IRS Mental Health Practitioner | Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Lancaster

Overview

The Initial Response Service (IRS) launched in the Bay in 2023 and since then it has consistently demonstrated itself to be an integral part of secondary mental health services; we\’ve improved access to mental health services for individuals who need it, whilst reducing demands on care and treatment delivery services. In the most recent CQC report, the IRS was identified as a source of positive change in how mental health services are delivered in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Forget caseloads and case management. In the IRS your skills and expertise will be in assessing patients at the point of referral and identifying what service will best meet their needs moving forwards. The spectrum of mental health needs vary significantly; you will have the ability to offer advice and guidance for mild to moderate mental health issues and ways this can be managed and improved. Equally, you\\\’ll have the ability respond to urgent referrals with more acute needs and higher risks in the community.

If you require more details about the role or an informal chat please contact us on the details provided.

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask. We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services. LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification. This advert closes on Tuesday 24 Mar 2026

Responsibilities

• Ability to use your skills to triage and assess individuals with varying degrees of mental health difficulties over the phone and/or face to face in the community.
• Identify community services that are most appropriate for presenting need (third sector, CMHT, HBTT, and Talking Therapies).
• Act as shift lead, screening referrals and prioritising them based on your clinical judgment of risk and need.
• Working alongside the police to support patients and implement care when they are at risk of being held under s.136 of the MHA.
• Fast paced environment and supportive developing team.