Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 24 March 2026

Job summary

Barrow Home Based Treatment Team is looking to welcome a Mental Health Practitioner to their team.

The Home Based Treatment team work in the community with people in acute mental health distress, they support people in their own home to avoid hospital admission and support early discharge from hospital.

The team are looking for a mental health practitioner that is highly motivated and enthusiastic. The successful applicant will need to be able to demonstrate excellent clinical skills. It is expected they would have a good working knowledge of mental health and community services. Excellent communication skills are essential with an ability to manage change and support colleagues around learning and development.

You will need to be proactive, innovative and able to provide quality care, put the service users and carers at the heart of everything you do. In return we will offer excellent supervision, training, support and an environment for you to develop and enhance your current skills.

The Barrow HBTT are a 12 hour service working shift pattern of long days, although happy to discuss flexible working patterns.

Anyone wishing to discuss this opportunity please contact Team manager Karen Ellis on 01229 404360.

Main duties of the job

You will provide a comprehensive assessment and triage service and, where necessary signposting or clear onward facilitation to a mental health pathway. Your referrers will include GPs, Police, self-referrals and referrals from carers via the Initial Response Service and direct referrals via from our Acute Hospital Colleagues and directly from other LSCFT agencies. Service users will be triaged collaboratively and a decision will be made in consultation with the referrer.

This comprehensive, collaborative triage system will lead to comprehensive assessment clear onward facilitation of service users to the most appropriate care following assessment.

The post holder will provide evidence based mental health assessments and/or signposting to alternative service provision for people who present requiring a specialist urgent mental health assessment. The post holder may offer follow-up appointments within the agreed timescale for intervention as part of the on-going assessment process.

About us

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.

Date posted

10 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum (subject to confirmation)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

351-BAY946-MS

Job locations

Dane Garth, Furness General Hospital

Dalton Lane

Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

LA14 4LF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Social worker / Occupational therapist

Knowledge

Essential

Able to understand the difference between crisis planning and contingency planning and able to formulate explicit planning in these areas
Knowledge, understanding and experience of the care pathways for psychosis and non psychosis and relevant interventions
Understanding of how physical illness and substance misuse can affect the mental health of individuals
Knowledge of Safeguarding procedures, Criminal Justice procedures, Mental Health legislation, guidance and processes
Able to demonstrate high level problem solving skills, ability to prioritise work, flexibility, good time management skills, commitment to continuous development of service

Experience

Essential

Strong customer service and negotiation skills
IT skills
Ability and skills in undertaking robust psycho social urgent assessments of mental health service user needs
Complete risk assessments which reflect the risk a service user may pose. Transfer the risk assessment into robust risk management planning.

Personal

Essential

Demonstrate the ability to work sensitively in a non judgemental way with service users who are in crisis
Able to work autonomously within the community
Willingness to work a 24 hour pattern
Transfer all identified needs into a robust care plan

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Social worker / Occupational therapist

Knowledge

Essential

Able to understand the difference between crisis planning and contingency planning and able to formulate explicit planning in these areas
Knowledge, understanding and experience of the care pathways for psychosis and non psychosis and relevant interventions
Understanding of how physical illness and substance misuse can affect the mental health of individuals
Knowledge of Safeguarding procedures, Criminal Justice procedures, Mental Health legislation, guidance and processes
Able to demonstrate high level problem solving skills, ability to prioritise work, flexibility, good time management skills, commitment to continuous development of service

Experience

Essential

Strong customer service and negotiation skills
IT skills
Ability and skills in undertaking robust psycho social urgent assessments of mental health service user needs
Complete risk assessments which reflect the risk a service user may pose. Transfer the risk assessment into robust risk management planning.

Personal

Essential

Demonstrate the ability to work sensitively in a non judgemental way with service users who are in crisis
Able to work autonomously within the community
Willingness to work a 24 hour pattern
Transfer all identified needs into a robust care plan

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

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

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dane Garth, Furness General Hospital

Dalton Lane

Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

LA14 4LF

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dane Garth, Furness General Hospital

Dalton Lane

Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

LA14 4LF

Employer's website

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