Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic Mental Health Practitioner to join the Somerset Team for Early Psychosis (STEP). We are looking for a Registered Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker who is passionate about supporting young people and adults experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

Working within a supportive and innovative multidisciplinary team, you will play a key role in reducing the duration of untreated psychosis through timely assessment, outreach, education and therapeutic intervention. The team embraces a biopsychosocial approach and delivers creative, recovery-focused support, including individual and family interventions, group activities and community-based programmes.

This is an excellent opportunity to work within a specialist service that values collaboration, innovation and person-centred care, while contributing to service development and providing leadership and support to colleagues.

Main duties of the job

• Triage and assess referrals for individuals experiencing a first episode of psychosis or those at risk of developing psychosis.
• Deliver specialist assessments and develop personalised recovery-focused care plans and risk management plans.
• Provide individual therapeutic interventions using evidence-based approaches including motivational interviewing, solution-focused techniques and cognitive behavioural approaches.
• Deliver family interventions and work closely with families, carers and significant others to support recovery.
• Build effective therapeutic relationships that promote engagement, recovery and independence.
• Assess, manage and respond to risk, safeguarding concerns and changes in mental state.
• Liaise effectively with a wide range of internal and external partners, including primary care, inpatient services, community mental health teams, CAMHS, housing providers and voluntary sector organisations.
• Contribute to service development, audit, quality improvement and evaluation activities.
• Provide supervision, mentoring and support to Band 5 and unregistered staff, students and peer support workers.
• Support team leadership activities and deputise for the Team Manager when required.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records in line with professional and organisational standards.

About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities
As an Early Intervention Psychosis Mental Health Practitioner, you will be a valued member of the STEP service, working with young people and adults experiencing early psychosis. Your role will focus on delivering high-quality assessments, therapeutic interventions and recovery-focused care that enables people to achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.

Working within a multidisciplinary team of nurses, psychologists, peer support workers and other mental health professionals, you will use specialist skills and evidence-based interventions to support individuals through their recovery journey. You will undertake comprehensive assessments, formulate recovery plans and provide therapeutic support tailored to individual needs.

A key aspect of the role involves delivering family interventions and supporting carers and significant others. You will work collaboratively with individuals and their support networks to promote understanding, resilience and long-term recovery.

You will be responsible for assessing and managing complex risks, safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, and responding appropriately to changing clinical presentations. The ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to service users, carers and professional colleagues is essential.

The successful candidate will work closely with a broad range of agencies and services across health, social care and the voluntary sector to ensure coordinated and effective care. You will contribute to service development initiatives, participate in audits and quality improvement work and help drive innovative practice within the team.

As a senior practitioner, you will provide supervision and mentorship to colleagues, support student placements and actively contribute to team leadership. You will also have opportunities to influence service development and promote high professional standards across the service.

Qualifications
Essential

• Evidence of post qualifying professional development in an acute setting.

Desirable

• Degree/Diploma level qualification in family interventions in psychosis (eg. FIRST Course)/CBT for Psychosis/Psychosocial Interventions
• Other relevant specialist CPD qualification (eg. Clinical assessment)

Experience
Essential

• Significant post registration experience in multi-disciplinary community mental health services.
• Experience of managing the physical health of clients including physical observation skills, training in phlebotomy and taking ECG's or willing to undertake training as part of the role.
• Experience of managing risk of clients in crisis.
• Experience of assessment, care-plan, development and evaluation in conjunction with clients and carers.
• Experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems.

Desirable

• Experience of mental health difficulties

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