Senior Mental Health Practitioner

TN United Kingdom; Reading; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join their innovative CAMHS Rapid Response team in Reading. This role involves providing high-quality mental health assessments and interventions for young people in crisis, working closely with various stakeholders. You will be part of a 24-hour service, requiring flexibility in your schedule. The organization is committed to staff development and offers a supportive environment for career growth. If you're passionate about making a difference in mental health care, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Flexible Working

Generous Leave

Career Development Opportunities

Wellbeing Tools

Retail Discounts

Free Parking

Qualifications

• Experience in mental health assessments and care planning.
• Post-qualifying experience in supporting children and families.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial crisis assessments.
• Provide short-term interventions and maintain care plans.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for effective care.

Skills

Mental Health Assessments

Crisis Intervention

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Clinical Record Keeping

Education

Relevant Degree (Nursing, Social Work, OT)

Registration with NMC/HCPC

Supervisory Qualification

Tools

RiO

MS Office

Job description

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Client:

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Location:

Reading, United Kingdom

Job Category:

-

EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

69e5f406b49b

Job Views:

4

Posted:

02.05.2025

Expiry Date:

16.06.2025

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Job Description:

Job overview

Are you a Nurse / Social worker or OT looking for a change, perhaps you are wanting to be a part of something new and exciting? Are you keen to develop your career with a group of likeminded professionals?

The service has recently undergone a sensational transformation creating new posts across the CAMHS Rapid Response team in Reading.

As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner, you will offer high-quality mental health assessments and short-term intervention to young people experiencing mental health crises. You will work closely with the wider CAMHS services in Berkshire, as well as local authority, education colleagues, and other services as required.

Excitingly, we are now performing a 24-hour service for our clients, which means you will be required to work some evenings and weekends on a rota basis.

You will need excellent communication skills and a compassionate nature to support both patients and their families effectively.

We are committed to staff development and offer internal and external training and development opportunities with this role.

Main duties of the job

• Complete comprehensive psychosocial crisis assessments for young people in crisis.
• Offer short-term interventions to stabilize crises (follow-up appointments, multi-agency consultation-liaison).
• Identify ongoing care plan needs for young people and their families, ensuring appropriate referrals.
• Maintain and develop relationships with external professionals, patients, and families.
• Responsible for accurate clinical record keeping and proper data management.

Working for our organisation

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC. We are dedicated to providing excellent care across Berkshire.

We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer, fostering an inclusive environment supported by friendly and professional colleagues.

Our values include:

• Caring for and about you as our top priority
• Providing safe, high-quality services
• Collaborating to develop innovative solutions

Benefits include flexible working, generous leave, career development, wellbeing tools, retail discounts, staff networks, and free parking.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The “must haves” for this role:

• A relevant degree and core profession (e.g., Nurse, Social Worker, OT)
• Experience in mental health and complex needs
• Skills in mental health assessments and formulation
• Full UK driving license and access to a vehicle

For more details, see the attached job description and person specification. We encourage you to review these and tailor your application accordingly.

We welcome applications from all community sections and are committed to equal opportunities, making reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

• Recognised qualification in relevant field (e.g., RMN, Social Worker, Therapist, Psychologist, OT)
• Registration with NMC, HCPC, or similar
• Supervisory qualification in relevant discipline

Previous Experience

• Post-qualifying experience in mental health assessments, care planning, and support based on psychological formulation
• Experience with high-risk cases, risk assessment, and management
• Experience working with diverse, complex, and hard-to-reach groups
• Experience in multidisciplinary and multi-agency settings
• Experience supporting children, adolescents, and families in mental health settings
• Experience providing supervision or leadership
• Experience contributing to service improvements

Knowledge and skills

• Knowledge to assess acute mental health crises and self-harm at Tier 3 levels
• Knowledge of legislation and strategies relevant to CAMHS
• Ability to employ clinical governance mechanisms
• Motivational and inspirational skills to support team development
• Effective communication skills for complex and sensitive information
• Consultation skills for professional and non-professional groups
• Ability to take clinical responsibility and work within deadlines
• Autonomous and team-working abilities with flexibility
• Proficient IT skills (Outlook, databases, RiO, MS Office)

Additional Requirements

• Flexibility to work outside normal hours, including evenings and weekends
• Maintain professional boundaries and conduct
• Supportive and assertive team player

Berkshire Healthcare aims to deliver seamless, community-based care, supporting independence and quality of life for its diverse population. We are committed to equal opportunities and ensuring a safe, smoke-free environment.