Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity to join the Merton Primary Care Mental Health Team as a Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner.

In this role, you will work as an embedded member of the Primary Care Network (PCN) multidisciplinary team, supporting GP practices and local communities by providing assessment, advice, education, brief interventions and onward care planning for people experiencing mental health difficulties.

The role is particularly focused on supporting individuals whose needs cannot be fully met within Talking Therapies services, but who may not require ongoing care from secondary mental health services. You will work closely with GPs, community mental health teams, social prescribers, voluntary sector partners and other agencies to ensure people can access the right support at the right time.

Main duties of the job

• Providing mental health support, advice and interventions to patients and carers within primary care.
• Supporting transitions between primary and secondary mental health services, including step-up and step-down care.
• Signposting and referring to appropriate community, voluntary sector and specialist services.
• Promoting recovery, self-management and wellbeing within local communities.
• Supporting people with severe mental illness (SMI) to access physical health checks and wider healthcare support.
• Providing mental health consultation, training and advice to primary care colleagues.
• Contributing to quality improvement initiatives and the development of integrated mental health pathways across Merton.

About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Job responsibilities

• To provide medicine education and adherence advice and lifestyle advice for patients and their careers, presenting with mental health problems
• Assist in supporting early intervention and supporting shared decision-making around self-management
• To work with patients and team members to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or signposting to other mental health services, social prescribers, voluntary services and community-based support groups
• To support patients to transition from secondary care to primary care by providing up to three step-down sessions at the point of step down from secondary care services
• To support patients to transition from primary care to secondary care when more specialist or intensive support is required
• To support patients to stay well within their local communities, including the re-enforcement of newly learned psychology techniques

Quality improvement

• To support primary care initiatives which improve the physical health outcomes of those with a long-term mental health condition and the mental health outcomes of those with a long-term physical health condition
• Contribute to quality improvement initiatives as agreed by line manager

Training, Development and Education

• To provide mental health specific training and shared learning for staff across the primary care network, including providing specialist advice relating to mental health
• To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy, identifying individual training needs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications
If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.
Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.
Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential

• Registered mental health professional appropriate to the job role (Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Pharmacy technician)
• Or Non-registered psychological professionals (including those on voluntary and accredited registers) who have specific competences in evidence-based psychological therapies for severe mental health problems.
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Training in support of people with mental health problems
• Training in recovery approaches in mental health

Experience
Essential

• Relevant clinical experience
• Experience of working with people who have experienced serious ongoing mental health problems
• Experience of research based/reflective practice e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence-based practice.

Desirable

• Experience of supervision and/or mentoring of junior staff and students
• Experience of working as a Recovery Support Worker in Mental Health

Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Able to proactively and independently manage workload
• Ability to provide quality care that is responsive to service user needs, without close supervision
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Additional information
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.