Clinical Lead

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Wallsend; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

Bank holidays

Excellent pension up to 14.5%

£8K relocation package

Season ticket loans

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Clinical Lead in the Mental Health Urgent Care Department based at Basildon Hospital. The role provides senior clinical leadership and day-to-day coordination for urgent mental health assessments and care planning, with a 24/7 service and multidisciplinary team.

The post holder will lead the delivery of high quality urgent care, ensure compliance with statutory duties and KPIs, and drive service development and policy in

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with current registration.
• Qualification at degree level or equivalent.
• Substantial experience as mental health practitioner at Band 6 or above.
• Experience of MDT working in Mental Health in complex cases.
• Experience of working in a community setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide managerial input, clinical leadership and day to day coordination of clinical practice to support effective delivery of care across the service.
• Lead and inspire the delivery of high quality and effective urgent care service for patients, carers and professionals.
• Manage resources within the team with support from Matron / Clinical Manager.
• Ensure service aligns with national legislation, policies and procedures and eligibility criteria.
• Develop and implement local clinical governance action plans with senior clinical staff.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Team coordination

People management

Communication

Education

RMN with current registration

Degree level qualification or equivalent

Job description

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Lead

The closing date is 12 November 2026

Clinical Lead - Urgent Care Department (Mental Health)

Base - Basildon Hospital

Hours - Full Time (This is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service delivery based on a rostered shift pattern)

The Mental Health Urgent Care Department, is a facility where adults, aged 18 years and above, who are experiencing a mental health crisis can receive an urgent biopsychosocial assessment with immediate care planning. It is a purpose built department based at the Basildon Mental Health Unit on the Basildon university Hospital site.

The Clinical Lead role is responsible for providing senior clinical leadership and advice within the Mental Health Urgent Care Department that provides full emergency mental health assessments and onward care planning with a diverse and highly skilled mental health workforce incorporating support workers, peer coaches, social worker, nurses and doctors. The service can support every aspect of emergency mental health care planning from GP referrals, ambulance conveyance to Mental Health Act Assessments, whilst providing 24/7 access for ‘walk in’s.’

Main duties of the job

The role will require the post holder to provide managerial input, clinical leadership and day to day coordination of clinical practice to support the effective delivery of care across the service.

The post holder will lead and inspire the delivery of high quality and effective urgent care service for patients, carers and professionals.

• Continuing responsibility for proactive assessment, monitoring and management of patients and ensuring care is current, evidence based and in line with practice standards.
• Provide clinical leadership to the team in evaluation and monitoring of the service, provide specialist assessment as per the service users, and carer's requirement.
• Lead with other senior colleagues the continuing development of a high quality service that is underpinned by evidence based practice and care pathways / packages and NICE guidance and DH guidance; leading on service development and policy in conjunction with the other Advanced Practitioners, senior clinicians, Clinical Manager and Operational Services Manager
• Ensure compliance with statutory duties; Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and performance targets (including meeting the recommended response times following evidence based practice) and quality improvement measurements assigned to the service
• The role will require the post holder to provide managerial input, clinical leadership and day to day coordination of clinical practice to support the effective delivery of care across the service.

About us

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us (subject to terms and conditions)
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Job responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• To take a lead clinical role within the Mental Health Urgent Care Department.
• Work in partnership with the Consultant for the urgent care Department to ensure strong, visible leadership presence
• To ensure that there are effective arrangements in place to ensure appropriate co-ordination and allocation of resources to respond to referrals and attendances.
• To effectively and efficiently manage resources within the team with support from the Matron / Clinical Manager.
• To ensure that the team work to national legislation, local policies and procedures and eligibility criteria.
• To ensure the service works to agreed objectives.
• Ensure that there are effective risk management approaches in place and resources are effectively utilised.
• To build and maintain strong links and working relationships with all local agencies working with adults with mental health problems, including ward teams, crisis teams, emergency response services, Emergency Department teams, local authorities voluntary sectors and wider system partners.
• To effectively communicate service related information to EPUT staff, and other agencies as required.
• To monitor referrals, waiting times, workload and capacity within the department and report any performance issues.
• To provide and ensure the availability of specialist advice, support and consultation to staff within the team and acute hospital colleagues.
• Participate in the Trusts patient safety incident response plan, ensuring that we learn from patient safety incidents to reduce risk and promote, embed and sustain high quality, safe care
• Carry out investigations into complaints and liaise with complainants.
• To manage human resource related issues such as sickness absence and conduct and capabilities for area of responsibility in accordance with relevant agencies policies and procedures.
• To ensure implementation and compliance with EPUT policies and procedures.

Performance Management

• To ensure that all agreed patient quality, safety and operational performance outcomes are delivered within the area of responsibility.

Human Resources

• To manage staff and team performance in line with EPUT policies and procedures.
• To effectively manage sickness absence in line with Trust policies and procedures.
• To be responsible for recruitment and selection processes in their areas of responsibility together with the Matron / Clinical Service Manager.
• To ensure the optimum deployment of staff in their areas to meet operational requirements and safe staffing principles.
• To demonstrate and promote effective communication, disseminating information and encouraging staff participation in developments within the service.
• To ensure that individual and team training and development needs are identified and that plans to meet these training needs are agreed, recorded and implemented.

Finance

• Budget holder to manage a confirmed budget

Clinical Governance

• To ensure that systems are in place to support the delivery of services to agreed standards
• To work with the senior clinical staff (clinical leaders) and others in their area to develop and implement local clinical governance action plans as agreed by the Care unit senior leadership team.
• To identify priorities for clinical audit in their area of responsibility.
• To ensure the implementation of clinical protocols and guidelines.
• To actively engage with service users, monitor their views on services and promote their involvement in service planning.
• To ensure adherence to Trust policies and procedures relating to health and safety at work

Clinical/Practice

• To participate in the assessment, review and management of complex referrals that carries a high degree of risk.
• Co‑lead with the department senior medic all department patient review procedures to ensure timely clinical decisions and departmental flow are maintained
• To attend as required specialist meeting with other agencies for the review of complex cases including Protection of Vulnerable Adults Meetings, Child Protection Meeting, etc.
• Ensure effective and confidential communication between all care agencies on significant data governing patient care and treatment.
• To devise, in collaboration with multi-disciplinary team members, appropriate referral on and/or signposting to appropriate services.
• To ensure referral to other specialists and services as appropriate.
• To give consultation, training and advice to professionals and agencies relating to client care and the management of complex cases

Any other duties as delegated by the Care unit leadership team commensurate with the responsibilities of this post.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with current registration
• Qualification at degree level or equivalent

Experience

• Substantial experience as a mental health practitioner at Band 6 or above
• Experience of MDT working in Mental Health in complex cases
• Experience of working in a community setting

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

£49,387 to £56,515 a yearper annum, plus 5% High Cost Allowance