Mental Health Practitioner (Forensic) | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Peterborough seeks a specialist mental health practitioner. The role involves managing complex cases, conducting assessments, and coordinating care within the Forensic Psychiatry Community Service. Candidates must possess strong communication skills and have a relevant degree in mental health. The position requires independent travel across the county. This opportunity is aimed at those committed to high-quality, compassionate care.

Qualifications

• Experience in providing mental health assessments and care planning.
• Proven ability to lead care planning processes.
• Full UK driving licence and ability to travel independently.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex cases and coordinate tailored interventions.
• Provide specialist assessments and care within the Forensic Psychiatry Community Service.
• Develop practice within teams regarding health and wellbeing needs.
• Act as a central link in the management of complex cases.
• Liaise with community and inpatient services.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Relationship-building skills

Ability to work independently

Understanding of Care Programme Approach

Ability to manage complex cases

Education

Relevant degree in mental health or related field

Job description

Overview

Join Our Forensic Community Psychiatry Service! We provide specialist assessment and treatment for people with mental illness and/or intellectual disability living in the community who pose, or could pose, a significant risk of serious harm to others. Many of our service users have a history of serious violent offending. Our focus is on safe risk management and supporting recovery.

Our team works with compassion at its core, ensuring high‑quality care for both service users and staff. We’re looking for someone who shares this ethos—embedding compassion, collaboration, and recovery‑oriented practice in everything they do.

As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you’ll work closely with health and justice partners, local authorities, and voluntary organisations. Strong communication and relationship‑building skills are essential to promote shared vision, high standards of care, and effective risk management.

In this role, you’ll manage complex cases, lead comprehensive assessments, and coordinate tailored interventions. Your expertise will help shape outcomes and make a real difference in people’s lives.

We’re seeking a specialist mental health practitioner who will provide assessment and care planning within the Forensic Psychiatry Community Service, take a lead role in the care planning process, and coordinate care according to the Care Programme Approach ensuring that service and Trust policies are adhered to. The role includes working with individuals who have more complex and challenging needs across the caseload.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist mental health practitioner assessment and care planning within the Forensic Psychiatry Community Service.
• Take a lead role in the care planning process, take care coordination responsibilities and work within the Care Programme Approach ensuring that Service and Trust policies are adhered to.
• Take a lead role and work with those people who have more complex and challenging needs across the caseload.
• Travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines; hold a full UK driving licence and use a vehicle (public transport not allowed).
• Develop practice within the teams in the assessment of health and wellbeing needs.
• Act as a central link in the ongoing management of complex cases for the team, working closely with Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists.
• Provide specialist knowledge and advice to other agencies for the purposes of public protection.
• Provide written reports in respect of Mental Health Tribunals as required.
• Act as a ‘social supervisor’ for those people who remain subject to mental health act restrictions whilst living out of hospital.
• Take part in the evaluation of the care of individuals at review meetings, case conferences, ward rounds etc.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings, providing specialist professional advice and support to staff regarding the management of individual service users and their programmes of care.
• Where professionally appropriate may be responsible for the safe transport and administration of medicines in accordance with Trust policy, legal requirements and NMC guidance, administer intramuscular injections.
• Provide specialist clinical advice across the Trust as required.
• Liaise with community services; statutory and non‑statutory and inpatient services.

Qualifications and Skills

We encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

About CPFT

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life. Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children’s, adult and older people’s mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications. Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

Application Details

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk. The advert closes on Monday 5 Jan 2026.