Peripatetic Advanced First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Peripatetic Advanced First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 10 November 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time Peripatetic Advanced First Contact Mental Health Practitioner to work within primary care in York and the Vale of York.

After the successful introduction of our initial first contact mental health practitioners, we aspire to expand the service with a further innovative offer.

In this attractive, flexible, role the post holder the has opportunity of working within primary care, with non-working weekends and the benefit of bank holidays!

This role is fundamental to the development of inclusive & integrated mental health services.

NMC Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers (England), HCPC Occupational Therapist encouraged to apply.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Main duties of the job

There are 15 practitioners already working across the 8 primary care networks within York. These roles rely on integration with local social prescribing, charities and secondary care pathways.

We are seeking a reliable, highly autonomous Band 7 Advanced First Contact Mental Health Practitioner to join our dynamic workforce. This unique, peripatetic role is specifically designed to provide sickness, absence and surge capacity cover across 8 Primary Care Networks. You will be required to integrate into different teams to ensure continuity of high-quality patient care. This position is ideal for practitioner who thrives on variety, processes strong cross functional skills and can hit the ground running in any clinical environment.

The key responsibilities for the successful post holder will be to provide high quality assessments, interventions and care management across diverse settings and locations, to be able to adapt quickly to localised site workflows, multi-disciplinary team dynamics and varying patient demographics. To ensure seamless transitions of care during periods of staff absence, high demand or service expansion.

All the Primary Care Networks use the same Electronic Health Record System.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

Job responsibilities

This is a new, exciting, and innovative post to support the needs of the local population living with mental health difficulties. The role holder will fulfil an Advanced first contact specialist mental health role within GP Practices across the 8 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) The 8 PCNs are: Priory Medical Group PCN, Selby Town PCN, South Hambleton and Ryedale PCN, Tadcaster and Rural PCN, West Outer and North East York PCN, Unity Health PCN, York East PCN, York Medical Group PCN

You will assess patients who would otherwise have traditionally seen a GP. Within the primary care setting, the role holder will work in a collaborative and multi-agency way. This will contribute to the safe and effective day to day operation of the PCN and the efficient and timely management of clinical enquiries and decision-making.

The post will sit within the GP Practices and will facilitate the interface between Primary Care and Secondary Mental Health Services to provide specialist advice and support, assessment, treatment, education and solution-focused approaches to the local Primary Care Teams, for patients and carers.

The post-holder will manage their daily clinics and act as a specialist advisor to GPs, such as specialist opinion or prescribing support (within the parameters of the Non-medical prescribing/NMP framework)

You will be a non-medical prescriber or be willing to study towards this accreditation. Experience of cognitive behavioural therapy would be advantageous.

You will assume an active leadership role in the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCNs and the wider mental health care system. To offer specialist advice to, or obtain advice for, the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going patient care management.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work - HCPC registration, NMC registration or Social Work England Registration.
• Ability to evidence Continuing Professional Development since registration.
• Certificate in mentoring, teaching & assessing in clinical practice as appropriate to own profession.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area.
• Clinical Supervisor.
• Recognised sign-off mentor (or equivalent) for students or must be achieved within agreed timescale.
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)
• NMP (or willing to work towards within an agreed timescale, if relevant to professional registration).

Experience

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Demonstrable leadership or management experience in a senior clinical role.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Experience working in primary care.
• Providing clinical supervision.
• Mentoring students on practice placement experience.
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Quality improvement activities.
• Experience working in a multiagency setting.

Knowledge

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Ability to evidence an advanced level of clinical competence in one area of specialty practice.
• Knowledge of Stepped Care model.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Care Programme Approach and its application in practice.
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Understanding of the physical healthcare needs and impact of patients with a LD or mental health problem.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.

Skills

• Communicate highly complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers/families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Demonstrable management and leadership skills.
• Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Write reports.
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings.
• Use approved breakaway techniques.

Personal Attributes

• Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.
• Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers.
• Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances.
• Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team.
• Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently.
• Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
• Self-aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of the service.

Other Requirements

• Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need.
• This post is subject to a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure.

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.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

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