Mental Health Practitioner (Forensic)
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below.When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
http://hpft.recruitforvalues.co
Job overview
To provide specialist community mental health practitioner input to the Community Forensic Team in Hertfordshire. This will include the provision of specialist knowledge regarding the management of complex cases.
To work in close liaison with the Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists and other members of the multi – disciplinary team to co – ordinate the input of the team and to act as a key professional in the full assessment of individual care needs and to plan, implement and review appropriate care and risk management.
The Community Forensic Team (CFT) provides enhanced risk assessment and provides specialist treatment to people with mental disorder in the community who pose or could pose a significant risk of causing serious harm (usually physical) to others.Most (but not all) individuals registered with the CFT have been convicted of serious violent offending. Treatment is geared towards the safe management of risk and recovery of the individual.
Main duties of the job- Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments (MSE, risk, formulation).
- Identify and escalate risks related to self‑harm, suicide, violence, vulnerability, absconding, and safeguarding.
- Contribute to risk management plans and ensure they are followed in practice.
- Develop person‑centred care plans with clear goals, interventions, and measurable outcomes.
- Deliver evidence‑based therapeutic interventions (CBT‑informed, DBT‑informed, psycho education, grounding, de‑escalation).
- Support medication adherence and monitor side effects (within scope of practice).
- Advocate for patient needs and ensure their voice is reflected in care planning.
- Liaise with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and external agencies.
- Maintain accurate, timely, defensible clinical records.
- Ensure all interventions, risks, and decisions are documented.
- Adhere to NMC standards, safeguarding policies, and legal frameworks (e.g., MHA, MCA).
- Make clinical decisions regarding safety, including early departure decisions based on risk, acuity, and task completion.
- Coordinate handovers, ensuring clarity, accountability, and risk communication.
- Ensure completion of essential tasks: observations, medications, documentation, property, incident reporting.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings.We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To work within the CFT to provide specialist mental health practitioner assessment and care planning.To take a lead role in the care planning process and work within the Care Programme Approach ensuring that CFT and Trust policies are adhered to.
To take a lead role and work with those people who have more complex and challenging needs across the caseload.
To develop practice within the teams in the assessment of health and well – being needs.
Working closely with the Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists, act as a central link in the ongoing management of complex cases for the team.
To provide specialist knowledge and advice to other agencies for the purposes of public protection, including through MAPPA processes.
To provide written reports in respect of Mental Health Tribunals as required.
To act as a Social Supervisor for those people who remain subject to mental health act restrictions whilst living out of hospital.
Take part in the evaluation of the care of individuals at review meetings, case conferences, ward rounds etc.
To attend and contribute to team meetings, providing specialist professional advice and support to staff regarding the management of individual service users and their programmes of care
Where professionally appropriate may be responsible for the safe transport and administration of medicines in accordance with Trust policy, legal requirements and NMC guidance, administers intramuscular injections.
To provide specialist clinical advice across the Trust as required.
To liaise with community services; statutory and non- statutory and inpatient services
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential criteria- Current professional registration with an approved professional body.
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- Training relevant to Practice
- Post Graduate Diploma
- Specific training in family work or other psychological approaches.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria- Significant previous experience of working with service users with acute psychiatric disorders and complex mental health needs.
- Experience of managing a caseload.
- Experience of supervising staff and providing mentorship.
- Experience of working with service users with Forensic histories.
- Experience of working with service users diagnosed with learning disability and or neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Experience of working in assertive outreach, crisis or home treatment services
- Lived experience of mental health challenges.
SKILLS/ ABILITY
Essential criteria- Ability to undertake assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of treatment plans.
- Ability to prioritise work demands and be flexible
- Proven skills in undertaking risk assessments and management plans.
- Effective communication skills both verbally and written, including IT literacy
- An understanding and commitment to the principles of Recovery and social inclusion
- An understanding of the role of health promotion and education with the client group.
- Ability to advocate for the service users who you are supporting.
- The ability to supervise and participate in providing teaching and training to other staff.
- In depth knowledge and skill related to a particular therapeutic intervention such as CBT, DBT, family work.
- Experience in group work
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria- Thorough understanding of care planning and the Care
- Programme Approach (CPA)
- Knowledge of physical healthcare needs.
- Commitment to and understanding of evidence- based practice.
- Knowledge of relevant NICE guidance.
- Understanding of the legislation relating to menta health care including - Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Act, Care Act, Children’s Act, Equality Act 2010.
- Awareness of safeguarding issues and responsibilities under relevant legislation.
- Knowledge of the role of the MOJ and other criminal justice agencies..
About us
HPFT supports people with mental ill health, learning disabilities and autism across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex. We employ around 4,500 people who deliver these services within the community and in inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services and medium and low secure learning disabilities services.We have operated as a NHS Foundation Trust since our authorisation in August 2007.
If you would like to join a team to be proud of and you share our values and passion for great care and outcomes for our service users and carers, we would love to hear from you.
Additional Information
HPFT is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and in order to reflect the diversity of its population, positively encourages applications from all areas of the community. We aim to be a representative organisation with regards to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, beliefs and sexual orientation and are fully committed to equality, diversity and human rights and encourage applications from all sections of the community including users of mental health services.
The Trust is committed to helping staff balance work and home life and welcomes applications from candidates wishing to work part-time or under flexible working arrangements.
Infection Control
All our staff will need to comply with current Infection Prevention and Control measures which could include wearing a mask on all our Trust sites and in all roles
AI Usage Guidance
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can aid you in completing your application, these tools cannot fully grasp the context of requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge and experience. Please ensure you have tailored your application before submitting it.
For further information, please refer to the Trust’s guidance on AI usage document which can be found below.
Visa, Immigration and Sponsorship
As a Trust we will offer sponsorship to roles which require professional registration, unfortunately, if you apply for a role that is outside of that your application will not be considered for the role. If you hold a different visa type, you must have a minimum of 2 years on your current visa to be considered for a role.