Associate Mental Health Practitioner | East London NHS Foundation Trust

East London NHS Foundation Trust; Mile End; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK-based healthcare provider is seeking an Associate Mental Health Practitioner in Mile End. This role involves supporting patients in crisis, managing calls and messages, and ensuring high-quality care through teamwork and adherence to policies. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and the ability to handle complex mental health situations. The position emphasizes the importance of crisis management and offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives.

Qualifications

• Ability to handle crisis calls and text messages from patients with mental health needs.
• Demonstrate robust assessment and risk management skills.
• Provide high quality support under supervision.

Responsibilities

• Take calls and messages from patients and carers regarding mental health needs.
• Triage communications to appropriate professionals.
• Provide crisis support and develop safety plans under guidance.

Skills

Communication skills

Crisis management

Assessment skills

Decision making

Interpersonal skills

Job description

The Associate Mental Health Practitioner will work across the Service as directed to provide and support smooth transitions between teams and a high level of experience for the person in crisis.

Responsibilities

• Take calls and text messages from patients and carers with all levels and complexities of Mental Health needs.
• Triage calls and text messages ensuring they are dealt with by the most appropriate professional.
• Provide a high quality Mental Health crisis support line.
• Meet the key performance indicators set for answering calls and responding to text messages.
• Liaise with other professionals and agencies as appropriate to support the person in crisis.
• Work under supervision, with adherence to Trust procedures and policies, and employ value based and socially inclusive practice.
• Demonstrate robust assessment, risk assessment and management skills and possess sound decision making skills for people in a mental health crisis and formulate crisis safety plans under the guidance of registered clinicians.
• Demonstrate an understanding of a range of brief interventions and be able to provide robust physical health checks or be willing to undertake training to do so.

Mission & Values

• Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve.
• We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – we look for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
• Triage all calls and text messages coming through to the ELFT centralised crisis line.
• If patient has a physical health need that takes precedent over mental health need then seek and document advice on whether to transfer back to NHS111 or, 999.
• Signpost callers to other Trust services where appropriate – refer patients and carers to appropriate downstream mental health and support services.
• Seek advice and support with regard to escalating concerns about an individual user and document advice from a qualified mental health practitioner to continue the call and text message thread.
• Be clear at which point to hand‑off the call or text message to a qualified mental health practitioner in order to continue the discussion based on details already gathered.
• Ensure that all callers are welcomed in a courteous manner and that all telephone and text message enquiries to teams are handled politely and sympathetically, ensuring that all onward referrals are completed in a timely and accurate manner which may often involve dealing with difficult and distressed patients on the phone.

This advert closes on Sunday 7 Dec 2025