Band 5 (Secondment) Opportunity QualifiedNHS AfC : Band 5

East London NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Greater London seeks a proactive Junior Mental Health Practitioner to support individuals in crisis within a community setting. The role involves assessments, care planning, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Candidates should possess a BSc in Mental Health Nursing and relevant clinical experience. This position offers career progression opportunities with responsibilities centered around evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and effective communication to ensure high standards of care.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Clinical experience in mental health settings, with a focus on adult care.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act and capacity legislation.
• Ability to evaluate and assess risk using evidence-based models.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments and safety care plans.
• Support service users in crisis through effective communication.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives within the service.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Communication skills

Clinical assessment

Psychoeducation

Education

BSc in Mental Health Nursing

Completion of Nursing Programme January 2026

Tools

IT systems proficiency

Job description

Job overview

The post holder will be a proactive individual with a "can-do attitude" working in the City and Hackney Home Treatment embedded within Crisis Pathway. The successful candidate will also work as an active junior band 5 practitioner within the service for 12 months as secondment opportunity, they up skilled to level of band 6 which help progress with your future career development prospects.

Take responsibility for the development and delivery of evidence based practice, ensuring that it supports and reflects service user individual needs, Trust objectives and professional guidance.

Contribute to the development of high quality evidence based community crisis service

Effective communication with all relevant personnel both internal and external to the Trust.

To practice within professional guidelines and promote professional practice in clinical area.

To ensure continuous personal development through the utilization of regular supervision, annual appraisal and training where appropriate.

In conjunction with the crisis pathway services, provide a safe and effective urgent community assessment response service.

Undertake face to face comprehensive assessments, including risk assessment, effectively and efficiently.

Formulate and agree crisis safety care plans with service users and to support and advise relatives and care givers.

Main duties of the job

• Develop and maintain a high standard of practice based on assessment using psychoeducation, the Recovery Model and supportive clinical management.
• Liaise and establish good working relationships with referring agents, colleagues in Primary Care services, Social Services, Community Mental Health Teams, In-Patient services, Criminal Justice, Voluntary Sector and other agencies as appropriate.
• To have knowledge of and practice a range of therapeutic interventions available to reduce distress for individuals experiencing an acute mental health crisis.
• Ability to work autonomously should be developed by end of 12 month period, inclusive of understanding formulations of risk management plans at initial assessment and safely coordinator transfer of care, between services external and internal.
• To work with the multi-disciplinary team in developing plans that offer supportive crisis care in the least restrictive way.
• Act as a role model in the practice area, encouraging staff in teaching and supervision to sustain a supportive learning environment.
• Be responsible for the maintenance and accurate recording of patient information in the documentation systems and to ensure the effective dissemination of service user information throughout the multidisciplinary team.

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people’s lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are : We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking 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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To carry out the initial assessments of a person in a mental health crisis who meets the criteria for a 4-hr. mental health crisis response or 24-hour response (should you be asked to cover other aspects of crisis pathway)
• To evaluate effectiveness whilst working within the framework of Risk Assessment.
• To report all relevant information to the referring agent and keep them informed of the service user’s progress.
• To assess, plan, set goals with the service user, carers and families; implement and evaluate care using psycho-social interventions and skills to meet individual needs.
• To actively support the person in crisis in self-management of their symptoms through the formation of their care plans.
• To act as crisis coordinator for service users and undertake referrals to other services.
• To respond to emergency referrals within a timely fashion and to agreed protocols and targets.
• To develop and implement appropriate Health Promotion strategies including the Recovery College appropriate to the client group.
• To refer for carers’ assessments and provide information and support to carer’s as appropriate.
• To be responsible for accurate record keeping in line with Trust and NMC policy and procedures.
• Manage own workload in accordance with the NMC, local protocols and relevant policy guidance.
• To participate in shift co-ordination, organizing the work of the whole team as required and directed by the Operational Lead or Senior Mental Health Practitioners and in accordance with Team protocols.
• To participate in a 24-hour, 7 day a week service as required by the service.
• To respond to emergency referrals within agreed local protocols and timeframes.
• To ensure that a safe and effective crisis assessment service is delivered to any referred cases.
• Provide information to help the person in crisis or the service user to make an informed choice about opportunities and services available to them and to assist them with their mental health problems in obtaining required services, support and entitlements.
• To submit statistical data promptly as required by the Trust and local protocols.
• To ensure accurate and clear records and documentation are maintained in accordance with local and national guidelines.
• To act as a resource and support for other team members, health and social work professionals, voluntary workers and home care providers.
• To provide help and social support to clients living in different caring environments such as care homes.
• To produce clear, precise and timely reports using the Trust IT systems.
• Assist in providing a clinical learning environment for all learners and junior colleagues.
• To act as assessor / mentor to student nurses on placement in the team.
• To participate in clinical and managerial appraisal and supervision.
• To provide supervision and appraisal to junior colleagues as agreed with the Senior Mental Health Practitioner.
• Utilizes the quality improvement approach to think systemically about complex problems develop potential change ideas and test these in practice using the Trust’s QI framework
• Engage in and make time for quality improvement.
• Develop the appropriate level of skills in quality improvement
• Resolve local issues on a daily basis using the tools and method of quality improvement without staff having to seek permission.
• Has an awareness and understanding of quality improvement, and shares learning and successes from quality improvement work.
• Follow Trust Procedure on handling patient money and valuables
• To meet the health requirements of the Trust and undertake relevant training for one’s own safety

Person specification

Education / Qualification / Training

Essential criteria

• Working to Completion of Nursing Programme January 2026
• Bsc in Mental Health Nursing

Desirable criteria

• Associate Nurse Qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Clinical Experience of working with adults within mental health setting problems in either health or social care setting
• Experience of working with family and carers
• Good understanding of Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Experience of evidence based models to evaluate and assess risk
• Experience of working in dynamic and high pressure environment

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working community setting
• Experience of working in a Home Treatment Team and with individuals in crisis

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of IT systems and ability use effectively
• Fluent in English, written and oral
• Ability to respond to positively to people who are distressed or who behave in a challenging manner
• Ability to reflect on own working practice and its impact on service user and other MDT staff
• Ability to relate and listen to people with mental health problems and provide emotional support and care
• Good sound knowledge of physical health management and comorbidity conditions, such as such substance misuse and mental health