First Contact Mental Health Practitioner - PCN

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; North East; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A local healthcare provider is looking for a First Contact Mental Health Practitioner to join their team in County Durham. The role involves providing specialist mental health support directly within GP practices, ensuring effective patient care and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. Candidates should have at least 18 months of post-qualifying experience in mental health and a commitment to improving community services. The position offers a salary between £38,682 and £46,580 per annum, with full-time hours and a permanent contract.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist mental health advice and care for patients.
• Develop close working relationships with multidisciplinary teams.
• Facilitate partnerships with key stakeholders across the PCN.

Skills

Communication

Clinical supervision

Mentoring

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Working with complex organizations

Education

Current professional registration

Clinical Supervisor

Job description

Job summary

JOB LOCATION - Durham West Primary Care Network

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a First Contact Mental Health Practitioner who is enthusiastic, motivated, and interested in working in primary care mental health to join our existing team. You will be part of a growing multidisciplinary service within County Durham Primary Care Networks . The role is fundamental to the development and leadership of innovative and integrated mental health services.

Together with Tees Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust, the PCN is working to transform local community mental health services for people with mental health problems. The PCN, alongside TEWV, consider this joint approach to be essential for the provision of high quality, sustainable care.By working co-operatively, we will be able to provide meaningful support for people with mental health difficulties in a way that meets their needs closer to their communities and their homes.

Nursing candidates must have 18 months post qualifying experience including sign off of appropriate preceptorship or competency framework at the time of applying.

Main duties of the job

You will develop close working relationships with all our Clinical staff, including our existing Mental Health Practitioners and become a valued member of the Primary Care Team, collaborating with other professionals both internal to and external from the PCN.

Your role will involve offering specialist mental health advice and providing expert clinical care for people with a range of mental health needs, ensuring that those with serious mental illness do not fall between gaps in services. You will improve access by being a 'first contact mental health worker', undertaking triage, assessments, brief interventions, and reviews. You will contribute networking and navigation expertise, enabling access to a range of appropriate mental health support across the community system. You will ensure that, once assessed, each person receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time by the right supporting service.

About us

The PCNs are forward thinking, innovative and driven by a team of professionals who are focused on delivering high quality care for local people. You will be joining a diverse workforce made up of GPs, ANPs, Urgent Care Practitioners, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Care Coordinators, Link Workers, Well Being Coach, and Mental Health Workers.

We would welcome enthusiastic innovators with a strong desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and have the motivation and flexibility to help develop the services as the team evolves to meet the needs of the population. The successful candidate will be well supported, work autonomously and have day to day responsibility for their clinics and workload. Primary Care experience is not essential; however a good understanding of how Primary Care works would be beneficial.

Details

Date posted

18 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

346-DDA-177-25-A

Job locations

Durham PCNs

Lanchester Road

Durham

DH1 1RD

Job description

This is an exciting and innovative post to support the needs of the local population living with a range of mental health difficulties. The role holder will fulfil a first contact specialist mental health role within GP Practices across the Primary Care Network (PCN), seeing patients who would otherwise have traditionally seen a GP. Within the primary care setting, the role holder will work in a collaborative and multi-agency way. This will contribute to the safe and effective day to day operation of the PCN and the efficient and timely management of clinical enquiries and decision-making.

The post will sit within the GP practices and will facilitate the interface between Primary Care and Secondary Mental Health Services to provide specialist advice and support, assessment, treatment, education and solution-focused approaches to the local Primary Care Teams, for patients and carers.

The role will offer expertise in networking and navigation to promote ease of access to a range of specialist mental health support services. This ensures that each person, once assessed, receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time and by the right supporting service.

The post holder will be an effective member of the multi-disciplinary team. They will be professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking initial assessment with signposting to appropriate services, or providing time-limited psycho-social therapeutic interventions directly, in . GP surgeries, patients homes and other primary care settings. This will include providing clinical advice to GPs such as specialist opinion or prescribing support (within the parameters of the Non-medical prescribing / NMP framework).

The post-holder will manage their daily clinics and act as a specialist advisor to GPs, fulfilling a pathway management function and providing short term interventions and support, in collaboration with GPs and other practice based mental health workers.

You will support the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCN and the wider mental health care system. You will offer advice to, or obtain advice for, the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going patient care management.

You will develop links and foster a culture of partnership between Primary Care Teams and Mental Health Services, promoting clear communication and access to specialist knowledge and advice. This will include the facilitation of joint working with PCN, Secondary Care providers, and Voluntary Care Sector to increase the range of services / interventions available to the communities served.

You will provide clinical advice, consultation, and support to other care providers within primary, secondary, voluntary and statutory services as required.

In line with the principles for community transformation, you will ensure systems / pathways are in place to enable smooth transition between primary care and secondary mental health services.

Due to the nature of the role it is essential that applicants can travel independently and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

Additional contact details : - Emma Hemingbrough, Associate Nurse Consultant

Durham Primary Care -

Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Certificate in mentorship, teaching & assessing in clinical practice as appropriate to own profession.
• Clinical Supervisor.
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent).
• If appropriate to professional registration, recognised sign-off mentor (or equivalent) for students or must be achieved within agreed timescale

Desirable

• Leadership or management qualification.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area.
• If appropriate to professional registration, NMP (or willing to obtain)

Skills

Essential

• Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers / families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services
• Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Write reports
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings
• Use approved breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale).

Desirable

• Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers / families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services
• Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Write reports
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings
• Use approved breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale).

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families / carers.
• Providing clinical supervision.
• Mentoring students on practice placement experience
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience and involvement with quality improvement activities

Desirable

• Experience working in primary care
• Experience working in a multiagency setting.
• Leadership or management experience

Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Knowledge of Stepped Care model.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of delivering psycho-social interventions and approaches.
• Care Programme Approach and its application in practice
• Research and development methodology
• Contemporaneous knowledge of recent health and social care policy and guidance on implications for practice

Desirable