Specialist Practitioner Access Wellbeing Single Point of Access

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

NHS pension

Health & wellbeing services

Flexible working

Career coaching

Preceptorship programme

Staff networks access

Relocation assistance

Salary sacrifice scheme

NHS discounts

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 6 Community Mental Health Practitioner to join the Access Wellbeing Single Point of Access. You will provide specialist mental health care via telephone triage and occasional face-to-face assessments within a multi-disciplinary team, with autonomous decision-making and a focus on safety, privacy and dignity.

You will also support supervision, training and quality improvement activities, contributing to service development and

Responsibilities

• Screening, assessing, and providing specialist mental health care through the single point of access, including telephone-based and occasional face-to-face assessments.
• Risk management, signposting, and autonomous clinical decision-making in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Provide supervision, mentorship, training and clinical support to other professionals and the VCSE Sector as required.
• Maintain high-quality person-centred care respecting safety, privacy and dignity.
• Engage in quality improvement through audits, evaluations and handling complaints.

Job description

Job overview

Access to Wellbeing Single Point of Access Mental Health service have an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Community Mental Health Practitioner to join the newly formed team.

To work as a qualified practitioner in the Access Wellbeing Single Point of Access which provides a referral and access point for professionals into Access Wellbeing.

To provide specialist screening and triage via a telephone service, as part of the wider multi- disciplinary care team.

To complete face to face urgent mental health assessments as required.

To provide specialist advice to others in relation to referrals and potential treatment pathways or interventions.

Provide supervision, mentorship, training and clinical support to other professionals and the VCSE Sector as required.

To provide a high-quality person-centred approach to care delivery which always considers people’s safety, privacy and dignity.

Advert

The role involves screening, assessing, and providing specialist mental health care through the single point of access, including telephone-based and occasional face-to-face assessments, risk management, signposting, and autonomous clinical decision-making. It requires maintaining advanced, evidence-based clinical expertise, effective communication of complex and sensitive information, and active involvement in quality improvement through audit, evaluation, and complaint handling.

There are leadership expectations: modelling Trust values, supporting change, and contributing to service development. The post provides guidance, supervision, and training to junior staff, promotes effective multidisciplinary teamwork, and maintains high standards of documentation and data reporting.

Responsibilities also include efficient use of resources, participation in audits and research activity, contributing to policy development, and upholding professional codes of practice. The role demands strong IT competence, continuous professional development, and the ability to challenge poor practice.

Environmental demands include prolonged desk-based work, sustained concentration, exposure to distressing information, and the need for expert judgement when advising on acute situations.

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Working for our organisation

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost800,000 people.

We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [emailprotected]

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
• Excellent NHS pension scheme
• Health and wellbeing services
• Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
• Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
• Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
• Relocation costs where applicable
• Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
• NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more

Visit our careers website to learn more about our culture, staff stories, benefits, development programmes and opportunities.

Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.

Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)