Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

ARMS team leader

The closing date is 22 March 2026

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a Team Leader for the ARMS (At Risk Mental State) countywide service to provide 10-month maternity leave cover. The service supports young people aged 16-35 who are at high risk of developing psychosis, focusing on early intervention and prevention through close partnership working with mental health, social care, primary care and third sector agencies.

ARMS works closely with PATH (Hertfordshire's First Episode in Psychosis service) and maintains strong links with other HPFT services and the wider community. As a specialist service, ARMS delivers NICE-recommended interventions, including comprehensive assessment and psychological interventions for individuals with an at-risk mental state and co-existing mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, emerging personality disorder and substance misuse. The service also assesses and supports social care needs using the Connected Lives approach and provides tailored support for carers.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced mental health clinician to lead a psychologically informed service across Hertfordshire. The post is available as a fixed-term contract for external applicants or a secondment opportunity for internal candidates, offering excellent career development in a management role. Applicants must be a registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist, with strong assessment and risk management skills, and the ability to lead change and innovation.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a skilled and intuitive communicator with experience of providing leadership.

You will know the importance of providing high quality supervision and of working together with staff and the wider management team in providing supportive, effective and coordinated leadership to the team.

You'll work with a team who have highly specialist knowledge, experience and skills around ARMS. You will have access to a comprehensive internal training package to develop these skills in your first year. You'll be offered a structured induction program giving you access to ARMS specific learning and development opportunities.

The successful applicant will lead a team of Psychological Therapists, Wellbeing Practitioners and Support Workers as part of the ARMS team. The ARMS service work closely with PATH the local First Episode in Psychosis (FEP) team alongside further developing and maintaining links with Primary Care Services as well as other local organisations.

The Team Leader will manage the Wellbeing Practioners which could be nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and STaR Workers, ensuring that the needs of service users are met through effective deployment of these staff. The Team Leader may also maintain a clinical role dependent on service need.

The Team Leader will contribute at a local level to the development and implementation of ARMS policies and procedures.

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trustare one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Date posted

13 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£50,008 to £56,908 a year per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

10 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

367-ACMS-10154

Job locations

99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL

Waverley Road

St Albans

AL3 5TL

Job description

Job responsibilities

Management and Professional Leadership

To plan, prioritise and manage the delivery of health and social care assessment, care management and treatment service to service users within the ARMS service area, including overseeing referrals and ensuring that there is an even and appropriate distribution to work across the team, based on the experience of team members.

To oversee referrals and the allocation of service users to ARMS Workforce, ensuring that caseloads are monitored and managed and care packages are maintained within defined structures.

To ensure that there are adequate staff numbers organised appropriately around service user needs and to incorporate this into rota planning.

To ensure that risks relating to services users unmet needs and to the work environment are assessed and managed appropriately, ensuring that all team members know and understand their role in risk assessment and management.

To provide operational supervision to ensure the provision of clinical caseload supervision to all team members. Where necessary to make arrangements for appropriate professional supervision to be available to all team members through relevant professional leadership.

To implement and monitor relevant operational policies and protocols, team systems and processes for the effective operation of the ARMS Service.

To ensure quality care standards and procedures which support the aims of Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust and the ethos of the Recovery Approach.

To monitor the service caseload ensuring that the teams activities are targeted to clients/patients, fulfilling the agreed criteria.

To maintain the requirements of CPA, ensuring that the team members are able to assume Care Co-ordination responsibility.

To ensure the continued professional development of all team members through annual individual performance reviews.

To maintain the Team Leaders own professional registration and development.

In collaboration with the Service Line Leader, to undertake the timely recruitment selection, appointment and induction of team members.

To manage the delegated team budget with respect to operational and service delivery costs.

To implement systems of financial management to safeguard clients property ensuring they comply with the Standing Financial instruction of the Trust.

To effectively manage all aspects of the teams time ie Duty Rota, Time worked, Annual Leave via the E-Roster system.

To monitor and manage, in conjunction with the ARMS Operational Manager, all staff sickness and absences.

To act for or on behalf of the ARMS Operational Manager as required from time to time in accordance with local agreements.

Where the Team Leader is an Approved Mental Health Professional to be prepared to participate in local AMPH rota where appropriate.

Clinical Responsibility

Ensure the provision of appropriate NICE compliant ARMS Pathway interventions carried out to support the individuals with complex needs following assessment.

Ensure that all team members are able to engage with and develop and maintain long-term supportive and therapeutic relationships with service users.

Ensure the coordination, liaison and integration of activities from other services or agencies in the provision of a Care and Support package.

Participate in risk assessment and risk management activities to ensure the provision of safer care for service users and carers

Maintain service activities in line with the agreed referral, assessment and intervention criteria.

To provide a flexible service, responsive to service user need.

To develop the service in line with NICE guidelines, NHSE expectations and Trust strategy.

Maintain an effective skill/professional personnel mix to provide a multi-professional team approach.

Investigate and access a wide range of services designed to meet occupational, recreational, social and health needs for service users and carers.

To provide information for service development and evaluation through the use of outcome measurements, audit and annual service policy review.

Implement risk assessment procedures related to the working environment, tasks and client management.

Against agreed criteria, measure the effectiveness of the ARMS Service

To report on the activities and effectiveness of the teams interventions as required.

To adhere to the principles of Practice Governance.

Agree and implement quality standards which reflect both local and national requirements. Build and develop best practice initiatives.

To monitor systems of audit for:

o Client records

o Team activity

o Performance indicators.

Enable and participate in audit and research activities as required and appropriate.

Monitor and respond to all reported accidents or incidents following agreed Trust procedures.

Ensure the effective and timely management of all complaints relating to the service.

Through the establishment of quality and audit process, assess trends, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities that may influence the further development of Community Mental Health Services.

Develop a culture of service development and improvement in line with the Recovery Approach.

Provide comprehensive, timely and accurate information relating to activity and/or performance as required.

To ensure personalisation agenda is fully implemented within the teams.

Follow all Safeguarding reporting processes.