Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner (Assessment Team)

My Mind; Macclesfield; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Macclesfield is recruiting for a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner in the Perinatal Mental Health Service. The role is 37.5 hours per week, with either full-time or part-time contracts, based at Beech House, Macclesfield.

The post involves initial assessments, duty triage, and multi-disciplinary collaboration to support women and families in the perinatal period, with travel across the patch to Ellesmere Port hub.

Qualifications

• Educated to diploma/degree level and registered with an appropriate professional body (ie Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Registered General Nurse etc)
• Training to level 3 in Safeguarding Children and Young People: roles and competencies for Health Care Staff or willingness to undertake training.
• Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism

Responsibilities

• Respond to the needs of new and expectant mothers in a timely manner, with capacity to deal with crises and emergencies, as well as supporting routine and preventative care; providing specialist care and support through pregnancy, and post-natally, to women experiencing significant mental health difficulties associated with the perinatal period.
• Undertake assessments in a variety of settings with a strong emphasis on risk assessment, robust mental health care planning and safeguarding.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in maternity services, health visiting, children’s centres and children’s services.

Skills

Mental health assessment

Risk assessment

Perinatal mental health

Attachment and infant mental health

Effective communication

Education

Diploma/degree level with professional registration

Post-graduate qualification in perinatal mental health

Job description

Band 6

Main area Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner (Assessment Team) Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week Job ref 373-SMH2814

Site Beech House Town Macclesfield Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 19/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

The Cheshire and Mersey Perinatal Mental Health Service has grown at a significant rate following a successful bid for Long Term Plan funding, allowing us to support an increasing number of women, partners, and families within the perinatal period. In order to continue this expansion and ensure high-quality mental health assessments with a “think family approach”, we now have an assessment team model. The assessment team comprises of Non-Medical Prescribers and Mental Health Practitioners who act as a “front door” to our service with the main focus of the roles being on initial assessments and duty triage, however, there may be some requirement from time to time to support some other elements within the service. We are seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to join our assessment team who is passionate about providing excellent care to women and families within the perinatal period and seeking to reduce health inequalities.

We are a supportive, friendly, highly committed service who provide multi-disciplinary, specialised care to women in the perinatal period with moderate to severe mental health problems throughout Cheshire and Wirral. We offer excellent training opportunities to our staff and provide robust supervision to support delivery of high quality care.

Main duties of the job

Our team covers the entire CWP geographical patch and have a “hub” base in Ellesmere Port where duty takes place, therefore, ability and willingness to travel is essential.

Respond to the needs of new and expectant mothers in a timely manner, with the capacity to deal with crises and emergencies, as well as supporting routine and preventative care; providing specialist care and support through pregnancy, and post-natally, to women experiencing significant mental health difficulties associated with the perinatal period.

Undertake assessments in a variety of settings with a strong emphasis on risk assessment, robust mental health care planning and safeguarding.

Work collaboratively with colleagues in maternity services, health visiting, children’s centres and children’s services.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [e-mail] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £15 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

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.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to diploma/degree level and registered with an appropriate professional body (ie Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Registered General Nurse etc)
• Training to level 3 in Safeguarding Children and Young People: roles and competencies for Health Care Staff or willingness to undertake training.
• Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism

Knowledge and Expertise

• Specialist knowledge in perinatal mental health or willingness to undertake training.
• Specialist knowledge in attachment and infant mental health or willingness to undertake training.
• An understanding of the NSF and Mental Health Act/ Mental Health Capacity Act requirements.
• CPA Process
• Able to produce well written reports.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings.
• Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions
• Ability to manage risk
• Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to manage own time and that of the team’s.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area.
• Ability to manage change in a positive manner.
• Awareness of community structures and social care options and processes
• Understanding of recovery principles in Mental Health

Experience

• Skills and experience in delivering mental health training and education to non-mental health professionals.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment
• Substantial experience of managing a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health problems
• Working within a community mental health setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
• Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C’s: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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 Elaine Worrall Job title Interim Operational Lead Perinatal Services Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0151 488 8434 Additional information

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [e-mail] or telephone [phone]

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. The Trust has over 14,500 members and employs more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including:

• Allied health professions - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy
• Medical - including psychiatry and general practice
• Pharmacy
• Clinical support roles
• Estates and facilities
• Support services roles - including HR, communications, ICT,finance and more

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you’re at in your career journey, you’ll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT 664 subscribers