Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Senior Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 31 August 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for a fulfilling and varied role? Do you want to develop your career working with people with Learning Disabilities or Autism?

An exciting opportunity for a Senior Learning Disability or Mental Health Nurse or Allied Health Professional has arisen within our Intensive Support Team for children and adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

As a team we continually strive to develop the services we offer, to ensure they're high quality and evidence based. To support our aims, we are seeking enthusiastic and highly motivated experienced clinician to join our dynamic multi- disciplinary service. You'll be joining an innovative and vibrant multi-disciplinary team , working collaboratively with multiple agencies and professional clinicians. We are looking for an experienced Band 6 Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse. Applications would be welcomed from allied health professionals including social workers and occupational therapists with relevant experience.

As an all age service we would like to hear from people with experience in working with adults or children who have a learning disability and/or autism. Our remit is to try to improve the lives of service users by understanding the function of behaviours that challenge and risk placement, education or care breakdown or risk hospital admission.

Our service covers the geographical area of East and West Suffolk and you'll be responsible for managing a workload from a base in Ipswich.

Main duties of the job

If you're able to think and work creatively with individuals and their carers - we want to hear from you!

Caseload is team held and supported by the wider disciplines including behavioural nurse specialist, occupational therapy, psychology and speech and language therapy. You will be able to work independently, carry out comprehensive holistic assessments and participate in multi-disciplinary case discussions that lead to delivering interventions. We use support a Positive Behaviour Support approach and use Applied Behavioural Analysis. We are looking for a confident practitioner, experienced in working with people with either learning disabilities or autism.

You will also be able to demonstrate that you are able to apply your skills to a wide range of situations, as you'll be working with a range of service users and their families or paid carers living within the community.

We have a culture of continued learning, working as a close LD specialist pathway with each team having monthly protected days which includes a variety of training, reflection, supervision and service development.

We'll support and encourage you to develop specialist experience and expertise as appropriate - whether you wish to be part of QI projects or be part of a leadership group planning and implementing the driving change for Transforming Care and Quality Standards for Learning Disability. Here is your opportunity!

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Benefits included with this role are:-

  • NHS pension
  • a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
  • career progression
  • starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
  • staff physio service
  • NHS discounts and many more.

NSFT is committed to lifelong learning and continuous professional development (CPD) for its entire staff. There are a variety of definitions of CPD across the professions but it is usually taken to mean learning activities which update existing skills.CPD is determined through appraisal with a personal development plan agreed between an individual and their manager, with the commitment of the necessary time and resources.

Details

Date posted

18 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year gross per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

246-ESU77395573

Job locations

Bungalow 2

Walker Close

Ipswich

IP3 8LY


Job description

Job responsibilities

All applicants will either be registered Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse or Allied Health professional

Please note, you must have a full and valid driving licence due to the community element of the role and the large geographical area that the Intensive Support Community Team cover.

The team is based in Ipswich and there will be an expectation of travel. Due to the nature of community health services, the successful candidate will have a clean driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs!

Job description

Job responsibilities

All applicants will either be registered Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse or Allied Health professional

Please note, you must have a full and valid driving licence due to the community element of the role and the large geographical area that the Intensive Support Community Team cover.

The team is based in Ipswich and there will be an expectation of travel. Due to the nature of community health services, the successful candidate will have a clean driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse, Occupational Therapist OR Social Worker with the relevant professional registration
  • Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor training (NMC registrants) or Practice Educator (AHP & Social Worker Registrants)
  • Ongoing professional development working towards degree level ( if professional registration is following a diploma level course)

Experience

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience
  • Experience in working in team delivering person centred treatment packages
  • Experience of managing a caseload and the provision of Mental Health Care services to people with mental health care needs

Desirable

  • Experience working in the specific area

Skills

Essential

  • Care planning and Risk assessment knowledge and skills
  • Effective analytical and decision-making skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Up to date and evidence based knowledge of Person Centred Care
  • Working knowledge / application of the Mental Health Act

Desirable

  • Knowledge of mental health needs for older people
  • Knowledge of national policy influencing older persons' health care

Other

Essential

  • Ability and willingness to travel independently to meet the needs and requirements of the service
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse, Occupational Therapist OR Social Worker with the relevant professional registration
  • Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor training (NMC registrants) or Practice Educator (AHP & Social Worker Registrants)
  • Ongoing professional development working towards degree level ( if professional registration is following a diploma level course)

Experience

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience
  • Experience in working in team delivering person centred treatment packages
  • Experience of managing a caseload and the provision of Mental Health Care services to people with mental health care needs

Desirable

  • Experience working in the specific area

Skills

Essential

  • Care planning and Risk assessment knowledge and skills
  • Effective analytical and decision-making skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Up to date and evidence based knowledge of Person Centred Care
  • Working knowledge / application of the Mental Health Act

Desirable

  • Knowledge of mental health needs for older people
  • Knowledge of national policy influencing older persons' health care

Other

Essential

  • Ability and willingness to travel independently to meet the needs and requirements of the service

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).

Additional information

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

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Bungalow 2

Walker Close

Ipswich

IP3 8LY


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Bungalow 2

Walker Close

Ipswich

IP3 8LY


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Team Manager

Lucinda Gough

lucinda.gough@nsft.nhs.uk

01473237028

Details

Date posted

18 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year gross per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

246-ESU77395573

Job locations

Bungalow 2

Walker Close

Ipswich

IP3 8LY


Supporting documents

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