Staff Nurse - Mental Health

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A NHS Trust in the UK is seeking a Registered Mental Health Staff Nurse to deliver compassionate care and support individuals with mental health needs. Your responsibilities will include carrying out clinical assessments, managing medication, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong communication skills, lead and mentor junior staff, and contribute to ongoing quality improvements in mental health services. Apply now to join a dedicated team making a significant difference in the community.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Demonstrated involvement in systematic care approach including assessment, care planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Experience of working with individuals with mental health needs.
• Knowledge of key worker/primary nurse system and collaborative working.

Responsibilities

• Deliver safe and compassionate care to individuals with mental health needs.
• Administer medication safely and maintain accurate clinical documentation.
• Participate in mentoring junior staff and contribute to service improvements.

Skills

Assessment skills

Clinical supervision

Ability to lead and motivate staff

Good verbal and written communication skills

Education

1st Level Registered Nurse

CBT/PSI

Job description

Go back South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Staff Nurse - Mental Health

The closing date is 06 January 2026

As a Registered Mental Health Staff Nurse, you will deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care to individuals with mental health needs. Your responsibilities include carrying out clinical assessments, planning and implementing evidence-based interventions, and monitoring progress to support recovery. You will administer medication safely, maintain accurate documentation, and uphold the highest standards of infection control and patient safety. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to care planning, provide emotional support to service users and families, and promote dignity and respect at all times. In addition, you will play an active role in quality improvement, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring compliance with clinical governance frameworks.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

Main duties of the job

As a Registered Mental Health Staff Nurse, you will provide high-quality mental health care in a safe and therapeutic environment. You will carry out comprehensive assessments, develop and implement care plans, and deliver evidence-based interventions to support recovery. Responsibilities include administering medication safely, maintaining accurate clinical records, and ensuring compliance with infection control and governance standards. You will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, offering emotional support to service users and families, and promoting dignity and respect at all times. Additionally, you will contribute to service improvement initiatives, mentor junior colleagues, and uphold best practice inline with professional standards.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

This is a generic band 5 staff nurse job description designed to reflect mental health services Trust-wide.

Individuals will be expected to:

To contribute to an integrated team of staff in providing a high quality of care and treatment both on an individual basis and with a purposeful group programme within a core facility.

Have an understanding of and a commitment to the philosophy mental health or learning disability services and the local service provision.

Be responsible and accountable for the Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of treatment and care for defined service users within the pathway.

Utilise core nursing / specialist skills within the role of primary nurse.

Contribute specific professional support and advice to the team, service users and carers.

Work in partnership with other teams within and outside of the organisation.

Oversee and support junior members of staff in implementing planned treatment and care.

Support the Management Team in carrying out their duties.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

To work flexibly to cover shifts to provide a 365 day per year service.

Act as shift co-ordinator as required and to participate in the planning and co-ordinating of the shift to ensure smooth and effective running of the service and role model best practice.

Co-ordinate and lead the team to make effective use of team skills to provide the best possible standards of care and treatment / interventions.

To prioritise workload in keeping with the team and service objectives.

Take full involvement as a primary nurse by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating treatment / care for named service users.

To actively participate and contribute to service users reviews, ward rounds, meetings as applicable.

To provide care and specific interventions for other service users as allocated on a daily basis, and directly in accordance with their written care plan.

Communication

Maintain accurate and up to date care plans for each service user.

Maintain effective use of systems for service user and carer documentation.

Contribute to keeping statistical service records, be involved in the evaluation process, as required by the manager.

Develop good working relationships with consultants, their teams and other trust teams and services to ensure effective service delivery and best use of resources.

Develop positive relationships with non-statutory and voluntary agencies to develop working partnerships as appropriate to the service development and local delivery.

Positively embrace service user / carer involvement in all aspects of service delivery wherever and whenever possible.

Inform all service users of their right to access their care plan, and to actively encourage them to read, write / evaluate their care plan.

In conjunction with the team contribute constructively to develop and communicate a shared philosophy of culture and practice.

To work within the boundaries of accountability and confidentiality.

