Senior Mental Health Practitioner - Duty Worker
Posted 1 day 21 hours ago by Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Location: Exeter, EX2 4NU, Dartington, TQ9 6JE, Barnstaple, EX31 3UD & Torquay, TQ2 7BA
Salary: £37,338.00 to £44,962.00
Date posted: 4th July 2025
Closing date: 20th July 2025
We are excited to be recruiting a fixed-term Band Senior Mental Health Practitioner to strengthen our countywide Duty offer within Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD).
This one-year pilot post offers an excellent opportunity for experienced mental health professionals to take on a role within our Duty system. As a member of the Countywide duty team, you will play a critical role in supporting locality mental health teams, triaging urgent and unallocated concerns, undertaking risk management calls, assessing clinical information, and answering professional queries.
The post is countywide and will support children and young people experiencing emotional distress, relational difficulties, and emerging or ongoing mental health needs. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, external agencies, and families to ensure that children and young people receive timely, safe, and effective mental health support. Elements of the role can be undertaken remotely, and we welcome flexible working arrangements.
As a Duty SMHP, you will be responsible for triaging incoming contacts, supporting clinical decision-making for complex cases, and offering advice and guidance to both internal and external professionals.
We Offer:
- High-quality clinical supervision and ongoing professional development opportunities
- A collaborative and supportive multidisciplinary environment
- A role in an innovative and responsive pilot service with potential for long-term impact
- Undertake clinical triage of urgent referrals and queries
- Undertake and support comprehensive mental health risk assessments
- Provide clinical input and oversight for unallocated or high-risk presentations
- Offer consultation, advice, and support to staff and external professionals
- Contribute to service development and provide reflective feedback on process and system improvements
- Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in accordance with professional and service standards
If you are a highly skilled and compassionate mental health professional with strong assessment skills, and are looking to play a role in shaping an essential service within CFHD, we would love to hear from you.
About usSuccessful applicants will be employed by Devon Partnership Trust ( )
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon.
CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people across physical and mental health. We work closely with other organisations and providers to ensure local and county-wide integrated access to all our services, based on the i-Thrive Framework, in response to consultations with our service users and communities.
CFHD collaborates with the universities of Plymouth, Exeter, and the Peninsula Medical School, supporting students in clinical training placements and our own staff in postgraduate training.
We value understanding, patience, and respect in our staff. We expect staff to be trustworthy, attentive, and to listen carefully in a non-patronising, non-judgemental manner. A positive and friendly attitude helps create an informal, pressure-free environment.
Our vision is to be a successful, vibrant partnership that benefits the communities we serve.
Job responsibilitiesFull vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification. Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information based on the role requirements or person specification.
Person Specification Qualifications- A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent (e.g., Psychological profession, Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy)
- Professional registration/accreditation with a recognized body (e.g., NMC, HCPC, Social Work England, UKCP, BABCP)
- Recognized qualification in evidence-based therapeutic mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers
- Postgraduate qualification relevant to the specialization
- Substantial experience managing an extensive and complex caseload with children/young people presenting with diverse mental health issues
- Experience working in multidisciplinary and multi-agency environments
- Experience delivering model-based psychological therapy
- Participation in user involvement in services
- Mentoring students according to professional standards
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A Disclosure check will be required to verify any criminal convictions.