Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary

The Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) have an exciting opportunity for Full time, 6-month fixed term contract. The SCFT are looking for highly motivated Mental Health practitioners with extension forensic nursing knowledge and experience to join the team.

The Specialist Community Forensic Team is a multi-disciplinary team support transition, and continued rehabilitation for service users, out of secure care into the community. The team provides specialised intervention and forensic risk management across West Yorkshire.

The role includes working shift pattern on average of 2 mids (9am-5pm) and 2 long days (8am-8pm) cover a 7 day service within the hours of 08:00-20:00pm Monday-Friday and 9am-5pm on weekend. Supporting pathway development of the service, providing intensive support, case management and intervention to service users. Access to a vehicle is essential.

To discuss the post please contact:

Donna Somers, Team Manager on donna.somer@swyt.nhs.uk or 07825 962881 Stacey Hayton, General Manager on stacey.hayton@swyt.nhs.uk or 07789 753526.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

This post is not eligible for sponsorship. We are happy to accept applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. Such applications will be considered alongside all other applications.

Main duties of the job

The All-Age Forensic Community Service is a developing service line within the Forensic Care Group. It includes:

Forensic CAMHS (inclusive of Y&H FCAMHS, Focus Secure and Focus Wakefield)

Forensic Outreach and Liaison Service for Learning Disability and/or Autism (FOLS LDA)

Our adult forensic community service (Forensic Community Transition Team, FCTT (Bretton Centre)

The vision is to create a collaborative environment between our community forensic services and to develop and overarching clinical framework that will support the way in which a community forensic population is understood, supported and intervened upon, no matter what age. The purpose of the role is therefore to:

Have extension forensic nursing knowledge and experience to join the team.

Be the lead professional in the case management of service users.

Undertake comprehensive assessments and risk assessments

Be enthusiastic about this service user group and motivated to support change and transition needs of individuals.

Able to demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and collaboratively with other agencies to make clinical judgements promoting joint decision making about care delivery to individuals with complex presentations.

Be thoughtful and resilient in the way you engage with a multidisciplinary team.

Have strong and effective engagement skills to service users, family, friends and carers.

Experience of supporting and supervising colleagues/students/trainees

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Details

• Date posted: 14 September 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year Pro Rata
• Contract: Secondment
• Duration: 6 months
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: C9378-F0722A
• Job locations: Newton Lodge, Fieldhead Hospital, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield, WF1 3SP, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

Has continuing responsibility for the provision of skilled interventions to people with mental health needs within a community setting. Works within a multi-disciplinary team as a member of the

Forensic Community Team and wider Forensic pathway.

Key Result Areas:

Management of own caseload in line with C.P.A. procedures and risk management protocols.

Provision of leadership to the Forensic Community Team in respect of psycho-social interventions to people and their carers in line with national and local practice standards e.g. NICE

• Supervision and support of other team members.
• Participation in service development and clinical governance structures.

Professional:

Assesses needs and identifies problems relevant to the care of people referred.

Devises a plan of care in partnership with the person and carers.

Implements the planned programme of care to ensure a high standard is achieved.

Reviews the effectiveness of the care provided and where appropriate initiates any action.

Advises and supports the person and carers to promote health and well-being and to prevent illness.

Recognises situations that may be detrimental to the health and well-being of the person and initiates action that may be required.

Establishes and maintains satisfactory communication with all agencies involved in the persons care in both hospital and community.

Functions as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.

Management of enquiries and direct referrals of people in accordance with Enhanced team operational Policy and participates in the team duty rota.

Maintain professional registration and demonstrate commitment to statutory codes of practice and continued professional development requirements.

Responsible for acting up in the absence of the team leader

Administrative:

Maintains accurate patient care records in accordance with professional codes of conduct and trust procedures and ensures records are made available when required by the appropriate agency.

Participates in the formulation of policies at unit level.

Maintains accurate mileage records.

Manages caseload with due economy of cost and time.

Ensures safe carriage, storage and administration of drugs prescribed (registered nurses only).

Responsible for the ordering of stock with due economy.

Produces monthly statistics in line with trust directives.

Keeps the Management Team and colleagues informed of developments relevant to the area of responsibility.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).