Senior Mental Health Practitioner

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Batley; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Mental Health Trust in Batley is seeking a Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join the Single Point of Access team. The ideal candidate will conduct triage and assessments for mental health referrals, contributing to highly skilled assessments in various settings. This role requires excellent communication skills and significant experience in managing complex mental health needs. Candidates must hold relevant qualifications and be flexible with travel as needed.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Supportive environment

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience of working with people with complex mental health needs.
• Experience in both acute inpatient and community settings.
• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.

Responsibilities

• Conduct triage and assessments for mental health referrals.
• Provide high-quality care and support service users.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team for effective patient care.

Skills

Communication Skills

Crisis Intervention

Mental Health Assessment

Risk Management

Education

RMN current registration, Dip. Social Work, OT

Approved Mental Health Professional

Job description

Overview

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
Senior Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 13 October 2025.

Single Point of Access (SPA) is a diverse, supportive team of band 6 (or social work equivalent) nurses and occupational therapists. Referrals are accepted from age 18 years upwards. SPA completes triages and assessments for referrals into secondary mental health services. The team carries out telephone triage and telephone or face-to-face assessments. The team works closely with all trust teams across Calderdale, North, and South Kirklees. We are a nurse-led team supported by various consultants, with psychology support for referrals. The psychologist carries out monthly reflective practice sessions for the team. The team works from the Beckside Court base, Trust buildings in Calderdale and Kirklees, and from home.

If you are highly motivated, flexible and enjoy new challenges, then this is the team for you.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

Main duties of the job

SPA works a 12-hour shift pattern over 3 days, Monday to Friday 07:45 – 20:15. You will be carrying out triage or assessments. We use the UK mental health triage tool and triage risk and appropriateness for secondary mental health services. You would be responsible for making decisions on the urgency and risk of a referral, being solutions-focused and supporting decisions with research-based evidence. Triage is completed over the telephone.

Assessments are face-to-face or over the telephone in a Trust building or at the service user’s home. You should be competent in clinical assessment and computer-literate to complete necessary documentation. We cover the whole of Kirklees and Calderdale, so you need to be able to travel to cover all of this area. You will need to be flexible as situations change on a day-to-day basis. You will need excellent communication skills both verbal and written as we take referrals from anyone aged 18 years and over and also with professionals making referrals.

At the time of advertising, this role meets the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a Foundation Trust means we’re accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we’re run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

JOB SUMMARY

To provide a Single Point of Access for all external referrals to mental health services in Calderdale and Kirklees. To provide highly developed and skilled assessment, screening and brief interventions for a wide variety of service users in various settings and to signpost and broker service users toward relevant and appropriate resources to meet their needs.

There is potential for change to this job description, subject to service redesign.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Professional

Maintain continuing knowledge of current good practice and other professional matters. Maintain personal NMC registration or equivalent and ensure adherence to statutory codes of practice. Undertake screening and initial assessments in a wide variety of settings both independently or within a multi-disciplinary framework in respect of service users presenting with mental health issues and/or self-harming behaviours. Together with the Team Manager have involvement in initiatives related to further development of the single point of access service. Be actively involved in the clinical supervision and professional development review process. Contribute to the provision of information and involvement in changes to working practices in respect of such information. To collate and interpret complex facts in order to promote a range of options for service users at the point of referral and assessment by the single point of access team. Provide professional advice to team members and others as appropriate. To be involved in clinical team meetings and multi-disciplinary care plan reviews to develop and implement individual care pathways. Involvement in quality circle groups where appropriate. Act as an advisor to outside agencies such as police, probation, housing etc. and provide specialist advice around the single point of access service and mental health issues. Ensure that an evidence based practice approach is utilised in order to meet service user and service needs. Maintain own personal safety and the safety of others within the acute care settings inclusive of lone working policies and initiatives. To participate in the ethos of a family friendly, flexible working environment. Where required to participate in the selection and recruitment process. Involvement in the induction and orientation of students and new staff members.

Management

Responsible for their own individual day to day performance and that of others within the single point of access service during periods of duty. To assist the Team Manager in monitoring and evaluating service provision. Exercise positive leadership based upon fair, clear and equitable staff relationships using effective communications. Communicate highly sensitive and complex information to referrers, service users, relatives, carers, and fellow professionals in a professional, empathetic and reassuring manner, taking into consideration barriers that may be present. Act as the first contact point, demonstrating high degrees of clinical knowledge in relation to management of complex symptoms, medications, side and adverse effects, interactions, self-harm and suicide intent and general mental health issues to offer professional advice and manage risk effectively over the telephone, triggering responses where appropriate. To facilitate the gate-keeping, signposting and brokering to appropriate services as required. To undertake a range of initial assessments and providing brief intervention as required. To be involved in interdisciplinary communications and staff meetings to ensure a clear understanding and the promotion of the single point of access service philosophy. Together with the Team Manager, be involved in the planning, development and review of services and policies within the single point of access services and to ensure that such policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines are adhered to. Ensuring all staff are aware of customer relation issues and engage where necessary with all service users, carers, relatives and visitors in a professional manner to a high standard. Maintain awareness of research and to participate in such activities if required. To be involved with the production of statistics as required by the Team Manager. Involvement in audit activity where required. Be fully conversant with the Mental Health Act 1983 or future amendments and current implementation. To support Mental Health Act assessments and offer alternative options to admission where appropriate. To be involved in the clinical supervision and professional development review processes.

Note: We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over-reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and we will conduct thorough screening before progressing candidates. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RMN current registration, Dip. Social Work, OT.
• Approved Mental Health Professional
• PSI Post Graduate Counselling. Post Graduate Counselling.
• Experience of mentoring/supporting learners or ability to demonstrate the skills required for effective mentoring.
• Practice Educator/Practice Assessor Preparation Certificate or ability to demonstrate the skills required for effective mentoring.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Experience

• Significant experience of working with people with complex mental health needs including within the community. Management of resources.
• High degree of experience with service users, relatives, carers and other statutory and non-statutory organisations.
• Current or recent experience in either an acute inpatient or community setting. Involvement with staff supervision and professional development process.
• Audit.
• Research awareness/training.

Training

• Crisis Intervention Skills.
• PSI.
• Brief Focused Therapies.
• Leadership.

Special Knowledge & Skills

• High degree of understanding in respect of modern mental health issues and developments.
• Fully conversant with local, national policies, procedures and protocols. Conversant with the MHA, child protection, safeguarding and other related acts. To have been involved in the supervision of others.
• Skilled in therapeutic assessment related to risk and risk management.
• Good written/oral communication skills. Formulation of complex care plans. Multi-disciplinary working, working within a team and ability to work independently.
• Management of junior staff.
• Audit.
• Research awareness/training.
• Crisis services experience.
• Brief focuses solution based therapy.

Personal Attributes

• Fit to perform as outlined in the job description.
• Reliability, enthusiasm, motivation, flexible resourcefulness, adaptable.
• A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
• Autonomy.
• Diplomacy.
• Good team worker.

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 West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust