Senior Mental Health Practitioner Plymouth

Job summary

33 hours per week

We are seeking to recruit a B6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner working with the First Response Service.

The First Response Service is a 24/7 crisis and assessment service that offers age-appropriate advice, support, and guidance for those experiencing mental health challenges in Plymouth. While most interactions occur via telephone, there may be occasions when face‑to‑face crisis assessments are necessary.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7-day service.

Role is shifted to cover the 24/7 service, there will be rostered night shifts.

Main duties of the job

You will serve as shift lead on a rota basis, coordinating service delivery, prioritising workload, and providing clinical advice to junior staff.

You will also consult with other services, participate in a multi‑agency forum and risk management, and contribute to training and supervision.

Additionally, you will chair Risk Management and Professionals meetings as needed and will have access to support from an experienced multi‑disciplinary team.

You will help develop training programs for staff and the local induction program, including student mentoring.

You will lead investigations for complaints, complex cases, and internal reviews, with management support as required.

Refer to the attached job descriptions for more information.

Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award‑winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro‑diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Details

Date posted: 07 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year pa, pro‑rota

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part‑time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number: B9832-2026-NM-10459

Job locations: Crownhill Court, Tailyour Road, Plymouth, South West, PL6 5DH, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical / Service Specific

• Provide evidence based clinical interventions, making autonomous clinical decisions about own professional practice.
• Responsibility for the development, planning and implementation of brief care and treatment interventions for individual patients within First Response.
• Provide assessment, planning and implementation of individual packages of care and treatment.
• Ensure that individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective and integrated manner.
• Promote a recovery model that empowers patients, carers and relatives to be at the forefront of decision making and ownership of their packages of care and treatment.
• Undertake clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies and procedures.
• Act as the patients and relatives advocate.
• Enable patients and carers to manage disability, loss and change.
• Champion patients rights, including, dignity, equality, diversity, choice and respect. When undertaking all of the above ensure good documentation is provided and entered within the appropriate systems of record sharing.

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Provide complex and sensitive information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (users of services, carers, multi-disciplinary staff, and other statutory / non statutory services)
• Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service managing clinical enquires.
• Provide a high standard of written and verbal communication that is clear and in line with local guidance.
• Role model effective communication, demonstrating empathy, respect, compassion and hope where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable in line with operational guidance.
• Maintain professional relationships with all colleagues to ensure professional standards are met.
• Promote a culture that incorporates Organisational values and is recovery focused

Analytical and Judgement Skills

• Undertake complex clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies / procedures.
• Reporting of exceptions, complaints and gaps in service
• Assist in data collection for the on-going evaluation of the service.
• Assist in Promotion of the Service locally and nationally as appropriate.
• Act as the persons and their carers / familys advocate.
• Incident reporting - To report any incidents of harm or near miss in line with the organisations incident reporting policy supporting appropriate actions are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
• To assist with ensuring day to day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and person experience
• To be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
• To comply at all times with the organisations Safer Governance related policies
• Seek advice and support from senior colleagues/line manager whenever necessary.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Ensure good documentation is provided and entered within the appropriate systems of record sharing
• Plan assessment/appointments for service users
• Discuss and arrange appropriate police response as required under guidance from senior staff
• Co-ordinate any agreed lone working arrangements
• To be responsible for the prevention and control of infection

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Participate in programmes of audit and research within the team as agreed, implementing the findings.
• Contribute to clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided.
• Involvement in the development of local systems and process that ensure the implementation of Organisational policies.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• The post holder does not have financial responsibility for budgetary management.
• It is the individual post holders responsibility to manage organisational resources. efficiently and to suggest efficiency savings to line management as they arise.
• The post holder has the responsibility to maintain the safekeeping of the organisations property.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• Supervise and support junior staff with guidance from senior staff
• Monitor practice and development of junior staff as appropriate reporting to supervisory staff
• Assist in induction of staff
• As required by the Clinical Leads, conduct appraisal and performance management of junior staff
• Provision of day to day management supervision
• Demonstrate and role model excellent clinical leadership skills
• Ensure that core training is maintained
• Ensure participation in the teams compliance with CQC standards as directed by clinical lead

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Ensure information resources are used to maintain knowledge of Organisational, Directorate and Team priorities and safety initiatives.
• Maintain up to date clinical records in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure information is shared with key stakeholders and other agencies in a secure manner.

