Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Devon Partnership Trust; Exeter; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Devon Partnership Trust in Exeter is seeking a Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to work within the Exeter Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team at Wonford House. The role delivers rapid assessments and intensive home-based treatment, supporting patients in the community and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.

The post holder will work as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team to provide 24/7 crisis services, with responsibilities including timely clinical assessments, risk

Qualifications

• A professional mental health qualification (e.g., RMN or Social Work degree) on the appropriate professional register with current active registration.
• Clinical supervision qualification; safeguarding level 3 training; leadership training.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical assessment, formulation and intervention for individuals experiencing acute mental health crisis.
• Lead and coordinate crisis response within a multidisciplinary team, ensuring safe and effective care planning.
• Offer clinical supervision and mentorship to junior staff and students.
• Act as a point of escalation for complex cases, providing expert guidance on risk management and safeguarding.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate integrated care and smooth transitions across services.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and audit processes.
• Uphold and promote trauma-informed, recovery-focused, and person-centred approaches.
• Participate in the delivery of 24/7 crisis services, including rota-based working across evenings and weekends.
• Support the implementation of Trust policies, procedures, and strategic priorities within the crisis pathway.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Crisis intervention

Mentoring

Supervision

Risk management

Leadership

Stakeholder liaison

Education

RMN or Social Work degree

Professional registration

Job description

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, highly motivated Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to work within the Exeter Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team Based at Wonford House.

We are a pivotal, county-wide service whose main focus is to offer an alternative to inpatient admission and provide intensive treatment as required within the community. Outreach is at the heart of the service, with most assessments taking place in non-hospital environments.

As an active member of the integrated multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will contribute to a 24-hour community-based Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Service, available across the county as an alternative to hospital admission. The role involves delivering rapid assessments and planning effective, evidence-based home treatment.

Main duties of the job

A key function of this role is the timely assessment of individuals referred to the service, with a requirement to provide initial clinical assessment within 4 hours for urgent cases and within 24 hours for referrals, ensuring prompt access to appropriate care and interventions. The post holder will utilise an approved UK triage tool to rigorously assess the urgency and complexity of each referral, supporting accurate prioritisation and efficient allocation of resources to those in highest need

Main duties of the job

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification which will provide further information on this role.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, highly motivated Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to work within the Exeter Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team Based at Wonford House.

The Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team is a pivotal, county-wide service whose main focus is to offer an alternative to inpatient admission and provide intensive treatment as required within the community. The service operates within locality-based leadership teams to ensure effective gatekeeping for all service users referred for hospital admission. Outreach is at the heart of the service, with most assessments taking place in non-hospital environments.

As an active member of the integrated multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will contribute to a 24-hour community-based Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Service, available across the county as an alternative to hospital admission. The role involves delivering rapid assessments and planning effective, evidence-based home treatment in collaboration with service users, carers, and professionals from both established services and locality teams.

Main duties of the job

A key function of this role is the timely assessment of individuals referred to the service, with a requirement to provide initial clinical assessment within 4 hours for urgent cases and within 24 hours for referrals, ensuring prompt access to appropriate care and interventions. The post holder will utilise an approved UK triage tool to rigorously assess the urgency and complexity of each referral, supporting accurate prioritisation and efficient allocation of resources to those in highest need.

• Provide advanced clinical assessment, formulation, and intervention for individuals experiencing acute mental health crisis.
• Lead and coordinate crisis response within a multidisciplinary team, ensuring safe and effective care planning.
• Offer clinical supervision, mentorship, and support to junior staff and students.
• Act as a point of escalation for complex cases, providing expert guidance on risk management and safeguarding.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate integrated care and smooth transitions across services.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and audit processes.
• Uphold and promote trauma-informed, recovery-focused, and person-centred approaches.
• Participate in the delivery of 24/7 crisis services, including rota-based working across evenings and weekends.
• Support the implementation of Trust policies, procedures, and strategic priorities within the crisis pathway.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A professional mental health qualification eg RMN, Social Work Degree or equivalent, on the appropriate professional body register and hold current registration with no restrictions. Significant post qualified experience Evidence of relevant continuing professional development. Mentoring students in line with professional requirements.
• Clinical Supervision qualification. Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff. Evidence of leadership/management training within a core service.

Experience

• Extensive post registration experience working at band 5 in both inpatient and/or community settings within a mental health and/or learning disabilities setting. Evidence of acting as nurse in charge on a regular basis and being able to undertake the role of shift co-ordinator. Substantial experience of managing/leading a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health conditions within a community setting and without supervision. Experience of clinically supervising junior and unqualified staff and mentoring students. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment. Proven expertise in crisis intervention, mental health assessment, and risk management. Experience of leading clinical decision-making and supervising staff.
• Experience in service development or leading change initiatives. Experience in managing complex cases involving co-occurring needs (e.g. substance misuse, neurodiversity, trauma). Working within a community mental health setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.

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.