Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

INTERNAL ONLY - This post is open to Berkshire Healthcare NHS Employees Only

We're here 24/7, and if you're on the lookout for a role with flexible hours, the chance to work long days, nights, and weekends, plus loads of opportunities for growth and development, then you're in the right place!

Your role will involve conducting thorough assessments, delivering effective treatments, and offering brief, evidence-based follow-up services to patients referred from community mental health teams, the psych liaison service, or inpatient wards.

While you'll be based in the heart of Slough, get ready for some exciting variety as you might occasionally travel to other locations like Windsor, Maidenhead, or Bracknell to meet the diverse needs of our services.

If you're passionate about mental health, crave a dynamic work environment, and want to make a real impact, this could be the role for you! Apply now and let's create positive change together!

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities include developing, implementing, and evaluating individualised care plans, along with directing patients to other services when necessary. Collaboration with service users and the broader multidisciplinary team is integral to the development of each personalised plan.

Operating within a multidisciplinary team, you’ll oversee care delivery, manage risks, and evaluate care outcomes, prioritising the recovery of each service user.

You should be adept at taking calculated positive risks, aligning with the Trust Policy on Risk Assessment and Management.

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 sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The "must haves" for this role:

• Registered Mental Health Nurse or social worker.
• Evidence of a sound understanding of the acute care pathway.
• Experience of assessment and case formulation, evidence of skills utilised to manage risk.

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: Jackie Glenister on 07995013928 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/Training

• Degree in health/social care or equivalent qualification/experience
• Registered Mental Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Allied Health Professional or Social Worker whereby the person is licensed to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for patients with mental health problems.

Previous Experience

• Experience of clinically supervising junior and unqualified staff and mentoring students
• Substantial experience of managing a busy caseload or service users with a range of mental health conditions
• Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the health and social care systems and operating frameworks, clinical observations, and the Mental Health Act
• Previous knowledge and experience of working in a care environment and with service users who have complex mental health needs
• Ability to cope in a pressurised environment and apply practical problem-solving skills in everyday situations
• Competent IT skills and the ability to navigate around various systems and software packages (such as outlook, databases, MS office and the internet)
• Able to work flexibly on a shift pattern as required and the ability to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements of the position
• Ability to work effectively in a team, work on own initiative, work unsupervised and manage own workload

• Specialist knowledge acquired through training in a specialised discipline
• Effective and competent interpersonal, influencing, communication, observation, and reporting skills
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to analyse situations and be able to make the right decisions
• Able to empathise, be supportive and sensitive to the needs of others as well as being able to cope with distressing circumstances

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel to multiple sites
• Manage difficult situations with service users that have complex mental health conditions and challenging behaviours

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.