Job summary
Are you a Mental Health Nurse looking for a new role? Livewell Southwest, one of the most exciting organisations in Health & Social Care, is seeking enthusiastic practitioners to join our dynamic multi-disciplinary Specialist Outreach and Recovery Team (SORT).

You will work closely with other services to provide specialist mental health assessment and evidenced based treatments for people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties and complex presentations. You will be able to provide specialist clinical input and use a range of approaches to work with complexity, and to supervise and support junior team members of multi-disciplinary mental health professionals.

Main duties of the job
The candidate will work as an autonomous practitioner managing and prioritising individual caseload and will act as a key worker within the personalised care framework. The post holder will be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care for a defined caseload of people with complex mental health and/or social care needs.

We are seeking Registered Nurses who possess recent clinical experience in a community or relevant mental health inpatient setting.

About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility for People Management
The post holder may be responsible for supervising some junior staff within SORT.

Responsibility for financial and, or physical resources
You will be responsible for physical health equipment when visiting patients within the community.

You will be responsible for stock control of medication following Livewell Policies.

Responsibility for administration
The post holder should maintain close links with in-patient services at Glenbourne, Home Treatment Team, Social Care, Dual Diagnosis Services, Primary Care, Counselling Services.

The post holder will keep up to date electronic or paper records of all patient and staff activity, ensuring these are kept in a safe place, in accordance with NMC or HPC guidelines, and Livewell Southwest policies including Data Protection Act and the Mental Health Act.

The post holder will be aware of NMC, HPC and Livewell Southwest guidelines on record keeping, confidentiality, Mental Health Act and Data Protection Act.

Responsibility for people who use our services
The post holder will undertake assessments as part of the MDT routinely for all new referrals as appropriate, at home or in a clinic setting, in accordance with the agreed Operational Policy.

The post holder will provide community based recovery interventions for a defined group of patients within the City, as appropriate in the right setting, in accordance with the agreed Operational Policy.

The post holder will arrange for a defined group of patients to access other parts of Adult Mental Health Services and work closely with all other clinical professionals e.g. Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist both within SORT as well as liaising with other Professionals externally where appropriate.

The post holder will act as a Key Worker for a defined group of practice patients and organise care in accordance with the Personalised Care Framework.

The post holder will be expected to attend and contribute to weekly MDT meetings, daily morning meetings and caseload formulation sessions within the team.

The post holder will support senior members of the team with day to day management of the team and medication administration.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and, or service developments
The post holder will be required to keep up-to-date this will include Mandatory training and developments in mental health nursing or sphere of practice.

The post holder will participate in the provision of relevant community placements and training programmes for nurses.

The post holder will be required to ensure that they receive appropriate regular line management and clinical supervision in line with current policies of Livewell Southwest.

The post holder will participate in an annual appraisal and this Job Description will be reviewed at this time.

Other Responsibilities
The post holder will ensure that their clinical practice is based on evidence and good practice and in accordance with any NICE guidance.

The post holder will be individually accountable for their practice in accordance with the NMC or HPC professional code of conduct.

The post holder will be expected to undertake a clinical lead for the team in either an area of interest to the post holder, or an allocated lead depending on the needs of the service.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Detailed confident verbal information sharing, within the teams or the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team, which includes Primary Care, hospital settings and other secondary care services.

Ability in receiving information, analysing, and formulating professional judgments.

Demonstrate the ability to adapt communication to take account of others needs.

Demonstrate a positive attitude to service users, treating all with respect and courtesy and supporting staff to do the same. Challenge inappropriate communication.

Attend and represent the Team's view in meetings e.g. Child protection, Adult Protection, Mental Health Review Tribunals, Personalised care Reviews.

Elicit information from the patient and work with them to advocate on their behalf.

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively over the telephone within the boundaries of confidentiality.

The post holder demonstrates a positive attitude to mental health, attending to patients with respect and courtesy. Having the ability to challenge staff where the standard falls below expectations.

The post holder will ensure that professional boundaries are always adhered to.

Must be confident in communicating with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties when English is not their first language using Livewell Southwest approved interpreters.

Ensure the Head of Service and Practice Leads are informed in a timely manner of any major issues on the units.

Provide planned and ad hoc written reports that are detailed and with a level of accuracy which are subject to scrutiny.

