Duty Mental Health Practitioner (Inpatient Link Worker)

Integrated Care System; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Milton Keynes is looking for a Duty Mental Health Practitioner to support individuals in the community. The role involves responding to urgent calls, conducting assessments, and working closely within a multi-disciplinary team. Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree or diploma in mental health-related fields and experience in community services. Competitive compensation and growth opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• Post basic experience in mental health.
• Excellent understanding of the therapeutic relationship and boundaries.
• Experience working in the community.

Responsibilities

• Respond to unplanned calls from service users with open referrals.
• Create strong links with acute inpatient wards.
• Complete specialist assessments of new referrals.

Skills

Excellent knowledge of mental health conditions

Ability to support a holistic, person-centred approach

Leadership and mentorship skills

Effective communication skills

Education

Professional qualification at Diploma or Degree level in mental health nursing/social work or occupational therapy

Job description

Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Duty Mental Health Practitioner (Inpatient Link Worker)

The closing date is 19 August 2025

Looking for a new job, an opportunity to up-skill or simply change your career direction?

Are you a healthcare professional seeking to return to practice?

If so, become part of our team; where we care for you as much as you care for others.

The Milton Keynes Community Mental Health Hub (MK MH Hub) brings together a wide range of mental health professionals working together as a multi-disciplinary team to provide evidence-based health and social care interventions. With service users at its heart, our aim is to deliver excellent care at the right time with a mutual focus on recovery.

Main duties of the job

To improve the quality of care received by people with mental health needs in their local community. Adult Mental Health Community Services are delivered from a central location, called the Milton Keynes Community Mental Health Hub (MK MH Hub), based in Westcroft Health Centre.

Within the Hub three separate pathways are defined (Complex Emotional Needs, Diagnostic and Condition Management, and Therapies) from which all service users are able to access interventions such as Peer Support, Individual Placement Support, Coaching, and/or Specialist Therapy, dependent on their individual needs. Interventions are delivered both as groups and individual 1:1 sessions.

The Hub works closely with third sector agencies including the Crisis Caf in Milton Keynes, as well as Milton Keynes University Hospital and the Local Authority. There are also opportunities for appropriately experienced staff to work in partnership with Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Services.

Post holders will need to:

- Have an excellent knowledge of mental health conditions, therapies and current mental health legislation.

- Demonstrate the ability to support and apply a holistic, person-centred approach to assessing and supporting the health and social care needs of people experiencing severe and enduring mental illness, who have been referred to the Hub.

About us

We're passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patients own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee were hoping to find our future leaders and well support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for responding to 'duty' calls (i.e. unplanned calls and/or those that require an immediate response) from service users with an open referral to the Hub, their carers, or relatives, and other professional agencies. The post holder will also be responsible for creating strong links with our acute inpatient ward and planning care for new referrals coming to the Hub from hospital. This will involve acting as named worker and supporting discharge planning and co-ordination and identifying appropriate care. This post includes completion of specialist assessments of new referrals to the Hub, and existing service users when required, is an integral part of this position.

The role will involve working as part of a multi-disciplinary team working closely with the wider statutory mental health services and voluntary organisations. In addition, providing leadership, supervision and appraisal for junior staff, alongside the provision of mentorship for students on placement within the team. Education of internal and external customers of the service including students and junior staff of all professions working at the MK MH Hub, is also an important element of this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional Qualification at Diploma or Degree level in mental health nursing/ Social work or occupational therapy

Experience

• Demonstrable post basic experience in Mental Health.
• Excellent understanding of the therapeutic relationship and boundaries
• Excellent role model.
• Experience of working in the community.

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of MHA 2007, the MHA Bill and MCA Varied clinical approaches. Client advocate.
• Active in MDT approach.
• Understands & promotes equality, diversity and human rights in accordance with legislation, policy and procedures relating to recruitment (KSF 6.2)*
• Understanding of confidentiality in the workplace

Key Skills/Abilities

• Ability to develop & maintain high standards of communication both orally and in writing with people about difficult matters & / in difficult situations (KSF 1.3)*
• Ability to prioritise & plan own workload to meet deadlines & competing demands
• Ability to negotiate and influence where appropriate

Personal Disposition

• Willing to develop own skills & knowledge & provide information to others to help their development (KSF 2.2)*
• Car Owner with full driving license
• Ability to maintain quality in own work and encourage others to do so (KSF 5.2)*

Experience

• Sound knowledge base

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.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust