Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Devon Partnership Nhs Trust; West Alvington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is seeking a Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join the Teignbridge Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team, based at Estuary House. You will deliver rapid assessments and lead crisis response within a multidisciplinary team across community settings to provide intensive home treatment as an alternative to admission.

The role involves safeguarding, risk management, supervision of staff, and contributing to service development within a county-wide crisis

Qualifications

• RMN or Social Worker registered with no restrictions.
• Significant post-qualification experience (minimum 2 years).
• Mentoring students and supervising junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical assessment, formulation, and intervention for individuals in acute mental health crisis.
• Lead and coordinate crisis response within a multidisciplinary team and ensure safe care planning.
• Offer clinical supervision and mentorship to junior staff and students.
• Act as escalation point for complex cases with risk management and safeguarding guidance.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to enable integrated care and smooth transitions across services.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and audits.
• Support 24/7 crisis services including rota-based working across evenings and weekends.

Skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Legal frameworks (MHA/MCA)

Leadership

Communication

De-escalation

Problem solving

Independent working

Education

RMN

Social Work Degree

Job description

Job summary

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

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

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

Candidate Note: If you choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in completing your application, please ensure that all responses accurately represent your own experience, skills, and suitability for the role. It is essential that your application remains authentic and truthful. We also encourage you to review the guidance attached before submission.

Person Specification

Experience: Essential

• 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: Desirable

• 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.

Qualifications: Essential

• 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 (minimum 2 years)
• Evidence of relevant continuing professional development. Mentoring students in line with professional requirements.

Qualifications: Desirable

• 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.

Knowledge & Skills: Essential

• Strong understanding of safeguarding, legal frameworks (e.g. MHA, MCA), and ethical practice.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work flexibly and manage competing demands in high-pressure environments.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and service improvement.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
• Able to solve own problems and get involved in the solutions.
• Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team Excellent clinical assessment skills.
• Excellent de‑escalation skills.

Knowledge & Skills: Desirable

• Familiarity with local crisis pathways, community resources, and integrated care systems.
• This role involves frequent travel across Devon, including to locations not well served by public transport. Applicants must be able to meet these travel requirements reliably. Access to suitable transport will be necessary and candidates will need to independently use appropriate arrangements (e.g. access to a vehicle).

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address: Devon Partnership Nhs Trust, Collett Way, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PH, United Kingdom

Employer contact details: Clinical Team Manager, Carolyn Crowe, [e-mail], 01626203515

Details

Date posted: 01 October 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: C9369-26-0363-3

Job locations: Devon Partnership Nhs Trust, Collett Way, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PH, United Kingdom