Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Pennine Care; Stockport; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 6 mental health professional to provide gatekeeping for inpatient admissions and intensive home treatment. You will assess clinical needs, plan care, and contribute to risk management and discharge pathways, ensuring governance and safeguarding compliance across Stepping Hill Hospital and community settings.

The role requires flexible shifts, including days and nights, with supervision of junior staff and collaboration with MDTs to deliver

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with current registration in the UK.
• Experience in crisis resolution/home treatment is desirable.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act and safeguarding procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provide gatekeeping for all inpatient admissions.
• Conduct thorough mental health assessments and risk assessments.
• Develop individualised care packages and signpost where needed.

Skills

Gatekeeping for admissions

Assessment

Risk assessment

Crisis interventions

Supervision

Communication

Safeguarding

Leadership/mentorship

Education

Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) or equivalent

Job description

Main area Mental Health - Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent: 7 days a week 24hrs service Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Flexibility maybe required around shift pattern, includes days and nights) Job ref 311-S747-26-C

Site Oasis Building, Stepping Hill Hospital Town Stockport Salary £39,959 - £48,117 Pa, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 15/10/2026 23:59

If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople

The successful candidates will provide a key gatekeeping service for all inpatient admissions, will offer intensive home treatment as an alternative to inpatient care, facilitate early discharge / leave pathways to support discharge from inpatient services. You will also provide assessment, risk formulation/management and assessment for all service users. In addition the candidate will provide Crisis interventions and also be able to plan and deliver care for all service users and provide supervision for junior colleagues. You will actively participate in the development of your service and participate in the overall development of the service ensuring that the principles of Clinical Governance underpin all developments. It is expected that you will deliver care in accordance with all Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust policies and procedures, the Mental Health Act and community care legislation.

Main duties of the job

• To provide gatekeeping service for all inpatient admissions.
• To carry out a thorough assessment of the service users’ current health problems and individual needs, including a risk assessment.
• To develop individualised packages of care for service users with mental health problems, including signposting where necessary
• To provide intensive home treatment in service users home/community settings.
• To provide crisis management and short term psychotherapeutic interventions as appropriate.
• To develop and provide a supported discharge/leave pathway for inpatients.
• To identify the need for protection in line with safeguarding children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adult Policy, and to comply with statutory obligations.
• To liaise and negotiate with other professions, statutory and independent agencies, to ensure the best possible service is provided to service users and carers.
• To evaluate systematically and record, outcomes of mental health assessments, adapting care on the basis of these outcomes.
• To involve family and carers in the assessment and care planning with service users consent.
• To provide education and appropriate self-help, suicide and possible management strategies.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Team operates 7 days a week 24hrs a day

The Home Treatment Team works closely with both psychiatric wards at Stepping Hill, the Crisis Flats, Community Mental Heath Teams, adult and children social care, Early Intervention Team, Patient Flow, Hospital Liaison Team.

Staff are expected to participate in the overall development of the service, ensuring that the principles of Clinical Governance underpin all developments.

It is expected that you will deliver care in accordance with all Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust policies and procedures, the Mental Health Act and community care legislation.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• To participate in shift coordinator and Gatekeeping rotation
• To undertake Initial assessments of any new referrals to the service.
• To carry out thorough assessment of service users’ current mental health problems and individual needs, including a risk assessment, care plan and safety plans.
• To develop individualised packages of care for service users with mental health problems, including signposting where necessary.
• To identify the need for protection in line with safeguarding children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adult Policy and to comply with statutory obligations.
• To liaise and negotiate with other professions, statutory and independent agencies to ensure the best possible service is provided to service users and carers and to appropriately signpost to other agencies.
• To assist service users to effectively manage their emotional distress, using psychological evidence-based interventions.
• To promote medication concordance through medication follow-up, where appropriate.
• To evaluate systematically and record, outcomes of mental health interventions, adapting care on the basis of these evaluations.
• To provide education and appropriate self-help resources to patients specific to individual needs.
• To keep and store up to date written records and follow appropriate Pennine Care policies.
• To participate in audit of the primary care mental health service if requested.
• To provide supervision/mentorship to the support workers and students.
• To utilise managerial and clinical supervision to ensure that care and treatment are tailored to service users, family and community needs; that learning needs are identified and acted upon to ensure professional and personal development.
• To work with individuals from diverse backgrounds in a culturally sensitive manner.
• To make and sustain good working relationships with colleagues, peers across all services.
• To attend and participate in regular team meetings, clinical team meetings, reflective practice and MDT's

Please see attached job description and person specification to support your application for this post. Please refer to the essential criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

• Completion of Preparation for Mentorship / Practice Teacher / Fieldwork Educator qualification or willingness to complete
• Evidence of on-going CPD
• Degree or equivalent
• Formal teaching qualification
• Further training in brief psychosocial interventions

Experience

• Proven experience of working with clients with complex needs.
• Experience of working with individuals who present to mental health services in crisis and have symptoms of mental health illness
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience of providing supervision to junior staff
• Primary care mental health work experience
• Experienced in the use of outcome measures such as CORE, PHQ9 and GAD7
• Experience of working with a psychological model of care
• Experience of triaging referrals

Knowledge

• Understanding of current mental health legislation, Safe Guarding and Child Protection Legislation
• Awareness of NICE Guidance in the treatment of mental health problems and knowledge of treatments and interventions appropriate for individuals with mental health needs
• Understanding of confidentiality and data protection issues.
• Knowledge of psychosocial assessment and risk assessment/management processes

Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive mental health and risk assessment skills.
• Ability to construct effective safety plans, care plans and risk management plans
• Ability to deliver a range of evidence based interventions
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to form productive working relationships with service users, carers and multi-disciplinary staff
• Good organisational and prioritisation skills.
• CBT/DBT qualification or training/further learning
• Experience in leadership/mentorship
• Supervisor or practice educator/preceptorship role experience

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Sponsorship Information Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

Pennine Care are committed to the ‘Pledge to Flex’ initiative as flexible working is a day one right for all colleagues. “We can work flexibly, doing whatever work pattern fits our needs, regardless of the type of role we’re in. As a modern and model employer, flexible and less than full-time working isn’t a barrier to progress in the NHS – it is commonplace” This policy brings this part of the People Promise to life. It will provide you with the information you need, support you to have conversations and take steps towards working in a way that suits you best.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovative, and improve.

If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.

Please note:

• We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you have a disability or long‑term health condition and need extra time or adjustments to complete your application, please contact us as soon as possible. We will ensure you are not disadvantaged where a reasonable adjustment is appropriate.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.