South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Community Mental Health Team Leader

The closing date is 23 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join us as the Team Leader for Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT) Neighbourhood 2 . We are looking for an experienced mental health practitioner; nurse, social worker or occupational therapist.

The team is made of a diverse MDT, we offer teaching sessions, space for reflective practice and an opportunity to be a champion in your chosen areas.

You will be leading the Primary Care Mental Health Team to deliver timely assessments, care planning and evidenced based health and psychosocial care interventions to the adult population in Lewisham with mental health needs. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to oversee the interface directly with partner agencies including Primary Care, Secondary Care and MIND to ensure effective service delivery and discharge planning.

The PCMHT's are now working directly with Primary Care and sharing the same electronic record system and the successful candidate will receive training. The team works with our newly developed Care Process Model to ensure our patients and carers receive standardised care.

Main duties of the job

  • To lead and co-ordinate the work of an integrated neighbourhood Primary Care Mental Health Team ensuring the provision of safe, effective, high-quality community services in line with statutory requirements and local policies.
  • You will directly supervise a muti-disciplinary, multi-agency team of health, social care and voluntary sector professionals operating from a community-based site.
  • You will ensure the efficient triage, assessment and allocation of referrals.
  • You will maintain an overview of the safe and effective work of the team ensuring the continuous flow of service-users through the system.
  • You will ensure and enhance liaison with GP practices to maximise on new and growing links and collaborative working.
  • You will oversee safe working practices and effective agile working directives for the team as a whole.

About us

The PCMHT service offers a wide range of medical, psychosocial and psychological evidence-based interventions in line with NICE guidelines. PCMHT also offers culturally sensitive approaches appropriate for the diverse population which it serves.

The teams are the single point of access for most sources of referrals which they review, triage and assess as indicated. There is also a large advice and consultation function to colleagues in primary care, this includes advice and signposting.

Following assessment some patients will follow the clinical pathway requiring short term support focused on engagement and stabilization (EAS).

As part of the stepped care approach, the service also offers short term psychologically informed interventions and may provide a gateway to more specialist longer-term psychological therapies where indicated.

Details

Date posted

09 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£56,276 to £63,176 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-NUR-7363395-LF

Job locations

lewisham

Lewisham

Lewisham

SE8 4AT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Ensure that all clinical practice is developed using up to date evidence base, ensuring that all staff have the appropriate skill base and supporting mechanisms to access training to work with the service user group.

Oversee a service user's care pathway, utilising available resources and Patient Journey framework and lead the team in its implementation.

Ensure systems are in place to support user and carer-centred involvement in the planning and provision of care.

Ensure that staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, and are offered essential and developmental training in accordance with their personal development plans, and the needs of the service.

Lead the team in setting, implementing and monitoring realistic and achievable objectives in accordance with the aims and objectives of the service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Ensure that all clinical practice is developed using up to date evidence base, ensuring that all staff have the appropriate skill base and supporting mechanisms to access training to work with the service user group.

Oversee a service user's care pathway, utilising available resources and Patient Journey framework and lead the team in its implementation.

Ensure systems are in place to support user and carer-centred involvement in the planning and provision of care.

Ensure that staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, and are offered essential and developmental training in accordance with their personal development plans, and the needs of the service.

Lead the team in setting, implementing and monitoring realistic and achievable objectives in accordance with the aims and objectives of the service.

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

  • Hold a professional qualification
  • Membership of a Professional Body
  • Evidence of recent continued professional development.
  • Mentorship or equivalent.

Desirable

  • A commitment to completing quality improvement training.

Experience

Essential

  • oSignificant experience of managing clinical practice in a mental health service (A)
  • oExperience of implementing and monitoring standards of care. (A) Mentorship Course (or other relevant teaching/assessment course) (A)
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development. (A)
  • oExperience of providing clinical and managerial supervision (A)
  • oExperience of working in a multicultural environment and knowledge of methods to develop culturally sensitive practice (A)
  • Experience of risk management and safeguarding

Desirable

  • oExperience of managing non-clinical staff and other professionals (A)
  • oExperience of staff performance management (A)

Knowledge

Essential

  • oSpecialist clinical knowledge relevant to the service, including evidence based practice. (A/I)
  • oWorking knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with acute mental health care, including MHA, CPA procedures, Human Rights Act, NSF, Child Protection and NHS Plan. (A/I)
  • Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Safeguarding Adults, Young people and children.
  • Ability to provide quality care that is responsive to service user needs, without close supervision.

Desirable

  • Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
  • Knowledge of the theory of psychological models, such as CBT, DBT, or MBT.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, their families and colleagues.
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate and to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive and/or challenging behaviour.
  • Effective IT skills.
  • Good organisational skills.
  • Skills in emotional resilience: able to cope in difficult interpersonal situations.
  • Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others.

Desirable

  • Accredited practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy.
  • Accredited nurse prescriber
  • Ability to contribute to, monitor and implement changes and improvements to services.
  • Specialised clinical skills, e.g. group work, anxiety/anger management, family work skills
Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

  • Hold a professional qualification
  • Membership of a Professional Body
  • Evidence of recent continued professional development.
  • Mentorship or equivalent.

Desirable

  • A commitment to completing quality improvement training.

Experience

Essential

  • oSignificant experience of managing clinical practice in a mental health service (A)
  • oExperience of implementing and monitoring standards of care. (A) Mentorship Course (or other relevant teaching/assessment course) (A)
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development. (A)
  • oExperience of providing clinical and managerial supervision (A)
  • oExperience of working in a multicultural environment and knowledge of methods to develop culturally sensitive practice (A)
  • Experience of risk management and safeguarding

Desirable

  • oExperience of managing non-clinical staff and other professionals (A)
  • oExperience of staff performance management (A)

Knowledge

Essential

  • oSpecialist clinical knowledge relevant to the service, including evidence based practice. (A/I)
  • oWorking knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with acute mental health care, including MHA, CPA procedures, Human Rights Act, NSF, Child Protection and NHS Plan. (A/I)
  • Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Safeguarding Adults, Young people and children.
  • Ability to provide quality care that is responsive to service user needs, without close supervision.

Desirable

  • Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
  • Knowledge of the theory of psychological models, such as CBT, DBT, or MBT.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, their families and colleagues.
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate and to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive and/or challenging behaviour.
  • Effective IT skills.
  • Good organisational skills.
  • Skills in emotional resilience: able to cope in difficult interpersonal situations.
  • Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others.

Desirable

  • Accredited practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy.
  • Accredited nurse prescriber
  • Ability to contribute to, monitor and implement changes and improvements to services.
  • Specialised clinical skills, e.g. group work, anxiety/anger management, family work skills

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

lewisham

Lewisham

Lewisham

SE8 4AT


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

lewisham

Lewisham

Lewisham

SE8 4AT


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service Manager

Claire Ferguson

Claire.Ferguson@slam.nhs.uk

07969587558

Details

Date posted

09 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£56,276 to £63,176 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-NUR-7363395-LF

Job locations

lewisham

Lewisham

Lewisham

SE8 4AT


Supporting documents

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