Community Mental Health Nurse

Sussex Partnership Nhs Foundation Trust; Eastbourne; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Eastbourne is seeking a dedicated Community Mental Health Nurse. This role involves developing care plans with service users and their families, conducting clinical assessments, and providing mentorship to junior staff. Ideal candidates will be registered nurses with experience in mental health. Join a supportive team focused on improving lives in a vibrant community setting complemented by flexible working options and professional development opportunities. Comprehensive benefits include generous holidays and access to NHS discounts.

Benefits

Preceptorship with personal development plans

Access to wellbeing and support programmes

NHS pension contributions

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuous professional development required.
• Experience in partnership working within various care systems needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical supervision to junior staff and act as a mentor.
• Carry a caseload and work with involved agencies and families.
• Develop care plans in partnership with service users.

Skills

Three years of relevant nursing experience

Experience with mental health interventions

Good communication skills

Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team

Education

Registered Nurse with current registration

Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent

Job description

We're looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we're proud to make a difference every day.

At SPFT we put people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You'll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.

We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it's part‑time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we'll explore what works for you and the role.

We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.

We're shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we'd love to hear from you.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Eastbourne Assessment and Treatment Service (ATS) soon to be part of the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, for final‑year students about to qualify. We are looking for preregistration nurses who are looking for a challenge and the opportunity to work alongside a varied multidisciplinary team and develop within a well‑established team. Our community mental health teams will become part of a much more integrated network of services and our mental health nurses will be central in driving the changes, in close partnership with our primary and third sector colleagues. (See more about our vision https://www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/our-work/our-priorities/mental-health-learning-disability-and-autism/mental-health/community-mh-transformation/)

We want to help, support and nurture you with the right skills to become a confident Band 6 nurse in our service. This development post will give you the right level of broad experience and exposure required. As a Community Mental Health Nurse in our service, you will be focussed on improving outcomes for service users, working creatively with them and their families and carers to co‑create care plans that will help them achieve their goals and live as independently as possible. You will also work closely with other services both within our Trust, and with other partner agencies.

The role of the Community Mental Health Nurse is to work in partnership with service users in the designated care group with multiple mental health presentations and working alongside service users to develop their care plans and recovery plans to enable them to lead fulfilling lives. You will demonstrate an understanding of clinical interventions relevant to the care group to include education, care plans and discharge planning, working closely with carers, families and partner agencies to facilitate this.

Post Holder Expectations

• To be an active participant in the multi‑disciplinary team, formulating care plans and utilising appropriate assessments.
• To take part in all quality initiatives actively supporting and participating in both policies and service developments in the specific care group.
• Carry a caseload, actively working with other involved agencies, families and carers.
• Assess, plan and implement care, and provide specialist nursing advice and carry out specialist nursing procedures.
• To participate in regular clinical, professional and managerial supervision.
• Provide clinical supervision to junior staff and act as a mentor for student nurses.
• To maintain and contribute to standards of professional care, ethics, policies and procedures.
• To contribute, to improve access for patients to local generic health care services, primary, secondary and specialist services.
• To maintain record keeping within Trust guidelines, national standards and NICE.

Requirements

• Registered or Preregistration Nurse with current/pending registration appropriate to the job role.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Essential Knowledge

• Experience of working alongside people with complex mental health needs in the designated care group.
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of mental health problems.
• Experience of working consultatively with other professionals.
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments.
• Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non‑statutory teams and agencies.
• Experience of working within the CPA process.
• Knowledge of MHA (1983/2007).
• Knowledge of Mental Capacity Act (2005), to include practical knowledge of FACE documentation, DOLS and Best Interest decisions.
• Child and Adult safeguarding procedures.
• Change management and organising and prioritising their workload.
• Demonstrate ability to enhance care through evidence‑based knowledge.
• Demonstrate professional development relevant to the specific care group.

Essential Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current registration or Preregistration [Mental Health/LD].
• Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Pre or Post qualifying experience in the relevant care group.
• Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group.
• Experience of supervising staff or being supervised.
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems.
• Experience of working consultatively with professionals.
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments.
• Experience of working within the CPA process, Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced.

SPFT takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk very seriously. We expect all staff and bank workers to share this commitment and complete the relevant safeguarding training for their role.

Benefits

• Preceptorship with a bespoke personal development plan.
• Support with working through and achieving defined set NHS KSF core dimensions in line with the Annexe 21 programme.
• Access to numerous wellbeing and support programmes.
• Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development.
• Flexible working patterns.
• Free parking.
• Child care vouchers.
• Access to a host of NHS discount schemes (including gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars).
• A position within a trust rated as ‘Outstanding’ for caring and ‘Good’ overall by the CQC.
• Generous holiday entitlement (dependent on length of NHS service) starting at 27 days + 8 bank holidays.
• NHS pension contributions.

If you are looking for the opportunity to work within a busy but rewarding Assessment and Treatment service in a seaside town like no other, then we would love to hear from you. Eastbourne is a vibrant seaside town, offering affordable coastal living along with independent shopping and a variety of cafés, bars and restaurants and a very creative music and artistic scene. Our office is in the heart of Eastbourne’s vibrant culture.