service users to stay well within their local communities. To work with SU, patients & carers using evidenced based tool to inform care planning to support engagement with treatment & appropriate services.
• To support family & carers with the management of risk and escalate all risk concerns as required ensuring that there is clear communication of risk to all involved with care.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues within community services using shared decision making to ensure safe & effective discharge planning or onward referral. This may include discharge to Primary Care, signposting to social prescribers, third sector partners, voluntary services or community based groups. To ensure that all planning is shared with those involved with the care in a timely manner.
• To take part in range of MDT governance, development, & clinical meetings.

To provide low intensity CBT and Mindfulness interventions under supervision. To provide psychoeducation to services users.

Working for our organisation

There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness.

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. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014: offering an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels.

PLEASE NOTE: The role will be initially based at 62 Speedwell Street, London, SE8 4AT, but will relocate to 1 Heather Close, Hither Green, SE13 6UG in November 2025.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To adopt a client centred approach embodied with the principles of the recovery model. To provide low intensity CBT and Mindfulness interventions under supervision. To provide psychoeducation to services users. To co-facilitate, where agreed, therapeutic groups with a focus on service user rehabilitation reintegration and social inclusion.

• Reporting any incident or Serious Untoward Incidents that may take place in a community setting and provide reports and accurate records relating to the incident.
• Recognising and responding appropriately to “self-harm and suicide prevention” with regard to the risks in community settings, in line with Trust policies and training guidelines.
• Understanding and working within the boundaries of the Lone Working Policy and awareness of Personal Safety in a community setting, including clear and updated communication with colleagues.
• Responding to urgent situations, emergencies or crises using protocols specific to the local community setting.

• Understanding and implementing safeguarding procedures in a community setting; recognise, report, and investigate safeguarding issues and raise safeguarding alerts if you suspect that a service user and/or carer has been exposed to harm or abuse.
• Understanding and implementing of Duty of Candour with regard to the issues in a community setting.

• Demonstrating an awareness and understanding of relevant and up-to- date Mental Health Law of particular relevance in community settings; ensuring adherence to legislation at all times.
• Having a working knowledge of the legal requirements of the Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Programme Approach, Deprivation of Liberty, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Community Treatment Orders.

• Understanding and implementing infection control measures in a community setting.

• Preparing and providing reports on information and statistics as required relating to case load, regularity of visits and details of contact with clients and families.
• Communicating/liaising effectively with relevant agencies to ensure that an integrated programme of care is provided throughout.
• Working closely with relevant professionals identifying health needs of the practice population and support the development of services in response to those needs.
• Leading and participating in team, locality and Trust initiatives as required and promote the strategic aims and objectives of the service, Nursing strategy and other relevant quality improvement initiatives in the community.
• Leading and actively contributing to clinical or governance reviews of the team’s activity and the monitoring of performance in line with trust directives and audit programmes in the community.
• Documenting according to Trust policy, write in plain language, avoiding jargon and use of acronyms.
• Engaging in practice reflection through clinical supervision and reflective practice groups and contributing to the delivery of clinical supervision to junior staff.
• Demonstrate leadership skills within the clinical context of the community, showing awareness of the challenges facing staff working in a community setting and supporting junior staff as appropriate.

• To contribute to the improvement of pathways between primary and secondary care and where practicable, to standardise processes across the pathways
• To support primary care initiatives which improve the physical health outcomes of those with a long-term mental health condition and the mental health outcomes of those with a long-term physical health condition

Training Development and Education:

• To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy, identifying individual training needs.
• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
• To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).

General:

• This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
• The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality of Information.
• The postholder is responsible for ensuring that the work that they undertake is conducted in a manner which is safe to themselves and others, and for adhering to the advice and instructions on Health and Safety matters given by Manager(s). If postholders consider that a hazard to Health and Safety exists, it is their responsibility to report this to their manager(s).
• The postholder is expected to comply with the appropriate Code(s) of Conduct associated with this post and meet the required professional standards for on-going registration.
• To make effective use of supervision and be able to acknowledge their own limitations, reflect on practice and discuss/identify their training and development needs with their line manager.

Person specification

Education & Quaifucations

• Mental health professional appropriate to the job role (Nurse, social worker, occupational therapist.
• Evidence of post qualification training/education.
• Evidence of recent continued professional development.

• A commitment to completing quality improvement training.
• Mentorship or equivalent.

Experience

• Relevant clinical experience.
• Familiar with the needs of working with people who have experienced serious ongoing mental health problems.
• Confident with undertaking assessments.
• Demonstrate ability to complete good quality research based/reflective practice e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence-based practice.
• Ability to manage a workload proactively and independently.
• Experience of successfully providing a range of clinical interventions, including triage and assessment, to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems.
• Evidence of working collaboratively and consultatively with professionals.
• Evidence of thriving in a in an MDT setting.
• Familiar with using clinical and managerial supervision.
• Confident on addressing issues of diversity including experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Exposure to risk management and safeguarding

• Previous experience of working within primary care
• Knowledge and experience of conducting audits
• Experience of developing and facilitating teaching programme for staff.
• Experience of working in a community mental health setting.
• Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health.

Knowledge

• An understanding of the relationship between primary and secondary care services.
• Awareness of racial and diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
• Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Safeguarding Adults, Young people, and children.
• An understanding of the stepped care model of delivery of psychological therapies for depression, anxiety, and personality disorder.
• Ability to provide quality care that is responsive to service user needs, without close supervision.

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
• Knowledge of the theory of psychological models, such as CBT, DBT, or MBT.

Skills & Abilities

• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, their families and colleagues.
• Effective IT skills.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate and to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive and/or challenging behaviour.

• Accredited practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy.
• Accredited nurse prescriber
• Ability to contribute to, monitor and implement changes and improvements to services.
• Specialised clinical skills, e.g. group work, anxiety/anger management, family work skills

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe’