Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
MHIR Clinical Team Lead
The closing date is 27 November 2026
Job summary
We are looking for a skilled, dynamic and enthusiastic Clinical Team Lead to join our Mental Health In-Reach service at HMP High Down.

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a key leadership role within a challenging, varied and highly rewarding prison healthcare environment. You will be joining a supportive, creative and patient focused multidisciplinary team, committed to delivering high quality, compassionate mental health care to a complex and often vulnerable patient population.

Working closely with the MHIR Service Manager, you will provide visible clinical leadership, support and develop staff, and help shape innovative approaches to care and service delivery.

We are looking for someone who brings strong clinical skills, confidence in decision making, a collaborative approach and a genuine enthusiasm for leading and developing others.

If you are passionate about making a difference, enjoy creative problem solving and are looking for an opportunity to develop your leadership skills within a unique healthcare setting, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the Mental Health Service Manager by having day-to-day responsibility for the work and functioning of the In-Reach Team. This will include line-management, support and development of clinical staff, clinical work, clinical decision making, supporting the Service Manager with performance management and other management functions of Mental Health In-Reach. This will involve ensuring effective and efficient resource utilisation, the delivery of evidence-based patient care and a safe service. In conjunction with the Service Manager and Consultant Psychiatrist, the post holder will provide clear, visible leadership, vision and clinical expertise to enhance the service users' experience.

The post-holder will be expected to operate flexibly within a challenging health care environment, involving multiple providers, whilst being an ambassador for Healthcare and CNWL. The post-holder will also support the team in the creation of effective pathways of care for the prisoners served.

About us
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.

Our motto is "Caring NOT Judging" so by working in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable and high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended and those at risk of offending in the communities we serve, to improve their health status and to encourage social inclusion.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Details
Date posted: 13 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £55,524 to £62,652 a year per annum incl. HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 333-D-HJ-2088
Job locations: HMP High Down, Sutton, SM2 5PJ, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• To deliver effective day-to-day leadership and direction to all staff within the In- Reach Team.
• To ensure the service is well organised, evidence based, & service user focused.
• To support the Service Manager in implementing service changes when required, ensuring effective implementation with measurable outcomes, and to agreed timescales.
• To advance innovative ideas to enable staff to deliver care more effectively.
• To ensure that clinical practice in the team is delivered safely and in accordance with the Care Qualify Commission Framework, Professional Practice standards and any other relevant national policies and standards.
• To be part of a culture that focuses on improving outcomes across the care pathway for clients.
• To review and triage referrals into the Mental Health In-Reach service, allocating as clinically indicated to appropriate staff with consideration of skills, training, specialism, and workload.
• To represent the Mental Health In-Reach service at prison and / or healthcare led meetings that require mental health attendance.
• To provide clinical guidance, consultation and senior support to junior members of the Mental Health In-Reach team.
• To be a key part of the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Pathway, undertaking diagnostic assessments as part of the Neurodevelopmental Team, and providing clinical guidance to the service and junior staff.
• To undertake complex biopsychosocial assessments at senior level, providing clinical formulation and treatment / intervention recommendations.
• To participant in and support with the delivery of Care, Separation, Reintegration Unit (CSRU) mental health rounds.
• To provide management oversight and provide consultancy to staff regarding patients undergoing Gate Keeping / AMHP referrals and liaise with the prison accordingly.
• To work in partnership with the Prison and other healthcare providers to ensure there are clear and responsive operational policies, procedures and protocols.
• To support the Service Manager in implementing care quality standards. This will include keeping updated with national policy and legislation, attending relevant Trust meetings, policy development and implementation of improvement programmes across the service.
• To provide cover for the Service Manager as required

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse, allied Health or Social Care Professional.
• Education to degree level, or appropriate experience.

Desirable

• Trained DIVA assessor (Adults)
• Trained ADOS assessor (Adults)
• Enb998/SLICE or Mentorship qualification

Previous Experience
Essential

• Substantial post-registration experience.
• Experience at Band 6 in a multi-disciplinary staff team, including line management and supervision responsibility.
• Experience of supporting staff through change.
• Experience of multi-professional collaboration, including partnership working with other agencies.
• Experienced in involving service users and carers in service planning and monitoring.
• Competent in using IT, including word processing, spreadsheet and email.

Desirable

• Experience within a prison or low, medium or high security hospital setting.
• Experience with a CMHT.
• Experience of service development.

Skills & Knowledge
Essential

• Up to date knowledge and understanding of current Mental Health Policy issues including the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act
• Up to date knowledge of nursing / allied health professional developments, especially in forensic mental health.
• Ability to provide high quality clinical advice
• Ability to support in building and developing teams of people, and to provide clinical leadership to a diverse workforce.
• Demonstrable ability to performance manage staff to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance targets.
• Ability to identify problems and use initiative and creativity in problem solving.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally, presenting ideas with clarity, for a variety of audiences.
• A demonstrable ability to work closely with a range of stakeholders and other providers in helping plan the future of service provision.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding practice for both vulnerable adults.
• To demonstrate professional integrity, and an ability to present the nursing viewpoint within appropriate meetings.

Desirable

• Working knowledge of policy agenda in forensic Mental Health services

Attitudes, aptitudes personal characteristics
Essential

• To demonstrate the ability to weigh up situations and consider the benefits and problems before decisions are made.
• To demonstrate a positive 'can do' attitude despite the difficulty of any given situation

Desirable

• Demonstrable ability to plan and implement change in the service and ensure the involvement of the workforce in the programme of change.

Other
Essential

• The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job.
• Ability to promote anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: HMP High Down, Sutton, SM2 5PJ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: MHIR Service Manager, Izzy Greenhalgh, isabel.greenhalgh1@nhs.net, 02071476746