Community Mental Health Nurse

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS foundation trust in Hertfordshire is looking for a Community Mental Health Nurse to join its Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in Stevenage. The role involves assessing care needs and managing a caseload for patients with complex mental health issues. Competitive salary of £38,682 to £46,580 per annum, with opportunities for career development and training. The position is full-time and offers a chance to make a meaningful difference in the community.

Benefits

Staff benefits package

Career development and training

Competitive salary

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Nurse qualification is required.
• Experience in crisis situations and emotional environments is necessary.
• Ability to work in multi-ethnic communities.

Responsibilities

• Assess care needs and develop programmes for patients.
• Manage a caseload of patients with complex needs.
• Communicate effectively with other professionals regarding patient care.

Skills

Experience working in acute mental health settings

Ability to establish therapeutic relationships

Knowledge of safeguarding processes

Communication skills

Education

RMN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing

ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship

ENB812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health)

Psychosocial interventions

Job description

Community Mental Health Nurse

Closing date: 13 January 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a Community Mental Health Nurse to join our Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in North Hertfordshire / Stevenage. The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as into London and beyond. Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

We can offer you a competitive salary, staff benefits package, excellent career development and training that comes from working for HPFT.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care for a defined caseload of people with complex mental health and/or social care needs; maintaining associated records. Manages a patient caseload identified in consultation with medical, nursing and other professions and agreed by the CMHT Team Leader. Supports the CMHT Team Leader in establishing and maintaining effective inter-team and inter‑agency communication. Provides effective liaison and communication relating to referrals to and discharge from the CMHT across in‑patient, primary care and community services. Maintains effective joint working with Sector EPMHS, CATTs, EIP's, AOTs and other community based teams according to local circumstances. Ensures that all relevant information regarding client care is communicated to the appropriate persons within and outside the team and brings to the CMHT Team Leader’s attention issues of concern regarding practice or workload. Encourages participation in care delivery by communicating with relatives, visitors, voluntary organisations and the general public. Responds sensitively to the needs of relatives and carers, often in a highly emotive setting. Liaises with other professionals in relation to client care, actively co‑ordinating care planning and review meetings, and case conferences as appropriate. Acts as mentor for Student Nurses as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the CMHT Team Leader in establishing and maintaining effective inter‑team and inter‑agency communication.
• Provide effective liaison and communication relating to referrals to and discharge from the CMHT across in‑patient, primary care and community services.
• Maintain effective joint working with Sector EPMHS, CATTs, EIP's, AOTs and other community based teams according to local circumstances.
• Ensure that all relevant information regarding client care is communicated to the appropriate persons within and outside the team and bring to the CMHT Team Leader’s attention issues of concern regarding practice or workload.
• Ensure effective communications with relatives, visitors, voluntary organisations and the general public, encouraging participation in care delivery.
• Respond sensitively to the needs of relatives and carers, often in a highly emotive setting.
• Liaise with other professionals in relation to client care, actively coordinate care planning and review meetings, and case conferences as appropriate.

Clinical Responsibility

• Manage a patient caseload identified in consultation with medical, nursing and other professions and agreed by the CMHT Team Leader.
• Establish and maintain effective individualized nursing and social care by assessment of patient problems; planning; implementation and evaluation of agreed interventions; clear and concise documentation of individualized client care and use of electronic patient record systems.
• Be aware of the physical needs of people with mental health problems and refer physical conditions on as appropriate.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with individual clients, relatives and carers.
• Responsible for the administration, carriage and storage of medication in accordance with relevant Trust policies; ensure safe disposal of equipment used in the community (e.g., syringes, needles) in accordance with Trust policies.
• Responsible for the administration of prescribed medical treatments and monitoring effects in accordance with clinical procedures adopted by the Trust.
• Use research findings in designing nursing care programmes and develop awareness of the significance of nursing research and wider evidence based practice in community mental health care.
• Participate and be responsible for running nurse led clinics (e.g., Clozapine).
• Demonstrate an awareness of the needs of carers of patients with mental health problems and develop strategies to meet those needs; e.g., self‑help groups, respite care, Carers Act.
• Ensure that the principle of continuity of care is maintained and that appropriate plans are made for client discharge and transfer from the clinical areas in line with the Care Programme Approach, Community Care Act 1990 and Discharge Policies and the National Service Framework for Mental Health.
• Have a working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and subsequent legislation as it affects the client group.
• Participate in the Trust’s adverse incident reporting systems and comply with the Trust’s procedures and techniques for managing risks.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility

• Assist in identifying training needs with the community team for self and team members.
• Act as preceptor and mentor for learner nurses.
• Participate in annual appraisal, professional development and mandatory training.
• Promote and support staff’s personal health and wellbeing at all times, including physical and mental health and wellbeing.
• Support staff by directing employees to services that are available to everyone to help in managing health and wellbeing.
• Be open and approachable and proactively discuss and agree a process to monitor an employee’s mental and physical health.
• Assist the Team Manager to manage the Team budget effectively.
• Comply with relevant Trust and Team financial policies and procedures to ensure cost effective and efficient use of team and Trust resources.

Service Development and Improvement

• Be involved in clinical audit and evaluation of mental health services within secondary care; contribute to the team’s contribution to achieving NSF objectives for the service at a local level and to audit requirements (of own practice and recording) as requested from time to time.
• Contribute to data collection and entry as part of audit and evaluation of such services.
• Participate fully in training relevant to the delivery of the services outlined above.
• Actively seek supervision for all aspects of the post.
• Recognise personal and professional limitations.

Communications

• Provide and receive complex, sensitive and contentious information using developed skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation, empathy and reassurance to ensure client assessments, care planning, reviews and other tasks can be completed.
• Communicate with clarity, tact and purpose in all relevant situations.
• Use effectively a range of modes of communication, including verbal, by email, by telephone, in formal reports, written clinical notes and in presentations, taking into account issues of confidentiality.
• Communicate to people at various points within the hierarchy of relevant organisations.
• Ensure effective and confidential communication between medical, nursing, social care and health care agents on significant information governing patient care and treatment; adhere to NMC Code of Conduct and the HPFT policies on confidentiality and information sharing.
• Keep accurate records on all clients in accordance with Trust Policy and guidance from professional bodies.
• Collect data in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
• Collect and submit activity statistics as required.

Other

• The post holder is based within the Community Mental Health Team and will be expected to visit people within their own homes, or a variety of public places or voluntary organisations within the community as well as GP practices throughout the Trust.
• The post holder will also be expected to carry out duties such as phlebotomy or giving intramuscular injections on a frequent basis and dealing with people daily who display a full spectrum of behaviour from potentially violent and aggressive to suicidal and extremely distressed.
• Travel throughout the County is required.

Knowledge and Skills Framework

The post holder will be expected to meet the requirements of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) appropriate outline for the post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RMN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
• ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship
• ENB812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health)
• Psychosocial interventions

Experience and Attainments

• Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
• Proven experience of post‑registration experience at Band 5
• Experience of working in an acute mental health inpatient/day care services
• Experience of working in situations or crisis and emotionally demanding environments
• Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
• Experience of teaching and training
• Experience and knowledge of working in a multi‑ethnic community
• Experience of delivering evidence‑based care
• Experience of working with acute mental health problems 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.

Address

Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LJ

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro‑rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full‑time

Reference number

367-ACMS-9715-B

Job locations

Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LJ