Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
31 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Experience
Experience of working with people with complex mental health needs
- Experience
Experience of working with high-risk service users
- Experience
Experience of risk assessment, formulation and safety planning
- Experience
Experience of working with hard-to engage or disengaged individuals
- Experience
Experience of community-based working, including home visits or outreach
- Experience
Experience of care coordination / caseload management
- Experience
Experience of MDT and multi-agency working
- Other Requirements
Ability to travel across the borough and undertake regular home visits
- Other Requirements
Willingness to work flexibly, including evening/weekend outreach where required locally
- Other Requirements
IT literacy and ability to use clinical systems and documentation platforms
- Personal Qualities
Compassionate and non-judgemental approach
- Personal Qualities
Persistent, proactive and solution focused
- Personal Qualities
Resilient and able to work with complexity, uncertainty and disengagement
- Personal Qualities
Commitment to recovery-focused and person-centred care
- Education & Qualifications
Registered mental health professional qualification (e.g. RMN, OT, Social Worker or equivalent relevant professional qualification)
- Education & Qualifications
Current professional registration with the relevant professional body
- Education & Qualifications
Evidence of post-registration experience in mental health practice
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Knowledge of mental health conditions and treatment approaches
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Understanding of Assertive Outreach principles, including persistent engagement and no discharge for DNA
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Knowledge of risk management and safeguarding frameworks
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Understanding of community mental health pathways and system interfaces
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Knowledge of care planning and documentation standards
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to deliver autonomous clinical assessment and decision-making
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Strong risk assessment and management skills
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to engage and sustain relationships with difficult-to-engage individuals
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to deliver persistent, proactive and flexible outreach
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to develop and implement care plans and safety plans
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to work independently in community settings
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to prioritise and manage a complex caseload
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Ability to work effectively within an MDT and across agencies
Desirable
2 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Experience
Experience in Assertive Outreach, Crisis, HTT or urgent care settings
- Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Awareness of wider system partners such as housing, social care or substance misuse services
Job overview
We are seeking motivated Band 6 practitioners to join our Assertive Outreach Team (AOT), a new, high-impact service designed to support individuals with severe mental illness who are at risk of disengaging from services and require intensive, proactive, community-based care.
This is a dynamic, community-facing role, focused on engaging patients in their homes and local environments to stabilise their mental health and reduce crisis presentations.
The Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) role is fundamentally a patient-facing position, focused on engaging and managing individuals who are often reluctant to engage with services. Given the nature of this work, requiring proactive outreach, direct contact, and consistent face-to-face intervention, the role is not suitable for remote or hybrid working arrangements.
Main duties of the job
As a Band 6 AOT Practitioner, you will:
- Deliver intensive assertive outreach, including regular home visits and community-based engagement
- Work with individuals who are difficult to engage or do not attend appointments, using persistent and flexible approaches
- Undertake clinical assessments, risk management and care planning for a high-risk cohort
- Act as care coordinator/keyworker, ensuring continuity of care
- Deliver clinical interventions and support treatment, not just engagement
- Work within a model based on:
- Persistent engagement and relationship-building
- No discharge due to non-attendance (DNA)
- Proactive, flexible support to prevent crisis
- Collaborate closely with CMHT/CMHH, Crisis Teams, inpatient services and partner agencies
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Essential:
- Registered mental health professional (RMN, OT, Social Worker or equivalent)
- Experience working with complex mental health needs and high-risk service users
- Strong skills in risk assessment, care planning and community-based working
- Ability to engage hard-to-reach individuals
Desirable:
- Experience in assertive outreach, crisis or urgent care services
- Driving Licence and access to a vehicle for work
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Assertive Outreach Practitioner with Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust in Ashford, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Practitioner role. The advertised salary is £45,953 - £54,254 per annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 16 Sep 2026.
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