Single Point of Access / Central Flow Hub (Urgent Care) Practitioner

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution in Greater London is looking for experienced Band 5 or Band 6 health care professionals to join their Urgent Care Service. Practitioners will rotate between the Single Point of Access (SPA) and Central Flow Hub (CFH), managing crisis calls and overseeing bed allocations, thus directly impacting patient care. Ideal candidates will have relevant healthcare qualifications and a commitment to effective crisis management. The role comes with necessary supervision, training, and support from a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Must have experience in a healthcare role, ideally as a nurse, social worker, or occupational therapist.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Strong understanding of mental health services and community resources.

Responsibilities

• Manage crisis calls and assess appropriate care pathways.
• Oversee bed availability and manage patient admissions.
• Support and supervise junior staff within the team.

Skills

Clinical judgement

Crisis management

Communication

Education

Nursing, social work or occupational therapy qualifications

Job description

A Vacancy at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Urgent Care Service as Practitioners in either our Single Point of Access or our Central Flow Hub, or to rotate between the two.

We are looking for experienced and motivated Band 5 or Band 6 health care professionals (nurses, social workers or occupational therapists) to become part of our dynamic service based in a convenient central London location in Victoria.

SPA provides a telephone triage, signposting, advice and support 24 hours a day, seven days per week, 365 days a year for patients, carers, GPs and other referrers. There will also be the opportunity to join our newly developed out of hours crisis response service, which provides a face to face assessment and triaging to crisis alternative services overnight.

CFH is the central point for all bed management referrals, and co‑ordinators and manages the adult acute mental health beds across CNWL.

All staff will receive supervision, support and training and have the opportunity to rotate between SPA and CFH and potentially across other services within Urgent Care in CNWL.

For SPA you will work as part of a large multi‑disciplinary team, managing crisis calls into the service, undertaking a clinical triage and deciding on the correct care pathway for that call, referring callers into secondary adult MH services where appropriate, or signposting callers into non‑statutory, third sector services. You will also undertake initial triage and assessments for people referred into the service, signposting and referring on as appropriate. You will be expected to co‑ordinate shifts and manage and supervise more junior staff within the team.

For CFH you will work as part of the team, with responsibility for overseeing the daily coordination and management of bed availability across CNWL sites; and ensuring a smooth, efficient flow of patients by managing requests, tracking bed status, and facilitating timely transitions / admissions. This is a high‑impact role where any decisions made directly affect patient care and flow across the Trust. This role is integral in helping to create a responsive and efficient system that improves patient outcomes and enhances the overall service delivery.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

For SPA:

• Ensure safe and effective delivery of care / advice to patients and their carers, utilising own knowledge and skills.
• Be fully conversant with statutory and non‑statutory services across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, and the provision of CNWL services in each borough.
• Provide support, information and education to family members, carers and other professionals who may access the SPA.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, such as GPs, the Police and LAS, taking and triaging referrals as appropriate.
• Use your clinical judgement and risk assessments to keep the people using our services as safe as possible.
• Safeguard people by recognising and responding when an adult or child might be at risk from abuse but also recognising their own limits and asking for help and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Escalate safety concerns and by doing so acting as effective advocates for those who use our services.
• Maintain a good public image of the SPA by dealing with all calls in a professional manner.

For CFH:

• Manage bed resources effectively, including internal transfers and repatriation to and from other Trusts.
• Ensure beds are allocated efficiently to meet the fluctuating demands of the mental health urgent care system.
• Facilitate the safe admission of mental health patients, especially those in emergency situations (ie. via Emergency Departments and HBPoS).
• Support the CFH Senior Practitioners in assessing and prioritising patients who require urgent care while balancing the demands of planned mental health assessments.
• Support the CFH Senior Practitioners and Team Manager in effective gate‑keeping of patients referred into the service and appropriate decision making around crisis pathways for all referrals.
• Responsible for managing the safe inpatient placement of high‑risk community patients, ensuring they receive timely, appropriate care in a safe environment, requiring both clinical knowledge and also a compassionate and patient‑centred approach to care.
• Ensure careful recording and monitoring of bed status and bed requests. Accuracy in managing data is crucial to ensure that all admissions and discharges are tracked efficiently and in real‑time.
• Responsible for the co‑ordination and smooth running of the service in the absence of a more senior clinician.

This advert closes on Sunday 4 Jan 2026.