Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

The Methodist Church in Britain; Coalville; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a mental health nurse to work within the primary care service across GP surgeries. The role focuses on specialist assessment for patients with moderate to severe conditions, triage and signposting under GP guidance, and short-term interventions.

Core hours are 9am–5pm, with travel between GP surgeries. NMC registration in mental health nursing and community mental health experience are required; mentorship, leadership and change-management skills

Qualifications

• Must hold current NMC registration as a mental health nurse.
• Experience with mentorship, supervision and coordination of staff.
• Care planning and care coordination within a multi-agency framework.
• Contribution to change management and problem-solving approaches.
• Community mental health experience.

Responsibilities

• Specialist mental health assessment for patients with moderate to severe conditions in primary care.
• Telephone and face-to-face triage screening within GP surgeries, assessing risk and priority.
• Linking primary care with secondary mental health services and setting up pathways for smooth transition.
• Short-term interventions under GP guidance, and very short-term interventions for moderate to severe difficulties.
• Supporting adherence to prescribed treatment and monitoring mental health medication alongside physical health.
• Developing treatment plans with patients using goal-based outcomes and a holistic approach.
• Giving and receiving advice with the Primary Care Team, and joint assessment work with PCN colleagues.
• Signposting patients to services, including voluntary and community organisations, and keeping local resource information.
• Sharing sensitive and complex information with individuals, families and carers.
• Evaluating outcomes, keeping accurate clinical data and understanding Quality Outcome Framework data.
• Taking part in quality improvement, audit, significant event review and clinical meetings.
• Building partnerships with PCN, secondary care and the voluntary sector, and attending PCN meetings.

Education

NMC registration as mental health nurse

Assessor or mentorship training

Job description

This post sits within Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust's primary care service, working across several GP surgeries rather than from one base. The core of the work is specialist mental health assessment for patients with moderate to severe conditions, with triage and signposting, and short-term interventions under GP guidance. It bridges primary care and secondary mental health services, so timely access and smooth transitions between them are central. Core hours run 9am to 5pm excluding bank holidays, and candidates must be NMC-registered mental health nurses with community experience.

What the job involves

• Specialist mental health assessment for patients with moderate to severe conditions in primary care
• Telephone and face-to-face triage screening within GP surgeries, assessing risk and priority
• Linking primary care with secondary mental health services and setting up pathways for smooth transition
• Short-term interventions under GP guidance, and very short-term interventions for moderate to severe difficulties
• Supporting adherence to prescribed treatment and monitoring mental health medication alongside physical health
• Developing treatment plans with patients using goal-based outcomes and a holistic approach
• Giving and receiving advice with the Primary Care Team, and joint assessment work with PCN colleagues
• Signposting patients to services, including voluntary and community organisations, and keeping local resource information
• Sharing sensitive and complex information with individuals, families and carers
• Evaluating outcomes, keeping accurate clinical data and understanding Quality Outcome Framework data
• Taking part in quality improvement, audit, significant event review and clinical meetings
• Building partnerships with PCN, secondary care and the voluntary sector, and attending PCN meetings

What's required

Qualifications

• Assessor or mentorship training

Registration & licences

• Current NMC registration as a mental health nurse

Experience

• Mentorship, supervision and coordination of staff
• Care planning and care coordination within a multi-agency framework
• Contribution to change management and problem-solving approaches
• Community mental health experience

Skills & knowledge

• Recovery model and relevant national policy and guidance
• Mental Health Act 1983 and Mental Capacity Act
• Safeguarding adults and child protection, and safety, privacy and dignity guidelines
• Evidence-based and reflective practice
• Assessment tools and risk identification and minimisation

Other

• Leadership, delegation and coordination of work
• Ability to travel between GP surgeries
• Flexible approach, with time management and working to deadlines
• Communication across settings, handling sensitive issues with tact
• IT skills and accurate record keeping

Nice to have

• Post-registration training in a relevant field
• Leadership or management training
• Qualification in non-medical prescribing
• Experience as a nurse in charge or shift coordinator
• Experience of positive leadership of a team
• Project management
• Report writing and presentation skills
• Resource and budget management

What's offered

• Flexible working requests will be considered