Physical Skills

• Be able to demonstrate IT skills, including keyboard use.
• Show the ability to concentrate for sustained periods of time in often noisy environments with frequent interruption.
• Be required to have ability to travel to other clinical sites for attendance at meetings.
• Be involved with patients who at times present with physical and verbal aggression due to ill health, distress and/or non-concordance with care. Post-holder will need to be aware of how to respond appropriately and safely, with consideration to the safety of themselves and others.

Please see supporting information for full Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Specific Skills

Essential

• Assessing, formulating and working with people presenting in heightened state of distress
• Communicating (oral and written) complex/highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the organisation
• Clinical risk assessment and contingency planning
• Able to meet the service needs for mobility across the geographical area covered
• Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision.
• Understanding about how a persons physical health can affect their mental state.
• Specialist knowledge of mental disorders and their impact on physical health.
• Understanding of National guidelines and initiatives related to provision of mental health services in an acute general hospital.
• Understanding of services and their role in the provision of mental health care in the community.
• General understanding of Continuing Healthcare and the assessment process for this.
• Sound working knowledge of Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2005).
• Protection of Vulnerable Adults Policies and Procedures.

Desirable

• Brief psychological interventions/strategies for managing crisis.
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy skills.
• Problem solving skills.
• Solution focussed therapy skills.
• Physical healthcare skills.
• Motivational interviewing skills.
• DBT skills.
• Cognitive assessment skills.

Experience

Essential

• Mental health care/treatment relevant to service
• Working with people presenting in mental health crisis
• Multi-agency working/working across service interfaces
• Working within a multicultural framework.
• Suitable Candidates will show a clear willingness to develop skills in the areas of both functional mental health problems and older peoples/complex care mental health needs.

Desirable

• Teaching, training and/or supervision of clinical staff
• Previous experience of working in a community mental health setting.
• Evidence of developing and contributing to service development.
• Experience of change in health care.

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidenced based clinical interventions relevant to the service
• Relevant specialist clinical courses/training
• Models of care and treatment relevant to working with people in mental health crisis
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Sound knowledge of relevant legislative frameworks (i.e. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act, Human Rights Act)

Desirable

• SystmOne
• Eclipse
• Experience of working in both acute mental health and in complex care and dementia care

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Healthcare in relevant area supplemented by a post‑graduate qualification or specialist training with relevant experience.
• Professional Qualification (e.g. RMN, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist)
• Professional Registration (e.g. NMC, HCPC, Social Work England)
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Mentorship qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Clinical supervision qualification.
• Medical / non‑medical prescribing
• Teaching (clinical practice) qualification/certificate or equivalent experience
• Leadership qualifications.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Works flexibly
• Committed to team working.
• Motivated, reliable and visionary
• Embrace opportunity to work with local community, 3rd sector and other partners.
• Positive approach to older people
• Recognise peoples right to privacy and dignity, treating every person with respect
• Willingness to embrace integrated model and new ways of working.
• Willingness to be flexible in approach and attitude.
• Ability to manage change in a positive manner.
• Recognise peoples right to privacy and dignity, treating every person with respect.
• Time management.
• Ability to manage environmental stress.
• Ability to work in a changing team.
• Articulate with a high level of communication skills.
• Ability to deal with high levels of emotional stress.
• Ability to sustain high levels of concentration.
• Motivated and committed to developing new ideas and improving patient care.
• Ability to function as an autonomous practitioner

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name: Livewell Southwest

Address: Crownhill Court, Tailyour Road, Plymouth, South West, PL6 5DH, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact: First Response Team Manager, Lee stone, livewell.frsmanagers@nhs.net

Livewell Southwest's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)