# Senior Mental Health Practitioner (Band 7) > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for West London NHS Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/senior-mental-health-practitioner-band-7/fc3800df-1a45-4600-a720-b1d0d26faf6f - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/senior-mental-health-practitioner-band-7/fc3800df-1a45-4600-a720-b1d0d26faf6f.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** West London NHS Trust - **Location:** St Bernard's Hospital - **Workplace type:** onsite - **Profession:** Mental health practitioner - **Grade:** Band 7 - **Salary:** £55,524 - £62,652 per annum including Outer London HCAS - Pro Rata - **Contract type:** 6 months (Fixed Term / Secondment) - **Employment type:** Full time - 37.5 hours per week - **Closing date:** 2026-10-28T23:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-10-15T08:49:57.743Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/London/London/West_London_NHS_Trust/Senior_Team_Lead_Social_Worker/Senior_Team_Lead_Social_Worker-v8369060 - **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8369060?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002 - **Employer website:** https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job overview This is an exciting opportunity for a Social Worker with experience of, or an interest in, forensic social work. West London Forensic Service provides inpatient care for adults detained under the Mental Health Act within low and medium secure settings. The service supports recovery while maintaining safety for service users, staff, and the wider community. This role focuses on providing social work support within a low secure pre-discharge service. Working as part of a well-established multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to safeguarding, statutory responsibilities, carer support, discharge planning, and risk management. The Trust is also leading an innovative NHS England initiative through the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT), supporting service users to transition successfully from secure settings into the community and improve long-term outcomes and quality of life. We welcome applications from experienced Social Workers, including those from non-forensic backgrounds who can demonstrate strong transferable skills and a person-centred approach. You will join a supportive and experienced team, with access to regular supervision, manageable caseloads, and a wide range of professional development opportunities across the Trust. ### Main duties of the job We are looking for applicants for a Senior Mental Health Practitioner committed to working collaboratively with individuals and providers in the community to find positive and safe ways of working with people who use these services. You will work as part of a service that will improve the lives of forensic mental health service users and their carers. This is a rare chance to be part of shaping a new service, providing opportunities to develop your skills and your career. At WLNHST we don’t just accept difference we actively celebrate it and support it for the benefit of our staff, our patients and our community. We are proud to be part of an equal opportunity work place. ### Detailed job description and main responsibilities The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed. ### Applicant requirements 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 ### Qualifications and Training **Desirable** - Post Qualifying training and development - Qualification in Social Work with current Social Work England Registration. ### Experience / Knowledge and Skills **Essential** - The applicant must have a minimum of two years post graduate Social Work experience. - The applicant must have two years post qualification experience in a mental health setting. - The applicant must have experience of autonomous working as a social worker. - - Demonstrate an ability to undertake assessments of risk using specific risk assessment tools. - - Demonstrate an ability to formulate implement and evaluate programmes of care for those individuals in the Community Forensic Service and those being referred. - - Demonstrate an ability to use a range of therapeutic interventions with clients who have a range of disorders that will include personality disorder dual diagnosis - - Demonstrate knowledge of actuarial and clinical risk assessment and how this might be applied to the management of clients. - - Demonstrate knowledge of Part 3 of the Mental Health Act and its application to Mentally Disordered Offenders. - - Demonstrate knowledge of the Criminal Justice Act and its implication for the management of Forensic clients. - - Demonstrate an ability to work with a range of organisations including Courts, Police and Probation, ministry of Justice. - - Demonstrate good communication skills, especially listening, empathy, facilitation, persuasion, motivation, negotiation, education, and reassurance. - - Demonstrate ability to lead projects and development of services - - Demonstrate the ability to understand the role of the Community Forensic Service. - - Demonstrate ability for cross cultural working ensuring whatever the cultural background of clients they are treated holistically - - Demonstrate an ability to manage stress and competing demands prioritising appropriately - - Demonstrate skills associated with good documentation. - - An ability to work as part of a team. - - Ability to work in an autonomous manner **Desirable** - Experience of community forensic working practises - - Demonstrate ability to supervise staff - - Demonstrate ability to lead on projects and audits. - - Demonstrate an ability to teach. - - Demonstrate a good understanding of CPA and its application. - - Demonstrate an ability to communicate complex issues to users and carers. ## Documents - [candidate pack (pdf, 672.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10696555) - [oh requirements (pdf, 304.6kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=3067) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.