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Community Mental Health Practitioner
The closing date is 12 November 2025
A rare and exciting opportunity has become available for a Registered Mental Health Nurse/Social Worker/Occupational Therapist Band 5 Practitioner to join Pennine Lancashire Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Team. The Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Team (SPCMHT) is an exciting new service development for the whole of Lancashire and South Cumbria.
The SPCMHT aspires to provide an excellent comprehensive Perinatal Mental Health Service for the women of Lancashire and South Cumbria. We deliver a sustainable and resilient solution for women suffering from a mental illness in the perinatal period by focusing on improving outcomes for them, their infant and their families. We do this by effective multidisciplinary integrated team working and ensuring effective prevention that responds to local need by:
* Intervening earlier to at preconception, during pregnancy and up to 1 year following delivery
* On-going training of professionals from multiple disciplines
* Improving pathways and processes for mothers, their families and professionals
* Delivering a multi-disciplinary specialist perinatal mental health service to woman who present with severe/complex mental health needs, in accordance with CR197 staffing recommendations and delivery of NICE recommended intervention
Main duties of the job
The post holder will carry a caseload and work with senior clinicians, have responsibility for the delivery of high quality care that will include delivering talk therapies.
We would welcome applications from both male and female applicants and there is no requirement to have previous perinatal mental health experience as all training requirements will be available as part of your induction and within your Personal Development Planning. The service operates Monday to Friday 9-5 although flexible working requests will be considered.
About us
* To undertake specialist health, occupational and social care needs assessments, which requires at least one hour concentration with a service user on a regular basis and at least one hour to write up the assessment. This includes risk assessments in relation to the service user, family members and environmental risks.
* To formulate specialist multi-disciplinary treatment and intervention plans for service users in response to identified needs, under the auspices of the care programme approach where appropriate. This is often of a complex nature however the complexity will be taken into account by the manager allocating the case and will be in line with the band 5 grading. The task will also require creation of crisis and contingency plans and frequent adjustments to those plans.
* Act as a key member of the integrated multi-disciplinary community mental health team.
* Actively manage own caseload seeking supervision and guidance from band 6 staff and managers where required.
Job responsibilities
* Engage in the screening and assessment of service users as part of the duty team. This role includes liaison with multi-agencies, screen referrals on a daily basis which takes judgement, make urgent assessments regarding risks of aggression, self-harm and suicide, complex assessments requiring judgements and concentration. This role is broadly described as gatekeeping and is a functional part of the service and duty activity. Some assessments may be undertaken on behalf of the medical staff with a view to determining if medical intervention is required. Seek guidance in the prioritisation of referrals where required.
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Registered Mental Health Nurse/Occupational Therapist/Social Worker.
* Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development
Knowledge
* Understanding of health and safety policies and procedures.
* Knowledge and practice of Mental Health Act 1983
* Can provide evidence of recent professional development.
* Knowledge of, the needs of the service user and family when providing support in the Perinatal period.
Experience
* Completed the preceptorship process in respect of own practice.
* Able to work as part of multidisciplinary team
* Experience of assessing, planning and implementing and reviewing care needs.
* An understanding and awareness of the NHS plan, NSF and other relevant documentation
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.
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
£31,049 to £37,796 a yearper annum (subject to confirmation)
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