Senior Community Practitioner

NHS; Croydon; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in mental health is seeking a Senior Community Practitioner in Croydon. The role involves conducting mental health assessments, developing individualized care plans, and providing support to junior practitioners. Ideal candidates will possess qualifications as a Registered Mental Health Nurse or equivalent, and experience in community mental health teams. This position offers a salary of £53,751 to £60,651 PA pro rata.

Benefits

Generous pay and pension plans

Flexible working

Career development opportunities

NHS discounts

Counseling services

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist, or Social Worker needed.
• Experience in conducting biopsychosocial assessments required.
• Knowledge of NICE guidelines for treatment of mental health issues.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments and develop care plans.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external agencies.
• Provide clinical supervision and support to junior staff.

Skills

Registered Mental Health Nurse

Experience in Community Mental Health Teams

Crisis management skills

Strong communication skills

Education

Registered Mental Health Nurse qualification

Management qualification

Job description

Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Community Practitioner

The closing date is 02 October 2025

Are you an experienced Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Mental Health Social Worker, or Occupational Therapist looking to take the next step in your career?

This is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your professional experience and deepen your expertise within a supportive and forward-thinking multidisciplinary team. We provide specialist mental health services to adults aged 18-65 living in the London Borough of Croydon. Our team offers timely assessments, expert advice, and tailored care planning for individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.

Working alongside dedicated professionals, nurses, doctors, social workers, you\'ll collaborate closely with service users, their carers, and GPs to ensure holistic, person-centred care.

Main duties of the job

As a Senior Practitioner you will operate as a highly skilled and autonomous clinician, delivering specialist mental health assessments, care planning, and brief interventions for adults referred to the service. You will:

• Conduct comprehensive needs assessments and develop tailored care plans.
• Provide short-term interventions (up to 12 weeks) to support recovery and wellbeing.
• Signpost service users to appropriate external services and facilitate safe discharge to primary care where suitable.
• Supervise and support community practitioners, contributing to their development and ensuring high standards of care.

You will work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals and services on a daily basis, including:

• Multidisciplinary colleagues within the team.
• Other borough-based mental health teams.
• External agencies and primary care providers.

In addition to clinical responsibilities, you will support the Team Leader and Service Manager in maintaining service delivery, which includes:

• Monitoring performance against key targets.
• Managing staff absences and ensuring adequate team coverage.
• Providing supervision to junior staff.
• Offering management support and leadership in the Team Leader\'s absence.

About us

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I\'m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you\'ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave,we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options
• Career development,There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Accommodation,our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts,with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services

Job responsibilities

1) Offering comprehensive, specialist, initial assessments and formulations to service users. To manage the provision of appropriate interventions/treatments to a small case load of service users experiencing transitional mental health problems. To exercise autonomous professional judgement for the assessment, coordination and transfer to the relevant team of a designated caseload. To provide comprehensive ongoing assessment and outcome monitoring of all allocated clients. To participate in the team assessment and duty rota. To liaise closely with crisis services and emergency out of hours services. To provide evidence based care as outlined in NICE guidance.

2) To attend regular clinical and management supervision and appraisal. To provide specialist the teaching and training of mental health professionals and other staff working in the service. To undertake the mentorship of students working in the service.

3) To ensure the maintenance of standards of practice/Codes of Conduct according to the employer and regulating and professional bodies (NMC/HCPC). To ensure client confidentiality is maintained at all times. To attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with manager. To participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives. To maintain accurate and timely written records.

4) To form and maintain effective working relationships with all services in the borough, including Home Treatment, Promoting Recovery, inpatient units and psychiatric liaison teams. Maintain and develop effective primary care liaison/link working with aligned GP practices. To ensure that the views of users and carers are sought and incorporated into all care delivered. To ensure that care is sensitive to a diverse population.

5) To contribute to the development of best practice within the service. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services. To take responsibility for their own health and safety and the health and safety of colleagues, patient and the general public. To deputise in the absence of the clinical lead. To undertake the role of duty senior on a regular basis. To undertake any other duties as appropriate to grade as requested by the Clinical service Lead.

6) All employees are expected to comply with statutory requirements and the Trust\'s employment policies while carrying out their work. All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the data Protection act (1998) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.

7) This post is one of continual development and the post holder will be encouraged to develop skills and capabilities, including participation in projects and training events. Accordingly, the range of duties and responsibilities outlined above may change from time to time to reflect the changing needs of the organisation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Occupational Therapist or Social Worker
• evidence of other advanced education e.g. management qualification

Experience

• Experience of working in a CMHT
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity including experience of working within a multicultural framework
• experience of conducting biopsychosocial assessments and risk assessments
• experience of working with service users with depression, anxiety and personality difficulties using evidence based interventions - NICE guidelines
• experience of working with primary/secondary care, working with GPs
• Experience of team management

Knowledge

• An understanding of the relationship between primary and secondary care services
• Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Safeguarding Adults, Young people and children
• An understanding of the stepped care model of delivery of psychological therapies for depression, anxiety and personality disorder
• Knowledge and expertise in the management of complex risk and crisis
• Understanding of KPIs
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
• Knowledge of Datix and how to complete Fact Finder reports

Skills and ability

• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate and to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive and/or challenging behaviour
• Transferable skills and knowledge relevant to work with working age adults with severe and enduring disorders in secondary care
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues

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.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

£53,751 to £60,651 a year PA pro rata for staff working part time inc HCAS