Mental Health Practitioner - Reconnect Service | Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Boscombe; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare organization in Boscombe is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner for its Reconnect Service. This role involves attending prison meetings, assessing needs for individuals being released, and supporting their transition into community healthcare. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in assessment and care planning, demonstrate initiative, and engage with multi-disciplinary teams. This is a fixed-term position, with certain application requirements including an Enhanced DBS check.

Benefits

Support for job applications

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Active interest in developing clinical skills in a dynamic environment.
• Strong knowledge of assessment and care planning.
• Ability to work autonomously in a range of situations.

Responsibilities

• Attend prison discharge meetings and perform comprehensive assessments.
• Collaborate with colleagues and community services to assess individuals.
• Support transition from prison to community health care.

Skills

Clinical skills development

Assessment and care planning

Risk assessment knowledge

Autonomous working

Initiative

Job description

Overview

The Dorset Integrated Non-Custodial Service has a vacancy for a Mental Health Practitioner in its Reconnect Service. Reconnect is a care-after-custody service which aims to increase access to community healthcare or relevant support services for individuals who have significant health needs on release from prison, ensuring a safe transition to community-based healthcare.

We are looking for practitioners with a real passion for developing their clinical skills in a dynamic environment, with a good working knowledge of assessment and care planning, including comprehensive risk assessment. We encourage new ideas and opinions on how to improve the service and seek someone who is creative, forward-thinking and able to meet unexpected challenges in this exciting new role. If you are self-motivated, able to work autonomously and show plenty of initiative in handling a wide range of situations, this could be the right role for you in a service you can help shape. As this is a new role in an evolving environment, we suggest contacting the service before applying.

Employment with the team is dependent upon passing the Prison vetting process and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service may present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

Responsibilities

• Attend prison discharge meetings and carry out comprehensive assessments within the prison and community to identify needs and plan care for those being released.
• Collaborate with prison colleagues (Custody Health Care, the Offender Management Unit and the Resettlement Team) and with a range of health, social and forensic services in the community to assess individuals post-release or those returning to Dorset from other counties.
• Work with Support Workers to build a trusting therapeutic relationship, support transition from prison to community health care, and plan continuity of care. Carry out caseload supervision.
• Contribute to care planning, risk assessment, and service development within an ever-developing environment.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Active interest and ability to develop clinical skills within a dynamic, changing environment; strong knowledge of assessment and care planning, including risk assessment.
• Ability to work autonomously, take initiative, and respond to a wide range of situations.
• Willingness to engage with multi-disciplinary teams and to liaise with community services post-release.
• Current right to work in the UK without requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship (applications from candidates requiring sponsorship are ineligible).
• Enhanced DBS check (Trust will cover cost); eligibility to present a valid DBS certificate if using the DBS update service.
• Pass Prison vetting as part of employment requirements.

Additional Information

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work, including an employability service for application writing and interview skills. This is a fixed-term role; for current NHS service staff, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.

This advert closes on Wednesday 12 Nov 2025.