Job overview
Are you an enthusiastic Community Psychiatric Nurse looking to make a genuinely transformative impact when service users and their families need it most?
We are excited to welcome a skilled, compassionate CPN to our dynamic Home Treatment and Rapid Response Team.
Working within the home treatment function delivering support to patients and their families using evidence based, profession specific and general mental health knowledge providing client centred, recovery orientated principles and practice for individuals, families and carers referred to the Service.
You will also work within the Rapid response function undertaking assessments 24/7 received from Urgent Mental Health Helpline as well as undertaking gatekeeping assessments.
To work in accordance with Trust and Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team Policies and Procedures and the Care Programme Approach. To provide an alternative to inpatient admission treating patients in their home environment who are presenting in a crisis with significant distress.
Sarah's story: A career in community mental health nursing
Main duties of the job
- Crisis Assessment & Triage: Screen, assess, and engage with newly referred service users experiencing acute mental health crises (referred via the Urgent Mental Health Helpline and other pathways), delivering immediate nursing care and risk management.
- Home-Based Recovery Care: Provide evidence-based, nurse-led psychosocial interventions to service users and their families, empowering recovery and providing a safe alternative to inpatient admission.
- Gatekeeping: Undertake clinical gatekeeping assessments to ensure individuals receive care in the least restrictive environment suitable to their needs.
- Shift Leadership & Coordination: Lead and coordinate shifts—prioritising team workloads, allocating care to the wider MDT, and supporting colleagues through high-pressure situations.
- Quality & Clinical Governance: Maintain meticulous, up-to-date nursing documentation and risk assessments in line with Trust standards and CPA guidelines.
- Practice Education & Mentorship: Act as a practice educator/mentor to nursing students and new staff, supporting their induction, supervising clinical practice, and contributing to team training package
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
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.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience working in mental health service
- Experience of prioritising casework and allocation /delegation of tasks to others.
- Experience of liaising with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to organisations.
Desirable
- Experience working within Crisis Home Treatment Team
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of and ability to apply relevant legislative frameworks and policies relating to care e.g. Care programme approach, Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding, Consent to Treatment.
- An understanding and ability to apply principles of risk assessment and risk management.
- Understanding of the impact of mental health crisis on lifestyle and function for clients, family and carers and common pharmacological and psychosocial treatments
- Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times, especially in complex/challenging situations
Desirable
- Leadership skills
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential
- Registration with relevant regulatory body. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Desirable
- Further training relevant to the role
- Mentorship or practice educator qualification
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Community Psychiatric Nurse with Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust in St Martins Hospital Site. It is listed as a Band 6 Nurse (community and district) role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 01 Sep 2026.
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