Closing date: 23 July 2026

Job summary
Are you passionate about making a difference and enjoy working as part of a larger team? Are you eager to use your clinical skills to provide excellent care and progress your career?

Applicants will need to be enthusiastic and able to work flexibly and reliably to contribute to the delivery of outstanding care to our patients.

As a Mental Health Practitioner, with the Reading Community Mental Health Service, you will have responsibility for the line management of students and junior staff, undertaking their annual appraisals, PDP's and proactively supporting their development review cycle.

You should have the ability to think calmly and logically under pressure and have a positive attitude to maintaining high standards of work at all times and be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.

You will be able to work unsupervised, using your own initiative, but also to be able to work as a part of the wider team and be able to work in multiagency partnership.

Accuracy and attention to details is essential for this post with a good level of competency in using Microsoft applications. Strong organisational skills are essential.

Our service operates five days a week, not including bank holidays and is offering full, part time and hybrid flexible working opportunities.

Main duties of the job

• You will be responsible for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of a care plan for a designated number of patients who may present with significant complexity within the multidisciplinary team
• You will also be responsible for devising a risk and safety plan with each individual patient managing their risks in close partnership with wider team
• You will be conducting assessments and reviews within the Service. You will be contributing to establishment of the specialist offer for the service users assessed at Place.
• You will apply up to date professional and other knowledge to ensure any options of care for individuals is evidenced base and informed by theoretical and practical learning and experience
• You will work closely with colleagues in specialist community mental health services to ensure smooth transitions between teams and services and facilitate an 'easy in, easy out approach to improve access to evidence-based interventions.

About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.

Job description
The must haves for this role:

• Qualified Psychiatric Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist with post registration experience preferred.
• Promote, monitor and maintain best practice in health, safety and security.
• Ability to form positive therapeutic relationships with service users, carers, and other professional bodies.
• Ability to use technology to underpin professional practice.

If you're someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and let's be outstanding together.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Joanna Jelonek on 01189605612 or Joanna.Jelonek@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential

• Current professional registration with an approved professional body
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Desirable

• Where professionally applicable, teaching and mentoring experience or course

Previous Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with people with mental ill health and applying a range of interventions
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers
• Experience working with people with mental ill health in a community environment
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment

Desirable

• Mentoring students on practice placement
• Quality improvement activities

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Demonstrate knowledge of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field
• Understanding of relevant legislation (eg. Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Care Act 2014)
• Evidence of an understanding of the Care Programme Approach and its application in practice
• Detailed understanding of safeguarding and its application of practice
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and IT

Desirable

• Experience and understanding of clinical risk assessment and management and its application in practice
• To demonstrate an understanding of Clinical Governance and its application in practice
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment

Additional Requirements
Essential

• Car User

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address: CMHS Reading, Prospect Park Hospital, Honey End Ln, Reading RG30 4EJ
Reading
RG30 4EJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
CPN Joanna Jelonek
Joanna.Jelonek@berkshire.nhs.uk
01189605612