Links across and liaising with:

• Local Teams and Staff
• General Practitioners and their staff
• Social Services
• Users and Carers
• Members of the public
• Acute Inpatient Units
• Police
• Liaison Psychiatry
• 3rd Sector Service Providers
• Community Mental Health Team
• Specialist Practitioners
• Voluntary and Statutory organisations
• Home Treatment Team
• Other appropriate bodies as needed
• Devon Partnership Trust and Cornwall Foundation Trust

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
The post will include generally working Monday to Friday, but crisis and unexpected work might include working outside of these hours in exceptional circumstances.

Be able to demonstrate IT skills, including keyboard use.

Show the ability to concentrate for sustained periods of time and work effectively with potential frequent interruption in a busy environment.

Be involved with patients who at times present with physical and verbal aggression due to ill health and distress.

Post-holder will need to be aware of how to respond appropriately and safely, with consideration to the safety of themselves and others.

Physical Effort
Travel between different offices to attend meetings.

Visiting people at home, community setting e.g. cafe, hospital, care home or prison.

Visiting people in their own homes may be prejudicial to health and wellbeing. This may result in climbing flights of stairs within flats, walking from parking or bus stops

Mental Effort
Concentration is required when inputting into systems, completing reports, writing notes with a need to ensure accuracy, imposed deadlines may apply.

Emotional Effort
There may be some exposure to service users who may exhibit difficult and challenging behaviours conflict or anger.

Assessing and formulated individual risk and detailed trauma.

Physical Skills
Driving within the local community.

At times this may require supporting service users to travel across the city on the bus.

If you hold a nursing registration the skill to administer a depot within a home environment or clinic.

Working Conditions
The post holder will work within the community environment supporting service users.

Occasional risk of exposure to contagious conditions e.g. diarrhea and vomiting.

Occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression, unpredictable behaviour, particularly when dealing with severe and enduring mental health conditions.

Clinical contact with patients on the ward, in their own homes and in community locations.

Occasional exposure to bodily fluids e.g. vomit

Daily use of VDU

Whilst in the office this will be desk sharing environment

Hybrid working at times may be required.

Please see attached full job description and person specification.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Multi-disciplinary working.
• Relevant experience of working with adults with a history of severe and enduring mental illness.

Desirable

• Life experience in wide range of settings.
• Experience within a community mental Health setting.
• Experience of working within recovery setting.

Knowledge
Essential

• Mental Health Act.
• Confidentiality.
• Applies knowledge of Personalised Care Framework and Key Worker responsibilities.
• Psychiatric illnesses especially those of a complex psychosis nature plus evidence of giving relevant nursing care.
• Knowledge of NICE guidelines in relation to mental health and the ability to apply evidence-based practice.
• NICE guidelines specifically relating to recovery and rehabilitation in mental health.

Desirable

• Breakaway.
• Networking with other agencies.
• Ethical issues in relation to Mental Health.
• System one/EPCF/computer patient records.
• Interest and awareness of national and local services developments.
• Good working knowledge of the Care Quality Commission.

Qualifications
Essential

• RMN/Dip HE/BSc Mental Health Nursing NMC Registration

Specific skills
Essential

• Ability to frequently travel across Plymouth independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner within a team including -
• Assessment skills
• Communication and liaison skills
• Leadership skills/ Supervisory skills
• Team working skills
• Self-management ability
• Prioritising workload/resources
• Administration skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Computer skills
• Risk assessment management
• Crisis management
• Lone working
• Medication management
• Administration of medication, be willing to undertake further training required, and relevant competences.
• Ability to plan and implement a package of care in the community for patients with mental health problems.
• Ability to manage a caseload ensuring record keeping meets the standards of Livewell Southwest.
• Responsible and self-motivated.
• Able to manage own stress.
• Flexible and reliable.
• Empathic.

Desirable

• Ability to recognise and support stress in others.
• Mentorship or equivalent.
• Group Interaction Skills.
• Specific Therapeutic interventions.
• Positive risk management.

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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: Livewell Southwest
Address: Avon House, Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7QD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Team Manager Julie O'Connor julie.o'connor5@nhs.net

Details
Date posted: 05 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: B9832-2026-NM-10426
Job locations: Avon House, Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7QD, United Kingdom

Supporting documents
Supporting links (all open in new tabs)
Rewards and Benefits
Livewell Triangle
Livewell Preceptorship Information Pack
Relocation Brochure

Privacy notice
Livewell Southwest's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)