Job overview
Are you a Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, or Occupational Therapist passionate about improving mental health care for older adults?
Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dedicated Mental Health Liaison Practitioner to join our multi-disciplinary team supporting older people across acute hospital and care home settings in Bradford and Airedale.
The Older People’s Mental Health Liaison Service operates from Airedale General Hospital and Lynfield Mount Hospital, with support provided to patients in ward areas at Bradford Royal Infirmary, St Luke’s Hospital, Westbourne Green, Westwood Park, and Airedale General.
You’ll be responsible for liaising with professionals, assessing, planning, and delivering interventions for older people with mental health needs in general hospital settings or transitioning between DAU and care homes. You’ll advise ward teams and care home staff, identify needs, and signpost service users for further assessment where needed.
You’ll work constructively as part of a flexible team, linking with the Consultant Psychiatrist for Acute Liaison, Older People’s CMHTs, Care Home Liaison, and inpatient wards. You’ll promote clinical excellence and contribute to training development within the acute hospital setting, in line with Trust objectives and team policies.
Main duties of the job
1. Accept and assess referrals for the liaison service, coordinating care and referring to other professionals as needed.
2. Provide expert input within acute hospital and care home settings for older people with mental health needs.
3. Work collaboratively with clients and carers, encouraging active participation in care planning.
4. Contribute to resource planning, monitoring, and control, ensuring agreed standards of care are met.
5. Apply the Mental Health Act (1983) in line with Directorate policies.
6. Promote equality of opportunity and fair access for all service users and carers.
7. Lead on clinical governance, research, audit, and best practice within the service.
8. Develop effective communication networks across disciplines and agencies to ensure continuity of care.
9. Ensure care delivery aligns with professional guidance and current legislation.
10. Assess complex issues within an interdisciplinary framework
11. To act as a resource clinician offering support and clinical advice, ensuring implementation of all Trust policies and procedures
Closing Date: 4th October 2025
Shortlisting Date: 5th October 2025
Interview Date: TBC
Working for our organisation
Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -
We Care - We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference
We Listen - We understand people’s views and respond to their individual needs
We Deliver - We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners
We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :
Increase mileage rates for > 3500
A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
Plus many more.
We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Whilst reporting to the Acute Liaison Psychiatry Service team leader, post holders will be capable of making clinical decisions affecting the mental health care of clients based on their own assessments.
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.
Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trust’s eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT).
Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
12. Registered Nurse NMC in Mental Health, Social Work registered to Social work England or Qualified Occupational Therapist with Membership of HCPC
Desirable criteria
13. Relevant teaching qualification
Training and Experience
Essential criteria
14. Evidence of continued professional development
15. Understand the needs of older people with mental health problems and knowledge of assessing complex issues within an interdisciplinary framework.
16. Minimum of two years experience of working in a clinical environment where a significant portion of clinical time is spent assessing / treating patients with dementia
Desirable criteria
17. Experience of working in General or Mental Hospital settings
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidates best interest to apply as soon as possible.
In view of Home Office Immigration Regulations all applicants must state their current immigration status, including expiry dates.
Bradford District Care Trust is an award-winning Trust that provides a range of innovative services that have been recognised as best practice nationally. As a provider of care for people of all ages who have mental and/or community health needs we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service, close to where people live and as much as possible tailored to an individual’s needs.
The Trust’s purpose is to create connected communities and help people to feel as healthy as they can be at every point in their lives and our vision is to connect people to the best quality care, when and where they need it and be a national role model as an employer and provide our staff with the best place to work.
Bradford has been awarded the coveted status of UK City of Culture 2025. The year is set to deliver more than 1000 new performances and events including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals as well as exciting national and international collaborations. Its themes will be rooted in the unique heritage and character of Bradford and will reveal the magic of the district that is held in its people, its ambition, and above all, its potential.
We would welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health and care needs.
We welcome people from all backgrounds and in particular Bradford District Care Trust is keen to reflect the population we serve, we are currently underrepresented in terms of black and minority ethnic staff. Applications are encouraged from these groups, but it must be stressed that selection will be solely on merit and in accordance with the Trust recruitment policy.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.