Job summary
Senior Discharge Practitioner is a senior clinical role within the integrated Flow Optimisation model, responsible for providing clinical and operational leadership across discharge pathways for adult inpatient services.

The role has moved from the Home Treatment Team structure into the integrated Bed Flow and Discharge function to strengthen system-wide coordination, operational oversight, and accountability for discharge progression. The postholder will work in close partnership with inpatient wards and community teams to ensure that discharge planning is embedded throughout the inpatient admission and that discharge pathways are actively progressed.

The postholder will line manage Band 5 Discharge Practitioners and provide clinical oversight, supervision, and operational support to the discharge function. They will maintain a highly visible ward presence, attending ward rounds, MDT meetings, discharge planning forums, and locality meetings to ensure timely progression of patient pathways.

The role requires highly developed clinical assessment skills, strong operational leadership, and the ability to work proactively across organisational boundaries to resolve complex discharge barriers and support safe patient flow.

Main duties of the job
The Senior Discharge Practitioner provides senior clinical and operational leadership across inpatient and contracted-bed discharge pathways, ensuring safe, timely and coordinated discharge. The postholder will maintain a visible ward presence, attend ward rounds, MDT and discharge meetings, and take end-to-end ownership of complex discharge pathways, including patients who are Clinically Ready for Discharge (CRFD) or experiencing Long Length of Stay (LLoS). Key duties include identifying, challenging and escalating barriers to discharge; coordinating with inpatient teams, HTT, CMHRS, Local Authorities, Housing, Delegated Commissioning and external partners; supporting timely repatriation from out-of-area placements; and ensuring appropriate follow-up arrangements. The role will also line manage and clinically supervise Band 5 Discharge Practitioners, maintain accurate SystmOne documentation, contribute to operational flow and escalation processes, and promote a proactive culture of discharge planning from the point of admission.

About us
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.

We are one of the top 10 mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trust to work for nationwide. Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.

Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast. Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach. For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.

Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.

Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Job responsibilities
Clinical Leadership and Discharge Management

• Provide senior clinical and operational leadership across discharge pathways within allocated wards and contracted beds.
• Take end-to-end ownership of patient discharge pathways from admission through to discharge.
• Maintain oversight of patients with complex discharge needs, clinically ready for discharge (CRFD) status, and long length of stay (LLoS).
• Attend ward rounds, MDT meetings, discharge planning meetings, locality meetings, and Long Length of Stay (LLoS) meetings to proactively progress discharge pathways and support the resolution of barriers to discharge.
• Identify, challenge, and escalate barriers to discharge in a timely manner.
• Work collaboratively with inpatient teams, community teams, Local Authorities, Delegated Commissioning, Housing Support Leads, and external partners to support safe and timely discharge.
• Ensure discharge planning is embedded from the point of admission and remains an active operational priority throughout the patient journey.
• Maintain oversight of a defined caseload, ensuring patient pathways, discharge barriers, expected discharge dates, and actions are clearly visible, regularly reviewed, and actively progressed.
• Ensure accurate and contemporaneous documentation of discharge actions, escalation plans, and pathway progression within SystmOne EPR and operational reporting systems.
• Support implementation of Trust flow escalation processes and ensure actions within OPEL escalation action cards, particularly during periods of OPEL Black escalation, are prioritised, coordinated, and progressed in a timely manner.
• Provide robust operational challenge and escalation where delays occur beyond expected discharge dates or where progression is not being achieved at the required pace.
• Support timely repatriation and discharge planning for patients placed out of area, ensuring regular review and proactive coordination with relevant services and partners.
• Manage and reconcile the Trust credit card in accordance with Trust financial policies and procedures

HTT and Community Pathway Responsibilities

• Support the discharge process by ensuring that 72-hour follow-up appointments are arranged and confirmed with the appropriate HTT and/or CMHRS teams prior to discharge.
• Maintain oversight of patients discharged to out-of-area placements, ensuring that appropriate out-of-area HTT follow-up arrangements are in place and clearly communicated.
• Undertake HTT assessments for patients being discharged from allocated wards where clinically appropriate.
• When referring patients to HTT, liaise directly with the relevant CMHRS team and coordinate a joint review within five working days of discharge to promote continuity of care, reduce readmission risk, and improve patient flow.
• Ensure that discharge and follow-up arrangements are clearly documented within SystmOne EPR.

Operational Flow and Escalation

• Contribute to the management of operational flow across inpatient services and contracted beds.
• Provide robust challenge where delays occur beyond expected discharge dates (EDD).
• Escalate complex discharge barriers and operational concerns appropriately.
• Support the reduction of inappropriate out-of-area placements through proactive discharge management.
• Participate in daily operational flow and escalation meetings as required.
• Support implementation of standardised discharge processes and operating procedures.

Leadership and Line Management

• Line manage and supervise Band 5 Discharge Practitioners.
• Provide clinical supervision, support, guidance, and performance management to staff within the discharge function.
• Support staff development, induction, and training.
• Promote a culture of accountability, ownership, and proactive discharge management across the service.

Communication and Partnership Working

• Maintain effective working relationships with inpatient wards, HTT, CMHRS, community teams, Local Authorities, Housing Services, and system partners.
• Communicate highly sensitive and complex information in a timely and professional manner.
• Support collaborative working across organisational boundaries to improve patient flow and discharge outcomes.

Governance, Quality and Service Improvement

• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, operational procedures, and professional standards.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous documentation within SystmOne EPR.
• Support collection and reporting of discharge and flow data.
• Participate in audits, service development initiatives, and quality improvement work relating to patient flow and discharge.
• Contribute to learning from incidents, complaints, and operational reviews.

Working Pattern

• Monday to Friday 9am 5pm
• Flexible working arrangements in line with service need
• Predominantly on-site working across inpatient settings in line with the Trusts operational model

Working Arrangements
The role is primarily hospital based, with a visible and consistent presence expected across inpatient wards and operational meetings. In-person working is a core expectation of the role to support real-time collaboration, proactive discharge management, and effective operational flow.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Professional qualification in Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or equivalent
• Current professional registration
• Evidence of postgraduate training and development
• Mentorship / Practice Assessor qualification
• Leadership or supervisory training or equivalent experience

Experience
Essential

• Significant post-registration mental health experience
• Experience within inpatient, crisis, HTT, or community mental health services
• Experience managing complex discharge pathways
• Experience of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working
• Experience of clinical risk assessment and crisis management
• Experience of leading or supervising staff
• Experience of managing complex patients with delayed discharge or long length of stay (LLoS)

Desirable

• Experience within patient flow or discharge services
• Experience of operational escalation processes
• Experience of working with out-of-area placements and contracted beds
• Experience using SystmOne EPR

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).