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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health - Community
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-BAY865-SRP
Employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Albert View
Town
Lancaster
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust logo

Mental Health Practitioner

Band 6

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:

•    Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
•    Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
•    Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports 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, home/remote working, and flexi-time.

For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to work in the Home Treatment Team in Lancaster.

The Home Treatment Team cares for people who are experiencing acute episodes of mental illness or emotional distress. The service is an alternative to admission and offers intensive support to service users and their families in the community.

The post is a full-time, permanent post covering the service over 7 days per week working long days and nights. The team covers Lancaster, Morecambe and surrounding areas.

Main duties of the job

The service works closely with the in-patient wards to support early discharges and with other parts of the mental health services as well as third sector providers, so great communication skills are essential.

You will provide a comprehensive assessment and triage service and, where necessary signposting or clear onward facilitation to a mental health pathway. Your referrers will mostly include IRS (initial response service), Police and Acute Hospital colleagues, trust employed mental health practitioners working in GP service. Service users will be triaged collaboratively and a decision will be made in consultation with the referrer and with the use of a clinical tool, within the response time required.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Mental Health Nurse or Social worker.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Able to understand the difference between crisis planning and contingency planning and able to formulate explicit planning in these areas.
  • Knowledge, understanding and experience of the care pathways for psychosis and non psychosis and relevant interventions.
  • Effective communication with service users, carers and members of the multidisciplinary teams. Strong customer service and negotiation skills.
  • Knowledge of Safeguarding procedures, Criminal Justice procedures, Mental Health legislation, guidance and processes.
  • Knowledge of recovery models and promoting independence.

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrate the ability to work sensitively in a non judgemental way with service users who are in crisis.
  • Complete risk assessments which reflect the risk a service user may pose. Transfer the risk assessment into robust risk management planning.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Melissa Crewe
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01524550198
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