Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join a unique split post across the Ealing Community Rehabilitation Service (CRS) and Ealing Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) Team.

This post is being advertised as a pilot role, offering the successful candidate an opportunity to contribute to the development and refinement of the role in response to emerging priorities, service needs and local developments. The role is open to professionals from Social Work, Nursing and Occupational Therapy backgrounds. Applicants should have significant experience working with adults with complex mental health needs in community settings, including experience of working with Complex Psychosis and Complex Emotional Needs.

The West London NHS Trust CRS and CEN services are specialist community teams supporting some of the Trust's most complex and vulnerable service users. Both services have been developed and operationalised over the past three years and have recently undergone review and refinement to strengthen their models of care and responsiveness to local needs.

This is an excellent opportunity for a practitioner seeking to work across two specialist services, broaden their skills and contribute to innovative, evolving models of community mental health care. The successful candidate will receive support from experienced senior and professional management, alongside highly committed teams focused on improving outcomes and service development.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work across the Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) Team and Community Rehabilitation Service (CRS), supporting the development of this pilot role and helping identify effective ways of working across both pathways.

Within CEN, you will manage a caseload of adults experiencing emotional instability, interpersonal difficulties and Complex Emotional Needs. Duties include screening, assessment, formulation, care planning and therapeutic interventions. You will work with patients, carers, referrers and partner agencies, contributing to clinical discussions, service development and quality improvement. Working alongside the Band 7 Senior Practitioner and Team Manager, you will help develop partnerships and deliver compassionate, person-centred care. Training in approaches such as MBT, DBT or similar is desirable.

Within CRS, you will support adults with complex and enduring mental health needs, many living in supported accommodation. You will work with housing providers to identify rehabilitation goals, promote independence and support moves to independent living. Responsibilities include joint reviews, supporting individuals during periods of increased risk, preventing tenancy breakdown and maintaining accommodation. As part of the multidisciplinary team, you will promote recovery and strengthen links between mental health, rehabilitation and housing services. Experience in rehabilitation, supported housing or a similar setting is essential.

About us

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Current training and/or qualification in either a housing or health/social care related field (eg. Level 3 Cert in Housing, Social Work/Social Policy degree, occupational therapy degree, other professional qualification)
• Where appropriate, registration must be live with a professional body such as SWE or other relevant body
• Evidence of ongoing training and CPD.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with clients with severe and enduring mental health problems
• Knowledge of the care planning process
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and presentations / IT skills.
• Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive housing support plan for the identified client group, using a wide range of resources
• Can demonstrate understanding of psychosis and complex emotional needs and its impact on service users and carers.
• Skills in risk assessment and management.
• Able to develop a comprehensive programme of intervention and support for the identified client group and their families in relation to their accommodation needs

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within either a local authority social services or housing department.
• Working with people at risk of homelessness.
• Skills in leadership: ability to motivate others, use initiative and manage change.
• Audit and research; Teaching.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to create/sustain excellent relationships with clients, carers, other professionals and other stakeholders
• Work with service users who are difficult to engage with.