Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent: Will consider a secondment arrangement for applicants internal to Notts Healthcare
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week (service operates Monday to Friday 9-5)
- Job ref
- 186-1163-25-GH
- Employer
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Westminster House
- Town
- Nottingham
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum (pro rata for part time)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Mental Health Practitioner
Band 6
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Job overview
We are looking for an innovative and motivated Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to work in the developing Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) Service.
The MHTR Service aims to improve the opportunities for an individual who is in the Criminal Justice System to access psychological therapies/intervention. The MHTR is a Community Treatment Order: a form of diversion within rather than away from the criminal justice system, providing meaningful treatment provision outside of custody and inpatient settings . The service treatment aims to offer an individual the opportunity to access and engage in individualised psychological therapies, improving health and social outcomes and addressing the underlying cause of offending behaviour.
If you would like a challenge and the opportunity to be an inclusive, creative clinician, this job may be for you.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.
Main duties of the job
This is a new development within Notts Healthcare and is a great opportunity to work in a developing service for service users within the criminal justice system, creating the best opportunity for supporting their engagement with services and helping to break the cycle of offending.
The MHTR service comprises of a team of psychologically informed practitioners, led by an accredited psychologist (Clinical Lead). This role will include supporting and working alongside service users in a collaborative, therapeutic partnership and participation in the development and provision therapeutic activities/psycho-educational programmes and self-management interventions. The Specialist Mental Health Practitioner will likely work with the more complex service users.
In this role, the Mental Health Practitioner will undertake screening, assessment and case formulation relating to service users referred into the service. The role will also include signposting to other service/3rd party organisations so good links with the local community are essential. Due to this being a developing service and having interface with a range of services, the post holder will be involved in promotion of the service and supporting the delivering training and awareness of the MHTR.
Working for our organisation
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.
We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.
The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This recently established service operates from the Nottingham City Magistrates Court and Westminster House (home of the community forensic services). The current post sits alongside one Senior Assistant Psychologist post and an Assistant Psychologist/Research Assistant post within a team focused on delivering high quality assessments and psychological interventions. Main duties to include:
Referral – Decision making on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service referral protocols, signpost/refer unsuitable service users on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
Assessment - To undertake service user centred assessments (inc. risk assessments) and create, with them a shared understanding of their needs and difficulties, using this formulation to identify the most appropriate psychological therapy. Expected to create written reports in relation to assessments, formulations, treatment recommendations and communicate to referrers, the courts and other clinicians.
Active engagement – Facilitate treatment interventions as appropriate and required by the service. This engagement may extend to family/friends/carers of the service users where appropriate/necessary.
Develop good working relationships - To effectively liaise and develop links with services with partner agencies i.e. probation, substance use services, Trust services and 3rd party services etc. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health, Primary Care Services and Criminal Justice Services.
Support & Supervision of others - Provide clinical supervision and support to junior staff. Plan and provide specialist and core training and education as service/staff needs are identified.
Service evaluation – The Nottingham/Nottinghamshire MHTR service has been identified as an evaluation site. This role will require the post holder to be actively engaged in data collection, collection of routine outcome measures and support Clinical Lead in undertaking periodic evaluations of the service.
Appointed applicants will have access to robust clinical and managerial supervision and career development opportunities. The service is committed to ensuring the staff in the team are well equipped to work with the complex service users accessing the service and so training is well supported and there is a range of access to robust supervision.
Person specification
Values and Behaviours
Essential criteria
- • All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
- • All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust’s expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation
Physical Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to undertake relevant mandatory training and engage in the management of violence and aggression to breakaway level, commensurate to the role.
- Requirement to travel around the community to different locations.
Qualifications - Academic/Craft/Professional
Essential criteria
- Recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, social work and occupational therapy OR other training/significant experience with demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field.
Training
Essential criteria
- Understanding risk assessment and management
- Introductory level knowledge of the therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Mentalization Based Treatment / or equivalent.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of using computer systems.
- Substantial post registration experience of working with individuals of all ages within a healthcare/social care setting.
- Experience of caseload management.
- Experience and understanding of working in team setting, liaising with colleagues, other agencies and services.
- Experience of communicating with range of other agencies within health/social care settings.
- Experience of having responsibility for planning and delivering a range of therapeutic interventions drawn from different evidence-based models.
- Experience in delivering clinical supervision to other mental health clinicians
- Experience of assessing service users with a broad range of mild to moderate mental health issues.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of the Criminal Justice System.
- Experience of working in caring settings/roles
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates an awareness of wide range of vulnerabilities inclusive of mental health/LD needs.
- Experience of planning and delivering a range of therapeutic interventions.
- Demonstrates an understanding of cultural and diversity needs of individuals.
- Awareness and understanding of confidentiality and professional responsibilities.
- Understanding, and experience of, the importance of maintaining boundaries in the workplace.
- Introductory level knowledge of the psychotherapies such as Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) etc.
- A sound knowledge of safeguarding Procedures
- Sound knowledge of the Mental Health Act and be fully aware of the legal and ethical issues.
Desirable criteria
- Awareness of the MHTR Service.
- Awareness of the interface of the Health, Social Care and Criminal Justice Systems
Skills
Essential criteria
- Specialist skills to facilitate 1:1 and small group treatment programmes
- Ability to keep accurate records on computer system.
- Ability to motivate others and skill in forming and maintaining positive working relationships.
- Ability to communicate to a range of people on a range of matters, in a range of forms.
- Ability to identify own development needs with support of others.
- Ability to identify risk and to take responsibility for self and others in ensuring legislation, policies and procedures are followed in the workplace.
- Ability to actively participate in development of the service.
- Skills in communicating with people with a range of communication needs.
- Ability to work in partnership providing consultation, supervision, specialist training, education and support when required and appropriate within existing Mental Health services, statutory and non-statutory organisations.
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of decision-making skills
- Ability to manage and seek support for own wellbeing.
- Ability to carry out practical tasks
- To think creatively.
- Skills in using own initiative.
- Autonomous working
Contractual Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to adapt to changing services and be flexible in approach.
- Must be able to travel to different sites
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Ayesha Roche
- Job title
- Clinical Lead Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0115 9529400
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