Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner

Come and join us We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day. At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development. We actively promote f lexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role. We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience. Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you , and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page. We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you. Job overview We are pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity to join the Primary Care and Partnerships team within the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Mental Health Team (NMHT) as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner (MHWP) This role will be part of a team of Mental Health Practitioners working into the newly formed NMHT's. You will be part of the core team working alongside the Specialist Adult Service, Specialist Older Adult Service and VCSE Partners. You will be closely aligned and work with colleagues within GP practices as well as Health in Mind (NHS Talking Therapies- NHS TT). The MHWP role will provide a critical function in triaging referrals into the service as well as those in NHS TT, providing timely and consistent assessments, brief interventions and onward referral as required. Liaison with key stakeholders and third sector organisations also forms part of this role. This post offers the Trust's £2,000 Golden Hello or Relocation Incentive for Band 6 Nurses & Practitioners, (pro rata and subject to terms and conditions; please see attached Protocol Document for full details). Advert It is essential that you are a registered Mental Health Professional (Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist). Your role will include carrying out assessments, brief interventions, triage, onward referrals to Secondary or Urgent Care Services (if this is needed) and signposting advice. The successful applicant should have excellent clinical skills in assessment, risk assessment and as well as strong communication skills. You will be working closely with a range of professional groups, including Mental Health Practitioners based within GP surgeries, NMHT colleagues, partner organisations, VCSE providers, and other aligned services within the Neighbourhood as well as NHS Talking Therapies Teams. Providing expert advice, guidance, and supporting colleagues will constitute a key element of this role. The post holder will also contribute to wider Service and Trust initiatives, including the development of the Triage function, the operation of local Triage Hubs, and the ongoing enhancement of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner role across Sussex. As part of an increasingly integrated network of services, the post holder will play a pivotal role in advancing and shaping the Neighbourhood model, For further detail on our strategic vision, please refer to: https://www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/our-work/our-priorities/mental-health-learning-disability-and-autism/mental-health/community-mh-transformation/ Working for our organisation As a Mental Health Trust, Sussex Partnership offers a supportive working environment and the opportunity for staff to flourish and professionally develop. We have a strong philosophy of a collaborative and client centred approach, and staff wellbeing is integral in our philosophy and in our practice. We have a huge focus on the wellbeing of staff and our reward packages reflect the immensely important work our staff do. If you are looking for the opportunity to work within a busy but rewarding team in a town like no other, then we would love to hear from you. East Sussex offers affordable coastal living along with independent shopping and a variety of cafes, bars and restaurants and a very creative music and artistic scene. As a practitioner in our team we can offer you: Access to numerous wellbeing and support programmes Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development Flexible working patterns Reimbursed parking Child care vouchers Access to a host of NHS discount schemes (including gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars) A position within a trust rated as 'Outstanding' for caring and 'Good' overall by the CQC Generous holiday entitlement (dependent on length of NHS service) starting at 27 days + 8 bank holidays NHS Pension contributions Detailed job description and main responsibilities Job description Essential Qualifications Registered Mental Health/LD Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker with current registration appropriate to the job role. Evidence of continuous professional development. Desirable Formal qualification in psychological intervention, such as CBT, EMDR or Counselling Experience/Knowledge Extensive post-qualifying experience of clinical work with people with a range of mental health problems across all age and disability categories. Experience of partnership working within and across various different statutory and non-statutory teams and agencies. Experience in working consultatively with professionals. Experience of providing low intensity psychological interventions including, provision of self help, behavioural activation, solution focused, guided self help, and a CBT informed approach using a range of delivery models, telephone, face to face, individual and workshops. Experienced in conducting clinical assessments, including risk assessments. SPFT is committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from disabled candidates , as these groups are currently underrepresented. Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced. SPFT takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk very seriously. We expect all staff and bank workers to share this commitment and complete the relevant safeguarding training for their role. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. However, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed as we know how much time and care goes into applying for a role. In the event of a high number of applications, we may close this vacancy early. Protect Yourself from Recruitment Fraud Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust does not charge any fees for job applications, recruitment processes, sponsorship arrangements or employment offers. All vacancies, applications and recruitment communications are managed through the Trust's official careers website and published contact