Mental Health Practitioner - Section 136

NHS; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Lancaster is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to support individuals in crisis on the Urgent Care pathway. The role involves coordinating assessments and delivering timely evaluations within a nurse-led service. Applicants should be Registered Nurse Mental Health professionals with excellent interpersonal and assessment skills. The position offers opportunities for continued professional development within a collaborative multidisciplinary team.

Benefits

Flexible working patterns

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must be a Registered Nurse Mental Health with ongoing registration.
• Experience in working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments.

Responsibilities

• Deliver timely assessments of needs and recovery from mental illness.
• Coordinate assessments and complete clinical paperwork.
• Work alongside Home Treatment and Mental Health Liaison Teams.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Comprehensive assessment capabilities

Leadership skills

Commitment to professional education

Education

Registered Nurse Mental Health

Job description

Go back Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Practitioner - Section 136

The closing date is 09 December 2025

An opportunity has for a RMN to join us on our HBPOS team which is on the Urgent Care pathway based at The Orchard, Lancaster for a 12 month secondment. Applications are invited from Registered Nurse Mental Health professionals.

The Health based place of safety (136 suite) is situated at The Orchard. This role plays a crucial role in supporting individuals in a crisis on the Urgent Care pathway.

The purpose of the Section 136 Suite is to provide an in‑depth assessment within a 24 hour period. This is a nurse led service and you will be working within a multidisciplinary team to carry out a diverse range of duties. The highly cohesive team work very closely to support each other and there is a clear focus on support and professional development of our nurses.

Main duties of the job

You will be instrumental in delivering duties that are aimed at promoting a timely assessment of needs and recovery from mental illness. The role will include accepting members of the public detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act, co‑ordinate assessments, undertake assessments and complete the clinical paperwork.

There will be opportunity for you to work alongside and develop skills within the Home Treatment Team, and the Mental Health Liaison Team (MHLT) to further enhance your development and to provide a whole team approach in our locality.

It goes without saying that you will need to possess excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to carry out comprehensive assessments, be able to demonstrate sound leadership skills and staff development skills. A strong commitment to your ongoing professional education and development is essential.

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.

Job responsibilities

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Mental Health with experience since qualifying
• On‑going registration with appropriate Professional Body.

Knowledge

• Evidence of Continued Professional Development that supports clinical practice
• Can demonstrate an understanding and knowledge base of mental health conditions and their treatments.
• Can demonstrate a working knowledge of physical health conditions and the complications that this can cause to patients experiencing mental ill health.

Experience

• Experience of working within a multi‑disciplinary team structure.
• Experience of assessing, planning, implementing and reviewing care needs.

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