Community Psychiatric Nurse

The Methodist Church in Britain; Newsham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust is seeking a Community Psychiatric Nurse to work within the Home Treatment Team, delivering crisis assessment and short-term interventions in patients' homes as an alternative to inpatient admission.

You will participate in 24/7 rapid response assessments, provide psychosocial support, and lead shifts while mentoring students and staff. NMC registration and a full UK driving licence are essential.

Qualifications

• Registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Full UK driving licence and access to a car for business use.
• Experience in mental health services and coordinating care in a multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Screen and assess newly referred service users in acute mental health crises.
• Carry out 24/7 rapid response assessments from the Urgent Mental Health Helpline.
• Undertake gatekeeping assessments and provide short-term psychosocial interventions.
• Lead shifts, coordinate work, allocate tasks to the MDT and prioritise workloads.
• Review and update documentation to meet quality standards.

Skills

NMC registration

Driving licence

Leadership

Risk assessment

Autonomy

Team collaboration

Education

Nursing degree

Job description

This Community Psychiatric Nurse post sits in the Home Treatment Team at Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, treating people in their own homes as an alternative to inpatient admission. The work centres on short-term crisis assessment and intervention, including 24/7 rapid response assessments from the Urgent Mental Health Helpline. Shifts cover days, nights and weekends, with lead-shift duties and a mentoring or practice educator element. NMC registration, a full UK driving licence and car access for business use are required.

What the job involves

• Screen and work with newly referred service users in acute mental health crisis, providing assessment or short-term intervention until the crisis is resolved
• Carry out 24/7 rapid response assessments for referrals from the Urgent Mental Health Helpline
• Undertake gatekeeping assessments
• Provide short-term psychosocial interventions for those who would benefit from crisis intervention
• Support patients and their families and carers in their own home using evidence-based, profession-specific knowledge, in line with Trust policy, team policy and the Care Programme Approach
• Lead the shift, co-ordinating work, allocating tasks to the wider MDT and prioritising workloads
• Review and update documentation in line with quality improvement standards
• Contribute to planning and delivering induction, training and education for students and staff
• Contribute to specialist and professional in-service training and staff development
• Act as mentor or practice educator, arranging placements and providing supervision and written assessment of students
• Maintain own update training

What’s required

Registration & licences

• Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Experience

• Experience working in a mental health service
• Experience prioritising casework and allocating or delegating tasks to others
• Experience liaising with a variety of stakeholders, internal and external to organisations

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of and ability to apply relevant legislation and policy, including the Care Programme Approach, Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding and consent to treatment
• Understanding and application of risk assessment and risk management principles
• Understanding of the impact of mental health crisis on lifestyle and function for clients, families and carers, and of common pharmacological and psychosocial treatments
• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism, especially in complex or challenging situations
• Working autonomously and cooperatively as part of an interprofessional team

Checks & eligibility

• Full, valid UK driving licence and access to a car for business use (unless disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010)

Other

• Ability to work a 24-hour shift pattern including day, night and weekend shifts

Nice to have

• Further training relevant to the role
• Mentorship or practice educator qualification
• Experience working in a Crisis Home Treatment Team
• Ability to motivate, empower and enable othersLeadership skills