Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Knowsley

This position is an exciting and innovative role, which will help to provide mental health support to Primary Care Networks in Knowsley. You will primarily work in primary care but also work across the interface between Primary Care and Mental Health Services to provide advice, support and assessment to the Local Primary Care Teams, Service Users and Carers. The role aims to improve the experience for our patients with mental health needs who would otherwise have seen a GP and the post holder will see new presentations of primary care mental health problems. To be based within a number of GP practices across Knowsley South & Central, supporting Primary Mental Health Care, with experienced nursing screening and assessment skills, being able to signpost to communities, safeguard, raise risks and refer into secondary care when required.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical and mental health services across the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Clinical

• To provide a safe and effective day to day operation of the service, including the handling of clinical enquiries.
• The role holder may be required to undertake telephone triage screening assessments in order to assess the level of risk/priority with that patient, so they can be treated, signposted, or referred on to agencies as appropriate.
• To undertake assessments of individual client’s difficulties, establishing risk and determining the appropriate course of action taking into consideration all possible options.
• The relationship should adopt a ‘partnership approach’, engaging service users in the positive management of their health and wellbeing.
• Work with patients in order to support adherence to prescribed treatments, monitoring mental health medication, taking into consideration interactions with physical needs.
• To maintain an individual case load providing short term interventions and support, under the guidance of the GP and ensure that the caseload is well managed, and care and treatment is provided in line with practice standards.
• Provide and receive information, some of which may be contentious, sensitive, and complex to and from individuals and their families/carers and actively support as appropriate.
• To collate and organise contemporaneous information about opportunities and resources in the local area which may be of benefit to clients referred to the service (e.g. voluntary and community organisations, educational and recreational opportunities).
• Facilitate ‘sign posting’ to other appropriate services and occasionally undertake very short-term interventions for clients with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• To evaluate outcomes and maintain accurate clinical data.
• Have an awareness of your own clinical competencies, knowledge base and experience and ensure that you practice within this and seek support as required.
• To understand and process Quality Outcome Framework data.
• Undertake joint assessment work (as required) with PCN colleagues.
• Offer advice to or obtain advice for the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going Service User care management.
• Ensure systems/ pathways are in place to enable smooth transition between primary care and secondary mental health services.
• Regularly be involved in quality improvement activity/audit/significant event review and clinical meetings.

Clinical Partnership

• Support the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCN/ secondary mental health care system.
• Develop links and foster a culture of ‘partnership’ between Primary Care Teams and Mental Health Services.
• Facilitate joint work with PCN, Secondary Care providers and Voluntary Sector (VCSO) to increase range of services / interventions available to the communities.
• Attend PCN meetings and work with PCN members to develop and implement joint governance and clinical forums.

MANAGERIAL

Effective Planning

• Effective personal planning and organisation of daily workload.
• Flexible working and self-management of working time effectively and accordingly to service demands.

Communication

• Demonstrate sensitive communication styles to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment and ensure the patients /carers have a voice about the services they will receive and how these are developed.
• This may include engagement of advocacy services.
• Recognise the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background, and preferred ways of communicating.
• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication.
• Provide high standards of written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills to impart sensitive information to patients that is clear to patients and in line with professional documentation standards.
• Estimate and maintain effective communication with individuals and groups within the practice environment and with external stakeholders.
• Adopt a ‘coaching style’ of communication to empower patients to take responsibility.
• Facilitate fair access to social care services and promote social inclusion regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Delivering a quality service

• Every employee is personally responsible for the quality of the work, and standard of care, which they individually provide.
• It is their duty to seek to attain the highest standards achievable both individually and collectively within their knowledge, skills, and resources available to them in furtherance of the Practices’ philosophy of pursuing quality in all of its services.
• Produce timely, accurate, contemporaneous, and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Prioritise, organise, and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.
• Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines, and evidence-based care.
• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking, and formal evaluation.
• Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the practice.
• Collaborate on improving the quality of health care in partnership with other clinical teams, responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate.
• Participate in the performance monitoring review of the team as appropriate, providing feedback.

Management of risk

• Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients.
• Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Apply policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all.
• Participate in the local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice.

This advert closes on Wednesday 10 Jun 2026.