Human Resources / Supervision / Management

Know, maintain and constantly strive to improve all standards of care and procedures (written and implicit) within the team.

Ensure that high standards of care are maintained by self and peers.

To provide direction, guidance and support to junior staff.

Participate in and provide clinical supervision.

Participate in and provide managerial supervision.

Participate and be actively involved in team reflective forums / sessions.

To be involved in the induction programme for all new starters.

Resource Management

To be involved in the off duty planning and day to day cover of the service.

Manage individual / teams time and resource effectively.

Show appropriate regard for budgetary constraints within the service.

Participate in the selection and recruitment of junior staff when appropriate.

Decision Making and Advice

To make comprehensive risk assessments and implement management plans appropriately.

Identify training needs and contribute to the education and development of all staff and students.

Initiating and Implementing Change

Take responsibility for creating an environment that respects and values equality, diversity and rights.

Take responsibility for creating an environment that promotes health, safety and security for service users, carers and staff.

Take responsibility both individually and in partnership with the team to develop clinical governance.

Ensure own and team's practice is based on best practice.

Maintain awareness of developments in clinical practice.

Demonstrates positive desire to improve/ change, be flexible and confident.

Initiate and seek clinical autonomy.

Actively promote and facilitate innovation of clinical practice.

Act in a manner which will promote a positive image of the service, the trust, with the public, service users and other staff.

PROFESSION SPECIFIC

To contribute specific professional support and advice to the team, service users and carers.

Maintain an up to date awareness of current thinking in mental health, health and nursing research, and apply this in practice.

Administer medication within the NMC and Trust guidelines.

To be involved in the smooth running of medication/ clinic room issues including ordering medication and supplies and ensuring policies and protocols are in place and adhered to.

To educate and train the team with issues relating to medication.

Educate and train the team in monitoring service users physical observations including Blood pressure, Pulse, Respiration, BMI, Weights etc.

Link with local pharmacy to develop good working relationship.

To provide supervision and support for workers as appropriate.

Act as mentor for nursing students.

Liaise with Link tutor at University and ensure the nursing team have the relevant training to mentor students.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification

Experience

• Involvement in a systematic approach to care: Assessment, care planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Awareness of the Care Programme Approach.
• Working with individuals who have mental health needs or working with people with a learning disability.
• Knowledge of key worker/primary nurse system.
• Working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team/working with other disciplines.
• Knowledge of collaborative working within a recovery based model of intervention.
• Clinical/Professional Supervision.
• Implementation of the Care Programme Approach.
• Experience of leading and supervising junior/unqualified staff.
• Experience of working with a care pathway approach toward recovery.
• Experience of working with risk assessment models i.e. HCR 20.
• Experience using risk tools to support assessment and interventions in relevant clinical setting.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post, working various shift patterns including nights.
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Special Knowledge & Skills

• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with patients therapeutically on a 1:1 basis or in groups.
• Awareness of the skills in the prevention and management of violence and aggression.
• Ability to lead and motivate staff.
• Ability to coach, train, mentor and act as a role model to other team members and learners.
• Ability to work without direct supervision.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.
• Evidence based practice.
• Knowledge of Recovery Models i.e. Recovery Star, My Shared Pathway, etc.
• Thorough understanding of the role of primary nurse system and the concept of clinical supervision.
• Knowledge of Psychosocial interventions.
• An awareness of the IMROC model.
• Knowledge of NHS initiatives specific to the clinical service.

Qualifications

• 1st Level Registered Nurse on the appropriate part of the register.
• CBT/PSI.
• Experience of mentoring/supporting learners or ability to demonstrate the skills required for effective mentoring.

Values and Behaviours

• Commitment to adopt the Trusts core Values and Behavioural standards.
• In addition to the core standards an ability to demonstrate the following role specific behaviours:
• Motivated to work in chosen speciality.
• Professionalism.
• Common sense approach.
• Initiative, tact and diplomacy.
• Positive self-image.
• Effective team member.
• Ability to cope with change.
• Commitment to high clinical standards when working with patients.
• Reliable.

Training

• A commitment to undertake mandatory training including the management of violence and aggression.
• Willingness to undertake training in nursing mentorship.

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust