Community mental health practitioner

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South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Community mental health practitioner

The closing date is 19 January 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT) based at the Chaucer Resource Centre.

We are recruiting for a full-time substantive Community Practitioner to join our team.

As part of the PCMHT, you will work alongside a diverse and experienced group of professionals, including Band 7 Senior Practitioners, a CAMHS Transitional Practitioner, the medical team, lived experience workers, psychology and psychotherapy staff, and dual diagnosis practitioners.

Your role will involve conducting assessment and short term interventions within a supportive multi disciplinary team environment, ensuring collaborative and patient centred care.

This is a fast paced service with a dynamic team committed to delivering high quality mental health support.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Main duties of the job

• To offer comprehensive initial assessments and formulations to service users


• To manage the provision of appropriate psychological interventions to a small case load of service users experiencing transitional mental health problems


• To exercise autonomous professional autonomy (under supervision) for the assessment, coordination and transfer to the relevant treatment team of a designated caseload.


• To provide comprehensive on going assessment and outcome monitoring of all caseload clients


• To participate in the team assessment and duty rota T


• To liaise closely with crisis services and emergency out of hours services.


• To provide evidence based care as outlined in NICE guidance.

About us

We are currently based at The Chaucer Resource Centre SE16 2TH.

Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin park and the vibrant high street that offers great shopping opportunities and a wide range of restaurants.

Job responsibilities

• Demonstrates an understanding of how mood, anxiety and personality difficulties manifest itself and the impact on mental well being.


• Transferable psychological skills and knowledge relevant to work with working age adults with severe and enduring & psychotic disorders in secondary care.


• Knowledge of models of therapy. An understanding of the relationship between primary and secondary care services.


• Knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies, particularly DBT and CBT.


• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.


• Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Adult Safeguarding and Child Protection. Understanding of Clinical Governance


• Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with an appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision. Ability to manage own time and workload.


• Engage and maintain healthy relationships in and outside of the team


• To give and receive feedback in a constructive way Demonstrates high standards in written communication skill in clear letter/report writing. Effective skills.


• Ability to work within a team and foster good relationships.


• Ability to work under pressure and to use clinical supervision effectively.


• Give receive and respond to feedback


• Clinical skills relevant to the post applied for. Skilled in the communication of sensitive issues. Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing and receiving critical and constructive feedback.


• Commitment to continuing professional development, to partnership working and to reflective clinical practice

Person Specification
Education and Qualification

• Advocates for individuals particularly those with protected characteristics promotes equality and diversity


• Degree standard or professional equivalent. Mentorship Training /998 Other professional development, particularly within psychological modalities. (2)


• Recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions.


• Significant clinical experience


• Knowledge of professional and clinical legislation


• Skills in clinical baseline mental health assessments


• Skills in risk assessment management and crisis management


• Lived experience


• Masters

Experience and Knowledge

• Knowledge of clinical governance and audit.


• 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.


• Significant relevant clinical experience.


• Evidence of continuing professional development.


• Experience as a preceptor / mentor.


• Experience of supporting practice development in clinical areas.


• Experience of Interagency working


• Experience of managing a caseload.

Skills and Abilities

• Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations.


• Skills in risk assessment and risk management and crisis management.


• Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing critical and constructive feedback. (2) oProblem solving, ability to identify problems, review options and take appropriate action without a predetermined framework

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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

£46,419 to £55,046 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

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