Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 16 December 2025

Job summary

The post holder will be part of NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies. This post will support the service to ensure that national guidelines are adhered to, targets are achieved and that the clinical governance arrangements are in place.

To provide evidence based psychological interventions to patients at step 3, across all sectors of care, providing specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, non-professional carers, working under supervision within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.

Main duties of the job

  • NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies SPA has been developed to provide a single point of access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,staffed by clinicians and administration staff with the specialist skills needed to give advice promptly to GPs and other practitioners involved in providing care for people with mental health problems.
  • This service provides help to people aged 17 and over who are experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD); social anxiety; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); health anxiety; panic; phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The service also works with people with long term physical health conditions (LTCs) including coronary heart disease (CHD), respiratory problems, chronic pain, and diabetes. The main treatment offered is CognitiveBehaviour Therapy (CBT), however, a range of different therapy modalities are also used to help treat patients.
  • To 'signpost' or guide people to appropriate treatments for their needs, or provide advice, information, and guidance to those referring patients to enable increased self-management by the patient of common mental health conditions. Supportpeople who make self-referrals to Mental Health Services and their carers.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

02 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

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

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

310-ASMH-7613046

Job locations

CPFT

17 Bridge street

Peterborough

PE1 1HF


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

Offer a same day triage of referrals.

Co-ordinate and lead for shifts as required.

To provide the initial telephone clinical triage as required of referrals to the Talking Therapies service.

To gather further information as required from referrer or other providers to help support a clinical outcome decision.

Identify the appropriate intervention or management required and process to the appropriate CPFT pathway or 3rd sector agency.

Provide completed outcome reports/letters containing the necessary information of a high standard.

Have excellent telephone communication skills.

Be conversant and proactive with Government legislation pertaining to the Mental Health Act, National Service Framework, NHS Plan and Clinical Governance.

Encourage, promote, and maintain effective communication with the Primary Care providers, Community Teams, Acute Care Services, and 3rd Sector providers.

The post will include flexible working patterns over a range of working hours

Represent NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies SPA at local and Trust wide meetings.

To contribute to the professional development within the NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies SPA

To always promote and display the highest professional standards.

Professional bodys code of conduct must be always complied with.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

Offer a same day triage of referrals.

Co-ordinate and lead for shifts as required.

To provide the initial telephone clinical triage as required of referrals to the Talking Therapies service.

To gather further information as required from referrer or other providers to help support a clinical outcome decision.

Identify the appropriate intervention or management required and process to the appropriate CPFT pathway or 3rd sector agency.

Provide completed outcome reports/letters containing the necessary information of a high standard.

Have excellent telephone communication skills.

Be conversant and proactive with Government legislation pertaining to the Mental Health Act, National Service Framework, NHS Plan and Clinical Governance.

Encourage, promote, and maintain effective communication with the Primary Care providers, Community Teams, Acute Care Services, and 3rd Sector providers.

The post will include flexible working patterns over a range of working hours

Represent NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies SPA at local and Trust wide meetings.

To contribute to the professional development within the NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies SPA

To always promote and display the highest professional standards.

Professional bodys code of conduct must be always complied with.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Relevant professional qualification e.g. Dip OT, Dip SW, RMN, Clinical Psychology Grade A, or equivalent further qualification in mental health work
  • Minimum of 2-3 years' experience of working in a mental health care setting and of liaising and working with GPs

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working across organisational boundaries and working effectively with a range of external partners
  • Experience of supervising qualified and unqualified members of staff
  • Excellent communication skills when dealing with service users, relatives, carers, and other outside agencies either by telephone/letter or face to face
  • Be proficient in the use of computerised systems especially databases and Microsoft Word and Excel at a level to enable the production of a high standard of finished work

Desirable

  • An understanding of the national Talking Therapies service and how it links to governmental objectives.
  • A knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision
  • Confident and competent IT skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - written and verbal

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

  • Experience and awareness of mental health and wellbeing
  • Confidence in clinical decision making in a electronic based service

Physical Requirements

Essential

  • High proportion of computer-based activity, long periods of sitting

Other

Essential

  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Able to contain and work with high levels of distress from clients
  • Ability to work within a team fostering good working relationships
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Relevant professional qualification e.g. Dip OT, Dip SW, RMN, Clinical Psychology Grade A, or equivalent further qualification in mental health work
  • Minimum of 2-3 years' experience of working in a mental health care setting and of liaising and working with GPs

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working across organisational boundaries and working effectively with a range of external partners
  • Experience of supervising qualified and unqualified members of staff
  • Excellent communication skills when dealing with service users, relatives, carers, and other outside agencies either by telephone/letter or face to face
  • Be proficient in the use of computerised systems especially databases and Microsoft Word and Excel at a level to enable the production of a high standard of finished work

Desirable

  • An understanding of the national Talking Therapies service and how it links to governmental objectives.
  • A knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision
  • Confident and competent IT skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - written and verbal

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

  • Experience and awareness of mental health and wellbeing
  • Confidence in clinical decision making in a electronic based service

Physical Requirements

Essential

  • High proportion of computer-based activity, long periods of sitting

Other

Essential

  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Able to contain and work with high levels of distress from clients
  • Ability to work within a team fostering good working relationships

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

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CPFT

17 Bridge street

Peterborough

PE1 1HF


Employer's website

https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CPFT

17 Bridge street

Peterborough

PE1 1HF


Employer's website

https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager SPA for Talking Therapies

Maxine Bain

Maxine.Bain@cpft.nhs.uk

03003000055

Details

Date posted

02 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

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

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

310-ASMH-7613046

Job locations

CPFT

17 Bridge street

Peterborough

PE1 1HF


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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