Mental Health Practitioner

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Mental Health Practitioner to deliver comprehensive mental health services. The ideal candidate will have a nursing registration, relevant experience, and strong assessment and intervention skills. Responsibilities include leading assessments, coordinating care, and engaging with diverse patients. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a high standard of patient care in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Commitment to professional development

Qualifications

• A minimum of two years post‑registration mental health experience.
• Experience of practising in an acute mental health inpatient/community care setting.
• Involvement in innovative practice and multi‑cultural environments.

Responsibilities

• Make autonomous decisions based on complex presenting problems.
• Work with individuals experiencing psychosomatic disorders.
• Engage with challenging and/or acutely distressed individuals.

Skills

Skills in assessing, planning and evaluating mental health interventions

Skills in interacting therapeutically with distressed and/or disturbed individuals

Skills in multi‑disciplinary team‑work

Education

Registered Nurse (Mental Health) - current NMC Registration

Diploma in Professional Studies (Nursing) or equivalent

Teaching & Assessing qualification or equivalent

Job description

Location: Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 02 December 2025

The MHLT provides a comprehensive service to patients/service users over 16yrs, carers and clinical colleagues based within the Acute Hospital Trust. The services include:

• Offering an assessment service to patients presenting with a range of mental health and psychological problems.
• Providing a mental health consultation‑liaison and advice service.
• Delivering a range of interventions to individual patients and their families, as appropriate.
• Assisting and supporting general hospital colleagues in making decisions about treatment and care in complex situations.
• Providing formal and informal education and clinical supervision to registered and unregistered staff.
• Representing mental health services within the general hospital.
• Providing a communication structure between the general hospital, secondary mental health services, primary care and non‑statutory services, as a means of ensuring the highest possible standards of patient care.
• In line with MHUAC SOP, post triage and transfer to MHUAC by B7 practitioner, complete a holistic assessment of the patient.
• Following assessment, discuss and agree with B7 practitioner the most appropriate pathway, signposting and where inpatient stay is potentially required, and refer to Enhanced Gatekeeping MDT.
• Co‑ordinate 136 MHA presentations in the A&E Department.
• Patients are referred from a variety of sources, including:
  • EDo UCCo MA areas
  • All wards, departments and clinical teams across the hospital

Main duties of the job

Patients may present with a wide range of mental health and psychological problems, including following an episode of self‑harm, psychiatric emergency and as a consequence of physical illness. You will be expected to work with individuals experiencing psychosomatic disorders and a variety of psychological and adjustment issues resulting from physical illness.

You will be required to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems, while utilising effective clinical judgments about the most appropriate treatment, discharge and follow‑up options.

You will use higher‑level communication skills, both written and oral, and have an ability to engage with challenging and/or acutely distressed individuals, sometimes in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations.

You will be able to demonstrate that you reflect Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust (LCFT) values of Teamwork, Kindness, Respect and learning.

You will have experience of working with service users who present with complex mental health needs.

You should be able to demonstrate evidence of Leadership and care that facilitates a positive culture of patient engagement, a commitment to enhancing the service user and carer experience and of on‑going professional development.

You must have the ability to positively influence and adapt to a rapidly developing service that is able to meet the needs of mental health services in Lancashire.

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, home/remote working, and flexi‑time.

Job responsibilities

For further information about the role, please see the attached recruitment pack which includes a detailed job description and person specification, or visit our website via Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) - current NMC Registration or equivalent professional health care qualification
• Diploma in Professional Studies (Nursing) – or equivalent
• Teaching & Assessing qualification (or equivalent)

Experience

• A minimum of two years post‑registration mental health experience
• Involvement in innovative practice and multi‑cultural environments
• Experience of practising in an acute mental health inpatient/community care setting

Skills

• Skills in assessing, planning and evaluating mental health interventions
• Skills in interacting therapeutically with distressed and/or disturbed individuals
• Skills in multi‑disciplinary team‑work

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of the various approaches to mental health assessment
• Knowledge of key areas of liaison psychiatric practice, including the psychological effects of physical illness
• Knowledge of psychiatric interventions with patients in an acute phase of mental illness/distress

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.

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust