Mental Health Link Worker / Navigator

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust; Cirencester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free car parking at many sites

27 days leave plus bank holidays (up‑t

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust in Cirencester is offering a Mental Health Link Worker / Navigator (Band 4) on a fixed-term basis for 6 months. The post involves working within CMHT, collaborating with VCSEs and primary care to support people with serious mental illness and to improve access to services.

The role emphasizes personalised care, community-based delivery, and potential out-of-county visits.

Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent competency-based training in a relevant health or social care area.
• IT skills and basic digital literacy.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation such as Mental Health Act and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with VCSE organisations and primary care to support individuals with mental health needs.
• Attend local partnership meetings and plan collaborative care for service users.
• Build capacity of VCSE partners to identify distress and respond to suicide risk.
• Signpost and refer to mental health services and training where appropriate.
• Support GP practices to connect with GHC mental health services and manage referrals.

Skills

Mental health knowledge

Community liaison

Social care experience

Communication skills

Education

NVQ level 3 or equivalent

Diploma/Foundation degree in health or social care

Job description

Main area Mental Health Link Worker / Navigator Grade Band 4 Contract 6 months (Fixed Term till March 2027) Hours

• Full time


• Part time


• Job share

37.5 hours per week (We would welcome applications for part-time, job share as this is a large patch and may interest the right person to work in either South Cotswolds or North Cotswolds. Please make your preference clear in your application.) Job ref 327-26-537-A

Site Cirencester Memorial Centre Town Cirencester Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 15/09/2026 23:59

We love what we do and we think you will, too!

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county.

We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care . We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you ’.

We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and w e are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality team s in all areas of the Trust .

Our application process aims to understand each candidates knowledge, skills and experience. We have found that candidates that use AI to generate their answers can lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.

It is really important to personalise your application to convey your individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively and for us to understand why you are applying for this role with GHC. We discourage over reliance on AI-generated applications as it will lessen your chances of success in securing an interview with us .

Job overview

This role is offered on a fixed term/secondment basis for 6 months. .

*Internal applicants who wish to be considered for a secondment opportunity should discuss with their line manager the suitability of a possible secondment*

This is an exciting opportunity to offer a Mental Health Navigator / Link Worker post within Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT).

• Will you enjoy working within a team of dedicated, friendly people who believe in helping people by addressing wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity?


• Are you passionate about providing support to people who have a serious mental illness (SMI) to enable them to connect with their communities, addressing barriers such as social isolation?


• Can you effectively engage with a diverse range of VCSE organisations, NHS Teams including Primary Care?


• Can you work with individuals to co-produce goals based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations


• If that sounds like you – then we want to hear from you!

You will be based at Weavers Croft, alongside the clinical lead. This is a base for mental health community teams. The post would mainly involve working in and around Gloucestershire with an expectation of some out of county visits.

Main duties of the job

You will work collaboratively with VCSE organisations, and primary care working with individuals who have a SMI or at serious risk of developing one. You will be a key role in the Locality Community Partnership meeting held in each locality, bringing together key partners to plan and deliver collaborative care for people with mental health complexities.

• Proactively spending time with specified VCSE organisations including attending meetings and forums, and attending activities which include clients of the VCSE services


• Build capability, confidence and resilience in the VCSE to identify and support individuals in emotional distress; and recognise and respond to suicide risk.


• Increase VCSE awareness of, and access to mental health services and available training to enable them to signpost/refer effectively.


• Support earlier identification (on the part of both the VCSE and Mental Health Services) of people in crisis by enabling concerns to be communicated quickly.


• Help Improve connectivity between mental health and third sector services.


• Support the personalisation agenda.


• Supporting GP practices to connect with GHC mental health services.


• Carrying a limited caseload only to support people referrals across services and broker access to services

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Working for our organisation

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.


• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.


• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Gloucestershire Health and Care is committed to embedding and providing personalised care through all of its services as part of our high-quality care strategy. The purpose of personalised care is to empower people to lead the lives they want to live. Personalised care starts with a conversation with people about what matters to them. It builds on what people can do, as well as addressing their health needs. Including new ways of working and delivering care, emphasising that we need to make effective use of the full range of our people’s skills and experience to deliver the best possible patient care. So we want to know What Matters to You and that you will share our values and join us on this very important journey.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of competency-based training in a relevant health or social care area PLUS theoretical and practical knowledge to diploma level equivalent, obtained through formal competency training, short courses and experience OR successful completion of approved associate practitioner training or relevant foundation degree or commitment to obtain within 2 years.


• IT Skills

LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. Mental Health Act, Child Protection, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017


• Experience in mental health or social care services at Bands 2, 3 or 4, ideally in a community setting.


• Knowledge of the CPA process


• Knowledge and understanding of care planning and risk assessment (completed an Approved course in relation to Risk Assessment).


• Knowledge and understanding of using a Recovery based approach to care.


• Knowledge and understanding of social inclusion approach


• Clinical skills training (awareness of physical health and wellbeing).


• Awareness of issues of diversity


• Knowledge and understanding of Voluntary Care Sector and partnership working

When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:

• Free car parking at many of our sites


• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service


• A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.


• A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.


• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours


• Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities


• Recognition and long service awards


• Fast Track physiotherapy


• Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

If you are aged 16-30, you may be eligible for financial and pastoral support from the King’s Trust, with who we are in partnership with to support your first 6 months in role. We will pass on your details to the King’s Trust who will be in touch with you if you are eligible. If you would rather not be contacted, please let us know.

For more information please see the attached 'Additional Information for Applicants' document.

Good luck with your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Jo Workman or Theresa Donoghue Job title Community Mental Health Clinical Lead Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0300 421 2072 Additional information

To find out more information about the role, please contact :

Jo Workman [e-mail] 0300 421 2072 /3812

Theresa Donoghue [e-mail] Mobile [phone] or 0300 421 3812