Out of Hours Mental Health Officer/Co-ordinator in Lochgelly

Proposed Interview Date: Interviews will be ongoing throughout the advertising period.

Closing Date: Thursday 1 October 2026.

Contract Type: Permanent.

Salary: FC9 £47,604.34 and £57,196.54 pro rata.

Working Pattern: 24 hours per week.

Location: St Andrews Church Community Hub, Lochgelly.

As part of your application, you must provide us with a Supporting Statement which outlines how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. Without a Supporting Statement, your application will not be progressed.

Are you an experienced Mental Health Officer looking for a senior practitioner role that offers autonomy, variety and a genuine work-life balance? We are looking for an experienced and accredited Mental Health Officer (MHO) to join Fife's Emergency Out of Hours Service as a Co-ordinator (Senior Practitioner). This is a unique opportunity to combine advanced statutory mental health practice with leadership responsibilities within a small, highly skilled team.

You will lead decision-making during shifts, support colleagues through complex situations and make a meaningful difference when people need help most. Working an average of just three shifts per week, you'll benefit from four days free most weeks while maintaining a senior practitioner role. This post is 24 hours per week (0.65 FTE) and attracts a full-time equivalent salary of £47,604 to £57,196, plus unsocial hours enhancements.

This is not a traditional social work post. As the senior practitioner on shift, you will have the autonomy to make complex decisions, lead responses to high-risk situations and provide professional leadership across a range of adult and children's services. The role offers a rare breadth of practice across adult services, child protection, mental health, emergency interventions and multi-agency partnership working, meaning no two shifts are the same.

You'll join a small, supportive and highly experienced team consisting of a Team Manager, three Co-ordinators and three Social Workers, supported by a dedicated group of relief staff. We value professional judgement, collaborative practice and mutual support, recognising the demands of out of hours work and the importance of staff wellbeing.

While you will lead operational decision-making during your shifts, you will be supported by experienced colleagues, established procedures and strong partnerships with Police Scotland, NHS Fife and other emergency services. The role also provides opportunities to further develop advanced risk assessment, emergency decision-making, leadership and statutory mental health practice.

As the Co-ordinator/Senior Practitioner on shift, you will oversee service delivery, support staff and ensure that individuals at risk receive a timely and appropriate response. The Out of Hours Service responds across all areas of social work practice, including adult and child protection, and undertakes statutory duties under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

You will be part of a rolling rota covering:

• Evenings and weekends.
• Overnight on-call / standby arrangements.
• Public holidays.

The role requires flexibility and the ability to travel across Fife, including overnight.

In this role, you will:

• Take responsibility for the overall co-ordination of the shift, ensuring effective decision-making and safe practice.
• Provide leadership, direction, advice and support to Social Workers and Social Work Assistants.
• Assess incoming information and determine appropriate responses to risk.
• Co-ordinate and oversee urgent assessments and interventions.
• Undertake statutory Mental Health Officer duties in line with the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, including co-ordinating and participating in Mental Health Act assessments where required.
• Act as the designated Mental Health Officer (MHO) during operational hours.
• Support staff responding to emergency situations, including attending where required.
• Promote effective multi-agency working with Police Scotland, NHS Fife and other partners.
• Maintain oversight of recording and ensure accurate, timely and high-quality documentation, including statutory documentation relating to mental health interventions.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and quality improvement of the service.
• Support the learning and development of relief Social Work staff through mentoring, guidance and supervision where required.

If you're looking for a role that combines leadership, statutory MHO practice, flexibility and the opportunity to make a real impact during some of the most critical moments in people's lives, we'd love to hear from you.

Before confirming your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme. As this role requires SSSC registration, you will have three months to apply for registration.

If appointed, you must start your application as soon as possible so you're registered within the required six months. If you need to achieve a qualification to maintain your SSSC membership, information will be provided if you are appointed. You must ensure you complete the qualification within the specified timeframe.

More details are included in the role profile.

For further information please contact: Michael Hunter, Team Manager - michael.hunter-hs@fife.gov.uk