IRS Mental Health Practitioner

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Lancashire is looking for practitioners experienced in mental health assessment to join their Initial Response Service team. You will assess patients with varying mental health needs, determine appropriate referrals, and lead shifts to prioritize care. Essential qualifications include a Core Mental Health Professional Qualification. The role offers a salary range of £38,682 to £46,580 per annum and supports diverse working patterns for a positive work/life balance.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Support for diversity and inclusion

Opportunities for professional growth

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of mental health problems.
• Experience of post qualification clinical work with service users.
• Evidence of assessment across a broad range of mental health problems.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients' mental health needs over the phone or face-to-face.
• Identify and refer to appropriate community services.
• Act as shift lead to prioritize referrals based on clinical judgment.
• Collaborate with police to support at-risk patients.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Risk assessment

Effective communication

Crisis intervention

Education

Recognised Core Mental Health Professional Qualification

Job description

Job Summary

The Initial Response Service (IRS) launched in the Bay in 2023 and since then it has consistently demonstrated itself to be an integral part of secondary mental health services; we've improved access to mental health services for individuals who need it, whilst reducing demands on care and treatment delivery services. In the most recent CQC report, the IRS was identified as a source of positive change in how mental health services are delivered in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Forget caseloads and case management. In the IRS your skills and expertise will be in assessing patients at the point of referral and identifying what service will best meet their needs moving forwards. The spectrum of mental health needs vary significantly; you will have the ability to offer advice and guidance for mild to moderate mental health issues and ways this can be managed and improved. Equally, you'll have the ability respond to urgent referrals with more acute needs and higher risks in the community.

If you require more details about the role or an informal chat please contact us on the details provided.

Main duties of the job

• Ability to use your skills to triage and assess individuals with varying degrees of mental health difficulties over the phone and/or face to face in the community.
• Identify community services that are most appropriate for presenting need (third sector, CMHT, HBTT, and Talking Therapies).
• Act as shift lead, screening referrals and prioritising them based on your clinical judgment of risk and need.
• Working alongside the police to support patients and implement care when they are at risk of being held under s.136 of the MHA.
• Fast paced environment and supportive developing team.

We want to hear from practitioners who are experienced in the field of mental health, and its care and treatment pathways (including third sector service). We need confident practitioners with an ability to assess risk and respond to it appropriately in a fast paced environment.

Fancy the challenge? IRS for the Bay have multiple roles available in the team so come along and join the team.

About Us

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.

Details

Job location: East Barn, Lancaster, LA1 4JJ

Date posted: 02 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: 351-BAY876-MF

Job Description

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Recognised Core Mental Health Professional Qualification (e.g. RMN/Dip SW/OT)

Essential Knowledge

• In‑depth knowledge of mental health problems
• In‑depth knowledge of issues that impact upon people with mental health problems
• Detailed knowledge of the impact of risk and protective factors that affect people with mental health problems

Essential Experience

• Experience of post qualification clinical work with service users experiencing a range of mental health problems
• Experience of delivering evidence based interventions in a time‑limited framework
• Evidence of assessment across a broad range of mental health problems

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address: East Barn, Lancaster, LA1 4JJ

Employer's website: https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/