Overview
This permanent position is based in the Maldon/Braintree area for Primary Care Mental Health services in Essex. The post is based in General Practice, working with existing Primary Care teams to triage, assess, manage and follow up patients and provide brief intervention to those registered with GPs in the area. You must be highly skilled and motivated, work autonomously, and be confident in providing evidence-based psychological and non-psychological treatments for common mental health disorders following your assessments. Excellent skills of assessment and knowledge of local services are essential, as the practitioner will act as the gatekeeper for referrals to secondary services and will support Primary Care colleagues with assessment and management of service users with common mental health disorders.
Responsibilities
* Triage and assess patients and facilitate them receiving the most appropriate support for their needs, ensuring people are not passed around the system.
* Provide and deliver effective and safe services which support the key elements of clinical/practice governance.
* Work with GP, Primary Care team and Consultant Psychiatrists to ensure patients are supported in the most appropriate clinical practice environment from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
* Act as a signpost for internal and external services appropriate to service users’ needs and contribute to developing integrated care pathways.
* Develop innovative practice to deal with service demands for referrals, allocations, monitoring of KPI’s and clinical caseload management.
* Provide and undertake detailed physical health investigations (e.g., ECGs) and offer basic interpretation of results.
* Mentor and supervise students as part of professional responsibilities.
* Lead and participate in formulation, delivery and review of individualised, evidence-based care/care packages according to NICE guidance, including non-medication strategies.
* Establish strong working relationships within the Primary Care setting and provide educational support and training to enhance mental health knowledge.
* Provide professional clinical leadership at multi-disciplinary meetings (referral/review, safeguarding, etc.).
* Adhere to Trust policies and contribute to policy review and implementation; maintain professional accountability and ensure supervision and dissemination of best practice.
* Identify, assess and manage clinical and non-clinical risks; complete risk assessments and maintain risk registers.
* Support the delivery of high-quality care and treatment within the clinical setting, ensuring alignment with NHS Constitution and Care Quality Commission standards.
* Work with other mental health professionals, statutory and voluntary organisations and community networks.
* Provide education and training to enhance knowledge of Mental Health and Wellbeing for the enhanced Primary Care team.
* Contribute to the development and implementation of Trust and Government directives within the locality.
* Participate in safeguarding, incidents reporting, and patient safety investigations in line with Trust policies.
* Be responsible for the administration of medications (nurse applicants), assess side effects, review concordance and clinical effectiveness, including education about medications and physical healthcare.
* Lead and participate in professional supervision and ensure operational/clinical policies are developed and implemented with the MDT and Primary Care team.
Qualifications
* Experience of working within a Primary Care Mental Health setting as a qualified Mental Health Nurse (preferred).
* Ability to work under pressure and manage stress; robust clinical judgement; ability to work autonomously and take appropriate levels of responsibility.
* Non-medical prescriber is preferred; knowledge of Systmone patient documentation system.
* Ability to drive and hold a UK driving license for travel to Primary Care network bases in Braintree/Maldon and trust sites.
* Trained Advanced Nurse Practitioners (Independent Non-medical prescribers) with diagnostic skills will provide consultation, diagnosis and prescribing for a specific group of service users (where applicable).
Benefits
* Season Ticket Loans; NHS discounts for staff; excellent training facilities and opportunities; buying and selling annual leave; opportunity to work bank shifts; salary sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work; Day One Flexible Employer.
* The Trust supports flexible working and encourages discussion with the recruiting manager about what is possible; you may apply for a flexible working request from day one of employment.
* Staff bank information: our EPUT NHS staff bank hires clinical and non-clinical professionals to take on shifts at trust sites; permanent staff are enrolled onto the staff bank but not required to work extra shifts unless desired.
Application
This advert closes on Sunday 28 Sep 2025.
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