Community Practitioner
Posted 3 hours 21 minutes ago by NHS
Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Community PractitionerThe closing date is 30 September 2025
This post is open to current band 5s who wish to broaden their experience and further develop their assessment and care planning skills in a community setting. There will be an expectation for the post holder to have completed, be in the process of completing, or be willing to attend the Trust Preceptorship.
The Assessment & Liaison Team provides a service for people aged 18-65 who live in the Borough of Croydon. We are a short-term service who provides mental health assessment to service users who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties within the community. We also provide advice on the best treatment and care options available on mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, or personality disorder.
We work with a team of health and social care professionals including nurses, doctors, social workers and psychologists. We also work closely with service users, their carers, local organisations and GPs.
The Croydon Assessment and Liaison team is made up of three teams (North, South, and Central) and is situated at Jeanette Wallace House, Croydon. The team generally works with individuals for up to 12 weeks providing a holistic package of care in collaboration with local care networks.
Main duties of the jobTo oversee and provide assessment, planning, of care to a group of service users within Croydon Assessment and Liaison team
Ensuring records associated with this process are maintained.
To work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and across other agencies.
To provide a high quality of care to individuals with complex bio psychosocial needs.
The post holder will carry out procedures to a standard that ensures safe and effective care, and complies with their relevant professional code of conduct.
There will be an expectation that the post holder will facilitate user involvement in all aspects of service delivery.
About usSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job responsibilitiesTo provide assessment and planning of care to a group of service users within Croydon Assessment and Liaison team. Ensuring records associated with this process are maintained.
To work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and across other agencies.
To provide a high quality of care to individuals with complex bio psychosocial needs.
The post holder will carry out procedures to a standard that ensures safe and effective care, and complies with their relevant professional code of conduct.
We are looking for a motivated and dynamic Nurse / Occupational Therapist or Social Worker to be part of our front-line team. You will work with senior nurse practitioners within a GP clustered team delivering an enhanced liaison approach using an engagement and stabilisation model.
This involves liaising with primary care, completing baseline mental health assessments, crisis management supporting individuals to identify and understand their mental health difficulties and working out a joint treatment plan that will support them through the 12 weeks process, getting them the right treatment and care as soon as possible.
Excellent assessment skills are essential including an interest in working with mood anxiety and personality service users within a highly skilled team.
We offer peer, group and 1-1 supervision including on-going training opportunities within the PDP structure.
Person Specification Qualifications- Registered Nurse (Mental Health) or other professional registration e.g. Social Work and Occupational Therapy
- Preceptorship course (or other relevant teaching/assessment course).
- Diploma/Degree Course. A.- Mentorship Training.
- Ability to assess formulate and plan care
- An ability to develop therapeutic relationships with service users, identifying their care needs
- Experience of working in community mental health settings (i.e. Home Treatment Team, CMHT) or acute inpatient settings
- Experience in managing safeguarding issues
- Experience of working in an MDT setting
- Experience of managing a caseload.
- A knowledge and understanding of the needs of people with mental health problems
- Current up to date knowledge of relevant legislation.
- Awareness of bio-psycho-social assessments and the safe and effective management of risk
- Skilled in the communication of sensitive issues
- Skilled in the assessment and monitoring of common physical health problems and able to deliver appropriate care
- Knowledge of wider local organisations to support recovery plans for service users Ability to role model, reflect and provide evidence of conflict resolution
- Recognition of own limitations, strengths and weaknesses and an ability to seek advice when necessary
- Ability to use computerised information and communication systems
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.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
£35,763 to £43,466 a year Pro rata inclusive of HCAS