Mental Health Nurse or Mental Health Social Worker
An exciting opportunity has arisen within Rivers Community Mental Health Team for an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated Mental Health Nurse or Social Worker to join our established multidisciplinary team.

We are looking for a skilled practitioner who shares our commitment to delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care to adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced clinician who enjoys working collaboratively, developing therapeutic relationships and making a meaningful difference to the lives of service users and their families.

Main duties of the job

• To act as Care Coordinator for an allocated caseload of service users with severe and enduring mental health conditions, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care in line with relevant legislation, policy and service standards.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment, care planning, intervention, treatment, review and evaluation for service users receiving support from the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT).
• To provide day-to-day supervision, support and guidance to junior colleagues within the wider Community Treatment Team, promoting safe and effective practice.
• To work collaboratively with service users, carers, colleagues and partner agencies to support recovery, manage risk and promote positive outcomes.
• To deputise for the Team Leader as required, providing operational support and leadership within the team.
• To participate in the delivery of a flexible service, including working on a rota to provide services outside of normal office hours, including weekends and bank holidays, in accordance with service requirements.

About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.

Essential Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with current NMC registration or Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Must be able to type and have competent IT skills.
• Ability to produce and maintain electronic records and documentation.
• Full driving licence and ability to meet the travel requirements of the post.

Desirable Qualifications

• Mentorship, Practice Assessor or equivalent qualification.
• Psychological therapies training (e.g. CBT, ECS or equivalent).
• Advanced safeguarding training.
• Knowledge of high-cost placements and complex packages of care.

Essential Experience

• Working knowledge and application of recovery-oriented practice.
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills.
• Evidence of effective teamwork and leadership skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals experiencing complex mental health difficulties.
• Assessment, care planning and risk management skills.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively.
• Ability to motivate and engage service users.
• Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and associated responsibilities.
• Awareness of local and national mental health developments.
• Knowledge of care coordination processes.
• Ability to provide clinical supervision and support to others.
• Working knowledge of relevant professional codes of conduct.
• Ability to produce timely, high-quality reports and professional documentation.
• Knowledge and application of safeguarding adults and children's policies.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and policy frameworks.
• Ability to manage caseload demand and capacity effectively.
• Understanding of personal safety and lone working principles.
• Confidence in attending, contributing to and chairing meetings where appropriate.

Desirable Experience

• Experience of educating nurses, students or multidisciplinary groups.
• Care management experience.
• Experience of report writing.
• Experience of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working.
• Experience working within a Clozapine Clinic (RMN only).
• Experience administering depot medication (RMN only).
• Experience undertaking physical health observations or willingness to undertake training (RMN only).

Essential Additional Criteria

• Caring, compassionate and person-centred.
• A committed team player with a willingness to support others.
• Confident, professional and respectful.
• Honest, reliable and trustworthy.
• Self-aware and able to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Adaptable, resourceful and enthusiastic.
• Able to contribute positively to team discussions and value differing perspectives.
• Demonstrates respect for service users, carers and colleagues.
• Committed to personalised, recovery-focused care.
• Committed to continuous professional development.
• Able to meet occupational health requirements.
• Flexible in relation to service need, deployment and work base location.

Desirable Additional Criteria

• RIO knowledge.

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.

Contact
Hiring Manager: Caroline Fonseca, caroline.fonseca1@nhs.net, 02382316300

It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone. If as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team. We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.