Senior Mental Health Practitioner

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About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values

Our Vision

"To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".

Our Purpose

"We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".

Our Values

• We Care
• We Learn
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Our services

• Mental Health Services
• Community Health Services
• Learning Disabilities Services
• Social Care

Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.

Job overview

Do you crave a career where your actions truly impact lives? Where compassion, empathy, and resilience are your superpowers? Then, step into the vital role of a Senior Mental Health Practitioner with the NHS 111 Crisis Response team!

Imagine this: A call comes in. Someone on the other end is struggling with a mental health crisis, feeling lost and alone. You are their lifeline. With your expertise and unwavering support, you assess their needs, develop a plan, and connect them to the right care, guiding them towards calmer waters. That's the power you'll wield in this role.

Here's why this opportunity is extraordinary:

• Be a Hero: Make a tangible difference in the lives of people facing mental health challenges.
• Fast-paced & Rewarding: Work in a dynamic environment where your critical thinking and intervention skills shine.
• No Two Days Alike: Every call brings a unique story, demanding your adaptability and resourcefulness.
• Continuous Growth: We invest in your development with sponsored studies, mentorship, and a supportive team.
• Join the Best: Become part of EPUT, a leading Mental Health Trust known for its patient-centred approach and commitment to staff well-being.
• Rewarding Benefits: Enjoy flexible work options, a competitive salary, and a generous benefits package.

Main duties of the job

We seek a compassionate and dedicated senior mental health practitioner to join our Mental Health Crisis Response Service team. Your role will provide immediate support, high-quality, evidence-based and holistic assessments and care to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, in line with your professional Code of Conduct and Trust policies. You will work within a fast-paced urgent care pathway, offering an immediate response to those experiencing mental crisis.

Working for our organisation

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Answer and respond to incoming calls from individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
• Provide immediate support and intervention to callers
• Assess callers' needs and risks
• Develop and implement crisis intervention plans
• Make referrals to appropriate mental health services
• Document calls and maintain accurate records
• Participate in team meetings and training.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker
• Evidence of continual professional development
• High standard of education
• Good written and spoken English

Desirable criteria

• Post graduate qualification or commitment to work towards this

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Proven experience of working in a health, social care or community setting as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of dealing with confidential and sensitive information
• Proven experience of working with people with mental health conditions and vulnerable service users
• Ability to conduct risk assessments of the individual in the service user environment

Skills/Experience

Essential criteria

• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Ability to manage and coordinate multi-disciplinary meetings i.e. referral/ review/ business/ handover
• Undertake physical health checks of service users and act on the findings appropriately

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing epunft.cv19hr@nhs.net.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Senior MH Practitioner Job Description (PDF, 680.5KB)
• Senior MH Practitioner Person Spec (PDF, 648.3KB)
• EPUT Pledge - Step into Health (PDF, 211.0KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Trust Vision and Values (PDF, 168.9KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)