Assistant Practitioner/Nursing Associate for Physical Health in SMI

Job overview

Interviews are due to be held on 24 March 2025.

Your focus will be providing physical health checks and interventions for people with serious mental illness who may also have physical co-morbidities. You will be a Registered Nursing Associate or Assistant Practitioner with experience of working with people with SMI and/or long-term conditions.

The Service is Nurse-Led working Mon-Fri 9am-5pm covering the east of Berkshire, and on some occasions localities in the west. We were nominated in the Trust’s All-Star Award for our enthusiasm and commitment to improving the Physical Health of People with SMI.

You will be comfortable working in a busy environment and proficient at engaging with people who experience health inequalities or difficulty accessing services.

The role requires close collaboration and liaison with CMHT colleagues, as well as external partners, primarily GPs / primary care colleagues, other health providers, health promotion and voluntary sector organisations.

• The post holder will be responsible, under the guidance of a qualified professional, for delivering specific physical health care intervention to patients within the Community Mental Health Team [CMHT]. This will include venepuncture, ECG and physical health monitoring e.g. blood pressure, weight etc. and appropriate interventions and health promotion.
• The role will support CMHT staff and other members of the MDT in the assessment, planning, implementing and evaluation of effective, evidenced based care to promote the physical health of people with mental illness.
• The post holder will be responsible for setting up and running physical health and well-being clinics as well as providing this service into patients’ homes. The role may also occasionally support the clozapine service

Working for our organisation

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust site

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The 4 “must haves” for you to be considered for this role:

1. A passion for physical health care that matches our passion to provide excellent healthcare for people with serious mental Illness who may also have physical comorbidities.
2. A Registered Nursing Associate or Assistant Practitioner with experience of working with people with SMI and / or long -term conditions and the ability to undertake phlebotomy, ECG and vital signs recording & monitoring.
3. You will be comfortable working in a busy environment and proficient at engaging with people who experience health inequalities or difficulty accessing services
4. You will be required to have access to your own vehicle and a valid driving licence enabling you to travel to clinics and patients’ homes

Working in a passionate team, you will have access to our Trust-wide Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth, with opportunities to help you build your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, enabling you to extend your skills and ensure that you excel.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Charlotte Lister on 07976 652914 or email: [email protected] who will be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Good general educational qualifications including English & Maths at GCSE or equivalent grade C or above or equivalent
• IT literate

Assistant Practitioner qualification

• NMC Registered Nursing Associate Foundation Degree
• Trained in phlebotomy (or willingness to undertake training)

Previous Experience

• Robust and relevant experience within healthcare settings

• Experience working within community outpatient mental health settings and/or long-term conditions

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing at all levels including with patients, carers and MDT members/Trust employees
• Demonstrable understanding of a Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Able to work effectively with colleagues, patients and their families
• Able to work under pressure
• Ability to understand and evaluate risk to maintain patient safety
• Honest, trustworthy, reliable
• Understand the limits of your abilities

• Knowledge of and skills in psychological interventions or willingness to develop

These are the values that we live by at Berkshire Healthcare:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Please find attached the behaviour framework that underpins these values for this job role.

At Berkshire Healthcare, we foster an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

Watch our careers video to learn more.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and offer guaranteed interviews to disabled applicants and armed forces community members who meet the minimum criteria.

Please note we may close positions before the advertised date.

If you need help with your application, please contact us on [email protected]

Once you have applied, please check your email regularly for updates. All appointments are subject to NHS Employment Checks, and false information may result in withdrawal of offers. For information on how we store your information, please review our privacy statement.

No agencies, please.