Gateway Community Navigator Team Lead

Bucks Mind; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Mind is seeking a Gateway Community Navigator Team Lead to guide a small team of Community Navigators delivering access to community services and ensuring safe signposting within Oxford Health Gateway.

You will coach staff, manage caseloads with complex cases, provide safeguarding guidance, and oversee recruitment/onboarding of navigators as roles arise.

The role is based at Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury, offering permanent full-time work in mental health support.

Qualifications

• Experience as a community-based adult mental health support worker/ experience of supporting individuals with mental health needs in a person-centred way alongside goal focussed outcomes.
• Excellent team management skills and a high level of ability to support and supervise staff.
• Experience working within systems that acknowledge and aim to reduce external determinants of stress and their impact on mental wellbeing.

Responsibilities

• Coach and support the team to deliver high-quality support to individuals referred to the Gateway Community Navigators.
• Manage a small caseload, with focus on more complex cases, providing initial assessments and supporting people with a solution-focused approach.
• Act as a source of support, advice, and expertise to staff on matters of Safeguarding and making appropriate referrals by liaising with the designated Buckinghamshire Mind Safeguarding lead and Gateway Supervisor.
• Be responsible for the successful recruitment and onboarding of Gateway Community Navigators, as/when roles become available.

Job description

Gateway Community Navigator Team Lead

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026

Department: Recovery & Wellbeing Services

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bucks - Aylesbury

Compensation: £29,795 / year

Description

Join Our Mission at Buckinghamshire Mind!

Are you passionate about leading a team of people who support patients experiencing mental health challenges to access community-based services?

Buckinghamshire Mind is looking for a Gateway Community Navigator Team Lead.

The Gateway Community Navigator Team Lead is responsible for line managing a small team of Community Navigators who support patients access a wide range of community services and resources. The Team Lead plays a key role in supporting Oxford Health’s Gateway clinical team by holding a caseload and providing safety netting support.

The purpose of this role is to ensure the successful delivery and smooth running of the Gateway Navigator service by promoting access to practical support, improving coping skills and providing signposting.

• Contract Type: Permanent
• Location: Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury
• Salary: £29,795 per annum (FTE)

About Us

Buckinghamshire Mind is an independent charity providing trusted mental health services to our communities. We are affiliated with National Mind and are part of a network of over 100 Local Minds. We promote wellbeing and recovery; we prevent mental ill health; we offer talking therapies and we provide support in times of crisis.

Key Responsibilities

The Community Navigator service is a Bucks Mind service embedded within the Oxford Health Gateway Team. The Navigator service only accepts referrals from the Gateway clinical team who have been identified for support in the community or whilst they are waiting for care within secondary mental health pathways.

• Coach and support the team to deliver high-quality support to individuals referred to the Gateway Community Navigators.
• Manage a small caseload, with focus on more complex cases, providing initial assessments and supporting people with a solution-focused approach.
• Act as a source of support, advice, and expertise to staff on matters of Safeguarding and making appropriate referrals by liaising with the designated Buckinghamshire Mind Safeguarding lead and Gateway Supervisor.
• Be responsible for the successful recruitment and onboarding of Gateway Community Navigators, as/when roles become available.

The ideal candidate will have

• Experience as a community-based adult mental health support worker/ experience of supporting individuals with mental health needs in a person-centred way alongside goal focussed outcomes.
• Excellent team management skills and a high level of ability to support and supervise staff.
• Experience working within systems that acknowledge and aim to reduce external determinants of stress and their impact on mental wellbeing.

Why Join Us?

• Inclusive Employer: We are an Equal Opportunities employer, welcoming applicants from all sections of the community, including those with lived experience of mental health challenges.
• Training and Development: We offer full training and development opportunities to help you grow in your role and further develop your skills.
• Supportive Environment: You’ll be part of a dedicated team, with the opportunity to make a tangible difference in your community.

Closing date for applications – 15th November 2026

Buckinghamshire Mind is an Equal Opportunities and inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all sections of the community including those with lived-experience of poor mental health. If you meet all the essential criteria we welcome your application as training and development can be provided to give you further skills. Any offer made relating to this post will be subject to satisfactory references and a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check depending on the role.

Please note we do not provide VISA sponsorship and unfortunately we cannot employ you if you do not have the right to work in the UK.

Travel expenses will only be paid for journeys that fall outside of the regular commute to and from the work location(s). If the role is home-based, all travel will be paid for on expenses.