Assessment Practitioner - Regional in Cradley Heath

Eccles, Manchester | Full-time, Permanent | Monday–Friday | Regional Travel

Make the right assessment. Make the right difference.

At Northern Healthcare, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a meaningful, independent and fulfilling life. We support adults living with complex mental health needs, learning disabilities, autism and behaviours that may challenge across our services throughout Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Hull, Preston, Cumbria and the Midlands.

We're now looking for an experienced Assessment Practitioner to join our growing clinical team. This is a genuinely influential role where your professional expertise will help determine where someone can thrive, what support they need and how we can give them the best possible start with Northern Healthcare.

Why this role is different

This isn't simply an assessment and report-writing role. You'll be helping to change the direction of people's lives. You'll meet people at important points in their recovery journey — often when they are transitioning from hospital, moving from an unsuitable placement or looking for an environment where they can develop greater independence. You'll take the time to understand the person behind the referral: their experiences, strengths, aspirations, risks and support needs. Then, using your clinical expertise and professional judgement, you'll help answer one important question: "Is Northern Healthcare the right place for this person to thrive?" Your recommendations will directly influence admission decisions and help ensure people are placed in an environment where they have the best opportunity to achieve positive outcomes.

About the role

As an Assessment Practitioner, you'll work autonomously across our services, completing comprehensive assessments and providing clinical recommendations to support safe, effective and person-centred admissions. You'll work alongside commissioners, care coordinators, families, hospitals, community teams and our operational colleagues, bringing together different perspectives to make informed decisions. No two assessments will be the same. You'll work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, with different experiences, strengths and aspirations. You'll need to be confident making professional judgements, managing complexity and balancing risk with the importance of choice, independence and positive risk-taking.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting comprehensive biopsychosocial and clinical assessments for people referred to our services.
• Travelling across our services to meet prospective residents and assess their suitability.
• Developing clear, evidence-based clinical recommendations to inform placement decisions.
• Completing detailed risk assessments and positive risk management plans.
• Working collaboratively with commissioners, care coordinators, families, hospitals and multidisciplinary teams.
• Supporting effective transitions through person-centred admission and transition planning.
• Contributing clinical expertise to complex case discussions and placement decisions.
• Providing guidance and clinical insight to operational teams.
• Ensuring assessments meet professional, safeguarding and legislative requirements.
• Promoting dignity, choice, independence and recovery throughout the assessment and admission process.

The impact you'll have

Imagine meeting someone who has spent months, or even years, in an environment that isn't right for them. Your assessment could be the first step towards something completely different. A home where they feel safe. A team that understands them. An opportunity to develop independence. A chance to reconnect with their community. That's the difference your assessment can make. You'll help ensure that people aren't simply offered a placement — they're offered the right environment, the right support and the right opportunity to thrive.

Is this you?

We're looking for an experienced clinician who combines strong clinical expertise with genuine compassion and curiosity about people. You'll need:

• RMN, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker qualification with current professional registration.
• At least 2 years' post-registration experience within mental health, learning disability or autism services.
• Strong clinical assessment, formulation and decision-making skills.
• Experience completing complex risk assessments.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding legislation.
• Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent written communication and report-writing skills.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across our services.

And just as importantly, you'll be:

• Compassionate – you see the person, not just the referral.
• Curious – you want to understand what has happened, what matters to someone and what could be possible.
• Confident – you're comfortable using your professional judgement and making decisions.
• Recovery-focused – you believe people can achieve more with the right support and environment.
• Organised – you're able to manage assessments, stakeholders and competing priorities across multiple locations.
• Collaborative – you know the best outcomes happen when professionals, families and the person themselves work together.

What you'll get in return

We want our clinicians to feel valued, supported and able to grow. You'll receive:

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience
• Monday–Friday working pattern
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Ongoing clinical training and professional development
• Employee recognition awards
• Refer-a-Friend bonus scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme with confidential wellbeing support
• Free on-site parking
• Fully funded Enhanced DBS
• The opportunity to work alongside experienced and passionate clinical and operational teams
• A role where your professional judgement can have a real and lasting impact

A role that takes you further

You'll be based from our Eccles office, with regular travel across our services in: Greater Manchester | Yorkshire | Hull | Preston | Cumbria | Midlands. So, if you enjoy variety, meeting new people and having the opportunity to influence care across multiple services, this could be the perfect role for you.

Ready to make a difference from day one? If you're an experienced RMN, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker looking for a role where your clinical expertise can directly influence someone's recovery journey, we'd love to hear from you. At Northern Healthcare, we're not just assessing whether someone fits a service. We're asking what environment will give that person the best chance to flourish. Join us and help make sure every person we support gets the right assessment, the right support and the right opportunity to thrive.