Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner
Posted 4 hours 48 minutes ago by NHS
Go back South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Primary Care Mental Health PractitionerThe closing date is 07 December 2025
We have an exciting opportunity to recruit to a Mental Health Practitioner in Sutton Adult Community Services. South West London and St George's Sutton Adult Community Services have a unique opportunity for an experienced Registered Mental Health professional to join Sutton Primary Care Networks in supporting population health management - through providing a combined consultation, advice, triage and liaison function. We are looking to fill a permanent full-time position (37.5 hours a week) over 5 days - typically Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm (flexibility can be discussed at interview). The role currently supports patient transition from secondary care to primary care by providing up to three step down sessions and vice versa i.e., from primary care to secondary care (when more specialist or intensive support is required). The successful candidate will enjoy working in a fast paced environment and will benefit from operational supervision with the General Practice Team and clinical supervision from SWLSTG. The role also has access to training resources with both organisations enabling them to support & signpost clients to the most appropriate mental & physical health services for their needs as well as our voluntary, community & social enterprise partners.
Main duties of the jobIn this role you will work as part of the primary care team in specified Primary Care Networks, providing support to GP practices for patients presenting with mental health problems. This support will include provision of advice, education, support and interventions to patients and carers through bookable appointments. You will also provide expert advice and education to primary care staff across the specified Primary Care Networks.
Some of your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Provide medicine education and adherence advice and lifestyle advice for patients and their carers, presenting with mental health problems
- Assist in supporting early intervention and supporting shared decision making around self management
- Support patients to stay well within their local communities, including the re enforcement of newly learned psychology techniques
- Support patients on the SMI register to access and complete annual physical health checks
- Promote the safety and the wellbeing of service users and their families/carers
- Referrals and signposting of patients to local community services within the NHS and VCSE partnerships
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Job responsibilitiesTo provide medicine education and adherence advice and lifestyle advice for patients and their carers, presenting with mental health problems
Assist in supporting early intervention and supporting shared decision making around self management
To carry out triage and comprehensive assessments as required.
To work with patients and team members to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or signposting to other mental health services, social prescribers, voluntary services and community based support groups
To support patients to transition from secondary care to primary care by providing up to three step down sessions at the point of step down from secondary care services
To provide ongoing specialist support to patients to transition from primary care to secondary care when more specialist or intensive support is required
To support patients to stay well within their local communities, including the re enforcement of newly learned psychology techniques
Always work to promote the safety and the well being of service users and their families/carers
To develop a close relationship with Primary Care practices, attending practice meetings and having regular informal contact.
To work closely and in partnership with colleagues within primary care and the Trust in a collaborative way, ensuring that decisions are made that ensure the best care for service users and that there is a seamless pathway.
To support primary care teams with the administration of long acting injections for those patients with complex needs
To support patients on the SMI register to access annual physical health checks and to carry out these checks and physical health monitoring for those patients with complex needs
Training & Qualifications- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Demonstrable experience of working clinically at Band 5 and/or Band 6
- Experience of working with people who have experienced serious ongoing mental health problems
- Experience of research based/reflective practice e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence based practice
- Knowledge of clinical governance and audit
- Previous experience of working within primary care
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Ability to provide quality care that is responsive to service user needs, without close supervision
- Self aware, self confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to complete comprehensive assessments where required
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 West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
£44,485 to £52,521 a year inclusive of outer London HCAS