Community Mental Health Team Leader | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; Lewisham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A public healthcare organization seeks a Team Leader for the Primary Care Mental Health Team in Lewisham. Candidates should be experienced mental health practitioners, overseeing assessments and care delivery in a multidisciplinary environment. The role offers leadership opportunities and the chance to improve community mental health services in line with best practices.

Qualifications

• Must have experience leading a mental health team.
• Strong understanding of assessment and care planning.
• Ability to work collaboratively with various agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the work of the Primary Care Mental Health Team.
• Supervise a multidisciplinary team of professionals.
• Ensure efficient triage, assessment, and allocation of referrals.
• Enhance liaison with GP practices and ensure safe working practices.

Skills

Experience as a mental health practitioner

Leadership skills

Knowledge of NICE guidelines

Education

Relevant professional qualification (nurse, social worker or occupational therapist)

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join us as the Team Leader for Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT) Neighbourhood 2. We are looking for an experienced mental health practitioner; nurse, social worker or occupational therapist.

The team is made of a diverse MDT, we offer teaching sessions, space for reflective practice and an opportunity to be a champion in your chosen areas. You will be leading the Primary Care Mental Health Team to deliver timely assessments, care planning and evidenced based health and psychosocial care interventions to the adult population in Lewisham with mental health needs. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to oversee the interface directly with partner agencies including Primary Care, Secondary Care and MIND to ensure effective service delivery and discharge planning. The PCMHT’s are now working directly with Primary Care and sharing the same electronic record system and the successful candidate will receive training. The team works with our newly developed Care Process Model to ensure our patients and carers receive standardised care.

Responsibilities

• To lead and co-ordinate the work of an integrated neighbourhood Primary Care Mental Health Team ensuring the provision of safe, effective, high-quality community services in line with statutory requirements and local policies.
• You will directly supervise a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency team of health, social care and voluntary sector professionals operating from a community-based site.
• You will ensure the efficient triage, assessment and allocation of referrals.
• You will maintain an overview of the safe and effective work of the team ensuring the continuous flow of service-users through the system.
• You will ensure and enhance liaison with GP practices to maximise on new and growing links and collaborative working.
• You will oversee safe working practices and effective agile working directives for the team as a whole.

The PCMHT service offers a wide range of medical, psychosocial and psychological evidence-based interventions in line with NICE guidelines. PCMHT also offers culturally sensitive approaches appropriate for the diverse population which it serves.

The teams are the single point of access for most sources of referrals which they review, triage and assess as indicated. There is also a large advice and consultation function to colleagues in primary care, this includes advice and signposting.

Following assessment some patients will follow the clinical pathway requiring short term support focused on engagement and stabilization (EAS).

As part of the stepped care approach, the service also offers short term psychologically informed interventions and may provide a gateway to more specialist longer-term psychological therapies where indicated.

· Ensure that all clinical practice is developed using up to date evidence base, ensuring that all staff have the appropriate skill base and supporting mechanisms to access training to work with the service user group.

· Oversee a service user's care pathway, utilising available resources and Patient Journey framework and lead the team in its implementation.

· Ensure systems are in place to support user and carer-centred involvement in the planning and provision of care.

· Ensure that staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, and are offered essential and developmental training in accordance with their personal development plans, and the needs of the service.

· Lead the team in setting, implementing and monitoring realistic and achievable objectives in accordance with the aims and objectives of the service.

This advert closes on Tuesday 23 Sep 2025