Community Practitioner

NHS; Croydon; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization in Croydon is seeking a Community Practitioner to join their dedicated team. The role involves providing mental health assessments and care planning for individuals with complex needs. Candidates should have a professional registration in Nursing, Social Work, or Occupational Therapy, and possess excellent assessment skills. Experience in community settings and a commitment to collaboration are essential. This position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Generous pay and leave package

Flexible working options

Career development opportunities

NHS discounts

Counseling services

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) or other professional registration is essential.
• Experience in managing safeguarding issues is preferred.
• Knowledge of current legislation and local organizations.
• Ability to seek advice when necessary.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and planning of care for service users.
• Work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Deliver high quality care to individuals with complex needs.
• Provide supervision to junior staff and students.

Skills

Excellent assessment skills

Experience in community mental health settings

Crisis management

Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team

Knowledge of evidence-based interventions

Education

Registered Nurse (Mental Health) or professional registration (Social Work or Occupational Therapy)

Completion of Preceptorship course

Evidence of continuing professional development

Job description

Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Community Practitioner

The closing date is 17 November 2025

The Assessment & Liaison Team provides a service for people aged 18-65 who live in the Borough of Croydon. We are a short‑term service that provides mental health assessment to service users experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties within the community. We also provide advice on the best treatment and care options available for mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, or personality disorder.

We work with a team of health and social care professionals including nurses, doctors, social workers and psychologists. We also work closely with service users, their carers, local organisations and GPs.

The Croydon Assessment and Liaison team is made up of three teams (North, South, and Central) and is situated at Jeanette Wallace House, Croydon. The team generally works with individuals for up to 12 weeks, providing a holistic package of care in collaboration with local care networks.

Main duties of the job

• To provide assessment and planning of care to a group of service users within Croydon Assessment and Liaison team. Ensuring records associated with this process are maintained.
• To work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and across other agencies.
• To provide a high quality of care to individuals complex bio psychosocial needs.
• The post holder will carry out procedures to a standard that ensures safe and effective care, and complies with their relevant professional code of conduct.
• To provide supervision to junior staff and students.
• To support the team leader and act up as team leader in their absence.

We are looking for a motivated and dynamic Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Occupational Therapist or Social Worker to be part of our front-line team. You will work with senior nurse practitioners within a GP clustered team delivering an enhanced liaison approach using an engagement and stabilisation model.

This involves liaising with primary care, completing baseline mental health assessments, crisis management supporting individuals to identify and understand their mental health difficulties and working out a joint treatment plan that will support them through the 12‑week process, getting them the right treatment and care as soon as possible.

Excellent assessment skills are essential, including an interest in working with mood anxiety and personality service users within a highly skilled team.

About us

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close‑knit team at SLaM. It is important to us that you feel valued and appreciated, which is why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave—paid, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work‑life balance, flexible working and supporting a range of flexible options, such as part‑time working and job sharing.
• Career development—many opportunities to progress your career and support through programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
• Car lease—competitive deals to lease cars.
• Accommodation—keyworker housing available on selected sites.
• NHS discounts—up to 10% off from a variety of well‑known retail brands via the Health Service Discounts website.
• Other benefits include: counselling services, long‑service awards, cycle‑to‑work scheme, season ticket loan.

Job responsibilities

Please attached JD and person specification.

*Please note that professional registration (either RMN, Social work or Occupational Therapy) is an essential requirement for this post.

Applicants who do not hold the relevant professional registration will not be shortlisted.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) or other professional registration (Social Work or Occupational Therapy).
• Completion of Preceptorship course.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Student practice assessor training.

Experience

• Experience of working in community mental health settings (i.e. Home Treatment Team, CMHT) or acute inpatient settings.
• Experience in managing safeguarding issues.
• Experience in carrying out detailed assessments, formulating and planning care.
• Experience of working in an MDT setting.
• Experience of managing a caseload.

Knowledge

• Experience of racial awareness/diversity training/cultural competence.
• Knowledge of evidence‑based interventions for people with complex mental health problems.
• Awareness of bio‑psycho‑social assessments and the safe and effective management of risk.
• Current up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Knowledge of wider local organisations to support recovery plans for service users.

attributes

• Recognition of own limitations, strengths and weaknesses and an ability to seek advice when necessary.
• Methodical approach to work with attention to detail.
• Ability to use computerised information and communication systems.

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.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

£44,485 to £52,521 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS