Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 12 February 2026

Job summary

The post holder will work within the parent Infant mental health service (BABS) Team supporting children and families with there mental health and attachment relationships.

The post-holder will also provide interventions ranging from attachment informed therapeutic interventions, video interactive guidance, psychoeducation, parent interventions, training to internal and external partners on relationships and parent infant attachment, along with supporting children and families with mild to moderate anxiety and depression.

The post holder will have a BABCP or a BPS registration.

Main duties of the job

Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the department's referral protocols, refers unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary

Provide a range of information and support for evidence based high-volume low intensity psychological intervention. .

Educate and involve family members/carers if required attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in Treatment, where appropriate.

Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.

Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.

Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.

Operate at all times from an inclusive values base which promotes recovery and recognises and respects diversity.

Prepare and present clinical information for all patients on their caseload to clinical case management supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis.

Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in clinical practice.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Details

Date posted

23 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

23 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

350-CC770030-A

Job locations

Manor Farm Health Centre

Manor Farm Road

Huyton

L360UB


Job description

Job responsibilities

The post will involve providing specialist therapeutic parent-infant mental health support to vulnerable families in the antenatal/postnatal period via Parent Infant Mental Health Assessments, psychological formulation and various parent-infant interventions.

The main focus of the BABS work is supporting parents and infants to build secure bonds and attachment relationships, and good parent infant mental health in the antenatal/postnatal period.

The service is outcome driven, thus evaluation (carrying out pre and post measures and gathering feedback from parents) is key in evidencing BABSs impact, outcomes and cost benefits.

It would be an advantage if the post holder has previous experience and/or an interest and passion for working in the specialist field of parent infant mental health; in particular, experience of working on an outreach, community-basis supporting vulnerable families in the community.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post will involve providing specialist therapeutic parent-infant mental health support to vulnerable families in the antenatal/postnatal period via Parent Infant Mental Health Assessments, psychological formulation and various parent-infant interventions.

The main focus of the BABS work is supporting parents and infants to build secure bonds and attachment relationships, and good parent infant mental health in the antenatal/postnatal period.

The service is outcome driven, thus evaluation (carrying out pre and post measures and gathering feedback from parents) is key in evidencing BABSs impact, outcomes and cost benefits.

It would be an advantage if the post holder has previous experience and/or an interest and passion for working in the specialist field of parent infant mental health; in particular, experience of working on an outreach, community-basis supporting vulnerable families in the community.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to diploma/degree level and registered with an appropriate professional body (i.e. Registered Mental Health Nurse)
  • Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff or willingness to undertake training.

Desirable

  • Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism.
  • Clinical Supervision qualification
  • Educational qualification.

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Specialist knowledge in perinatal mental health or willingness to undertake training
  • Specialist knowledge in attachment and infant mental health or willingness to undertake training.
  • An understanding of the NSF and Mental Health Act/Mental Health Capacity Act requirements
  • CPA Process.
  • Skills and experience in delivering mental health training and education to nonmental health professiona
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multiagency environment
  • Substantial experience of managing a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health problems
  • Working within a community mental health setting

Desirable

  • Awareness of community structures and social care options and processes
  • Understanding of recovery principles in Mental Health

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvemen
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • Responsive to service users
  • Engaging leadership style
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet

Skills

Essential

  • Able to produce well written reports.
  • Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings
  • Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions.
  • Ability to manage risk.
  • Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans.
  • Able to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to manage own time and that of the team's
  • Ability to work flexibly
  • Ability to be mobile across a geographical area.
  • Ability to manage change in a positive manner
  • Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
  • Computer literacy including analysis of data or willingness to train in such.
  • Excellent clinical assessment skills.

Desirable

  • Skills in the delivery of attachment and bonding based interventions to mothers with mental illness.
  • Participation in user involvement in services
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to diploma/degree level and registered with an appropriate professional body (i.e. Registered Mental Health Nurse)
  • Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff or willingness to undertake training.

Desirable

  • Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism.
  • Clinical Supervision qualification
  • Educational qualification.

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Specialist knowledge in perinatal mental health or willingness to undertake training
  • Specialist knowledge in attachment and infant mental health or willingness to undertake training.
  • An understanding of the NSF and Mental Health Act/Mental Health Capacity Act requirements
  • CPA Process.
  • Skills and experience in delivering mental health training and education to nonmental health professiona
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multiagency environment
  • Substantial experience of managing a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health problems
  • Working within a community mental health setting

Desirable

  • Awareness of community structures and social care options and processes
  • Understanding of recovery principles in Mental Health

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvemen
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • Responsive to service users
  • Engaging leadership style
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet

Skills

Essential

  • Able to produce well written reports.
  • Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings
  • Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions.
  • Ability to manage risk.
  • Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans.
  • Able to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to manage own time and that of the team's
  • Ability to work flexibly
  • Ability to be mobile across a geographical area.
  • Ability to manage change in a positive manner
  • Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
  • Computer literacy including analysis of data or willingness to train in such.
  • Excellent clinical assessment skills.

Desirable

  • Skills in the delivery of attachment and bonding based interventions to mothers with mental illness.
  • Participation in user involvement in services

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.

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.

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

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Manor Farm Health Centre

Manor Farm Road

Huyton

L360UB


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Manor Farm Health Centre

Manor Farm Road

Huyton

L360UB


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Operational Manager

Carmel Doyle

carmel.doyle@merseycare.nhs.uk

01513518801

Details

Date posted

23 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

23 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

350-CC770030-A

Job locations

Manor Farm Health Centre

Manor Farm Road

Huyton

L360UB


Supporting documents

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