Specialist Mental Health Practitioner

NHS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Nottingham is seeking a Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to work in the Mental Health Treatment Requirement Service, focusing on individuals in the Criminal Justice System. You will conduct assessments, facilitate therapeutic interventions, and work collaboratively with service users and partner agencies. Experience in mental health care is essential. The role offers a salary range of £38,682 to £46,580 per annum, and you will be required to pay for your DBS check.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive training and supervision

Health and Wellbeing support services

Qualifications

• Experience in using computer systems.
• Significant experience in mental health settings.
• Experience in therapeutic interventions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and create a shared understanding of service users' needs.
• Facilitate treatment interventions and support engagement.
• Develop links with partner agencies and maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Decision-making

Empathy

Crisis management

Education

Recognized qualification in a core mental health profession

Job description

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 05 October 2025

We are looking for an innovative and motivated Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to work in the developing Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) Service.

The MHTR Service aims to improve the opportunities for an individual who is in the Criminal Justice System to access psychological therapies/interventions. The MHTR is a Community Treatment Order: a form of diversion within rather than away from the criminal justice system, providing meaningful treatment provision outside of custody and inpatient settings. The service treatment aims to offer an individual the opportunity to access and engage in individualised psychological therapies, improving health and social outcomes and addressing the underlying cause of offending behaviour.

If you would like a challenge and the opportunity to be an inclusive, creative clinician, this job may be for you.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Main duties of the job

This is a new development within Notts Healthcare and is a great opportunity to work in a developing service for service users within the criminal justice system, creating the best opportunity for supporting their engagement with services and helping to break the cycle of offending.

The MHTR service comprises of a team of psychologically informed practitioners, led by an accredited psychologist (Clinical Lead). This role will include supporting and working alongside service users in a collaborative, therapeutic partnership and participation in the development and provision of therapeutic activities/psycho-educational programmes and self-management interventions. The Specialist Mental Health Practitioner will likely work with the more complex service users.

In this role, the Mental Health Practitioner will undertake screening, assessment and case formulation relating to service users referred into the service. The role will also include signposting to other service/3rd party organisations so good links with the local community are essential. Due to this being a developing service and having interface with a range of services, the post holder will be involved in promotion of the service and supporting the delivering training and awareness of the MHTR.

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment

Job responsibilities

This recently established service operates from the Nottingham City Magistrates Court and Westminster House (home of the community forensic services). The current post sits alongside one Senior Assistant Psychologist post and an Assistant Psychologist/Research Assistant post within a team focused on delivering high quality assessments and psychological interventions. Main duties to include:

• Referral Decision making on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service referral protocols, signpost/refer unsuitable service users on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
• Assessment - To undertake service user centred assessments (inc. risk assessments) and create, with them a shared understanding of their needs and difficulties, using this formulation to identify the most appropriate psychological therapy. Expected to create written reports in relation to assessments, formulations, treatment recommendations and communicate to referrers, the courts and other clinicians.
• Active engagement - Facilitate treatment interventions as appropriate and required by the service. This engagement may extend to family/friends/carers of the service users where appropriate/necessary.
• Develop good working relationships - To effectively liaise and develop links with services with partner agencies i.e. probation, substance use services, Trust services and 3rd party services etc. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health, Primary Care Services and Criminal Justice Services.
• Support & Supervision of others - Provide clinical supervision and support to junior staff. Plan and provide specialist and core training and education as service/staff needs are identified.
• Service evaluation - The Nottingham/Nottinghamshire MHTR service has been identified as an evaluation site. This role will require the post holder to be actively engaged in data collection, collection of routine outcome measures and support Clinical Lead in undertaking periodic evaluations of the service.
• Appointed applicants will have access to robust clinical and managerial supervision and career development opportunities. The service is committed to ensuring the staff in the team are well equipped to work with the complex service users accessing the service and so training is well supported and there is a range of access to robust supervision.

Person Specification

Values and Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust's expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation

Physical Requirements

• Ability to undertake relevant mandatory training and engage in the management of violence and aggression to breakaway level, commensurate to the role.
• Requirement to travel around the community to different locations.

Qualifications - Academic/Craft/Professional

• Recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, social work and occupational therapy OR other training/significant experience with demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field.

Training

• Understanding risk assessment and management
• Introductory level knowledge of the therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Mentalization Based Treatment / or equivalent.

Experience

• Experience of using computer systems.
• Substantial post registration experience of working with individuals of all ages within a healthcare/social care setting.
• Experience of caseload management.
• Experience and understanding of working in team setting, liaising with colleagues, other agencies and services.
• Experience of communicating with range of other agencies within health/social care settings.
• Experience of having responsibility for planning and delivering a range of therapeutic interventions drawn from different evidence-based models.
• Experience in delivering clinical supervision to other mental health clinicians
• Experience of assessing service users with a broad range of mild to moderate mental health issues.
• Experience of the Criminal Justice System.
• Experience of working in caring settings/roles

Knowledge

• Demonstrates an awareness of wide range of vulnerabilities inclusive of mental health/LD needs.
• Experience of planning and delivering a range of therapeutic interventions.
• Demonstrates an understanding of cultural and diversity needs of individuals.
• Awareness and understanding of confidentiality and professional responsibilities.
• Understanding, and experience of, the importance of maintaining boundaries in the workplace.
• Introductory level knowledge of the psychotherapies such as Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) etc.
• A sound knowledge of safeguarding Procedures
• Sound knowledge of the Mental Health Act and be fully aware of the legal and ethical issues.
• Awareness of the MHTR Service.
• Awareness of the interface of the Health, Social Care and Criminal Justice Systems

Skills

• Specialist skills to facilitate 1:1 and small group treatment programmes
• Ability to keep accurate records on computer system.
• Ability to motivate others and skill in forming and maintaining positive working relationships.
• Ability to communicate to a range of people on a range of matters, in a range of forms.
• Ability to identify own development needs with support of others.
• Ability to identify risk and to take responsibility for self and others in ensuring legislation, policies and procedures are followed in the workplace.
• Ability to actively participate in development of the service.
• Skills in communicating with people with a range of communication needs.
• Ability to work in partnership providing consultation, supervision, specialist training, education and support when required and appropriate within existing Mental Health services, statutory and non-statutory organisations.
• Evidence of decision-making skills
• Ability to manage and seek support for own wellbeing.
• Ability to carry out practical tasks
• To think creatively.
• Skills in using own initiative.
• Autonomous working

Contractual Requirements

• Ability to adapt to changing services and be flexible in approach.
• Must be able to travel to different sites

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.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum (pro rata for part time)