Community Practitioner

Transformation Unit; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pay, pensions and leave

Flexible working options

Career development programs

Car lease

Accommodation assistance

NHS discounts

Job summary

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Community Practitioner in Lambeth to deliver high quality mental health care within a focused support service. The role emphasizes comprehensive assessments, person-centered planning and collaborative care across the MDT, with flexible working possibilities and strong development opportunities.

The post involves community-based care and office-based elements, Monday–Friday 09:00–17:00, 37.5 hours per week, on a fixed-term 6-month

Qualifications

• A relevant professional qualification (Nurse, OT or Social Worker) and experience in mental health care.
• A passion for supporting people with mental health challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to teamwork and collaboration.
• A strong work ethic and a dedication to providing high-quality care.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality safe care with consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence.
• Lead assessments, planning, implementation and evaluation of person-centered care.
• Coordinate a first-class service including physical health monitoring and rights maintenance.
• Supervise junior staff and students, work with the Multi-Disciplinary Team, and maintain accurate records.

Skills

Mental health care

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Strong work ethic

Quality of care

Education

Registered Nurse / OT / Social Worker

Job description

Main area Lambeth Directorate Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 6 months (This is a community and office based role (Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00)) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 334-NUR-8168694-LF

Employer South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Lambeth North Living Well Centre Town London Salary £47,951 - £56,863 per annum inclusive of HCAs Salary period Yearly Closing 02/11/2026 23:59

Community Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 6

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role.We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

Make a Real Difference in Lambeth's Mental Health: Community Practitioner at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

Are you passionate about mental health and driven to empower others on their recovery journey? The Lambeth North Focused Support Service is searching for a dedicated Community Practitioner to join our dynamic team. This is your chance to be at the forefront of innovative mental health care, making a tangible impact on the lives of people in Lambeth.

Focused Support service offer medium to longer term mental health care to residents in the Borough of Lambeth aged 18 and over regardless of diagnosis using the Care Programme Approach. We are a part of the Lambeth Alliance, and we have a close interface with a variety of SLaM services, other statutory organisations (inc. social care) and the voluntary sector.

We are proud to be part of the Lambeth Alliance. The Lambeth Living Well Network (LWN) Alliance brings together Certitude, Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group, Lambeth Council, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Thames Reach organisations to deliver an innovative way of providing mental health support for those who need it in the Lambeth Borough; a fully integrated and coordinated mental health system which focuses on people’s strengths and supports their whole health and wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

What you'll bring:

• A relevant professional qualification (Nurse, OT or Social Worker) and experience in mental health care.
• A passion for supporting people with mental health challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to teamwork and collaboration.
• A strong work ethic and a dedication to providing high-quality care.

The post holder will deliver high quality safe care, ensuring consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence. The role includes leading the delivery of comprehensive service user assessments, planning, implementation and evaluation of person-centered care in a collaborative way. The post holder will co-ordinate a first class service that includes assessment and monitoring of physical health, maintaining service users rights, supervising junior staff and students, working collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team and maintaining a safe and therapeutic working environment and accurate records.

Working for our organisation

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's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits fromkeyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Staff restaurants

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Occupational Therapist or Social Worker and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse

Experience of research- based/reflective practice, e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills

Significant relevant clinical experience

Evidence of continuing professional Development.

Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service users needs, without close supervision

Skills in clinical assessment/baseline mental health assessment

Knowledge of clinical governance and audit

Understanding of Care Coordination under the Care Programme
Approach

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Occupational Therapist or Social Worker and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse
• Mentorship qualification or equivalent

Experience and Knowledge

• Significant relevant clinical experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Knowledge of clinical governance and audit
• Understanding of Care Co-ordination under the Care Programme Approach (CPA)
• Experience of working in the community
• Experience of managing a caseload

Skills and Abilities

• Skills in clinical assessment/baseline mental health assessment
• Skills in risk assessment and risk management and crisis management
• Advocates for all individuals, particularly those with protected characteristics; promotes equality and diversity
• Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing critical and constructive feedback

Other

• Empathy for service users and carers including individuals who have experienced mental health problems

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

Welcome to your candidate journey
Our Candidate Recruitment Information Pack is designed to help you learn more about our Trust, understand the recruitment process, and prepare a strong application. We encourage you to explore the pack and use the guidance, tips and resources available to help you feel informed, confident, and ready to showcase your best self: Recruitment Toolkit - Customer Success Test

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you're applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

Please note:

That requests for Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered on a case-by-case basis, where applicable, subject to the role and meeting the relevant eligibility requirements and the Trust's policy. Applying for a role does not guarantee that sponsorship will be available or approved.

• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.