Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 08 February 2026

Job summary

We are seeking a motivated and experienced Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner to join our Specialist Team Early Psychosis (STEP) based at Estuary House, Newton Abbot.

STEP provides early intervention for people aged 1465 who may be experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The team offers specialist assessments over an extended period, recognising the complexity and evolving nature of early psychosis. For individuals confirmed as having psychosis, we deliver evidence-based interventions for up to three years, supporting recovery, resilience and meaningful life goals.

Interventions include Family Interventions, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp), employment and vocational support, alongside skilled key-working and care coordination. You will work collaboratively with service users, families, carers and partner agencies as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team.

This post will initially work within the Torbay area, offering the opportunity to build strong local relationships and make a real difference at a crucial stage of peoples mental health journeys.

If you are passionate about early intervention, recovery-focused practice and delivering high-quality care, we would welcome your application.

Main duties of the job

The role is dynamic and challenging. The role will include:

Providing complex assessment and care planning for individuals and their families/carers experiencing first episode psychosis.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Engage service users and carers assertively in the community.
To develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users and their families and carers and other services to prevent hospital admission.
Offer a range of NICE evidence based interventions.
To offer proactive risk management approaches to help the service user and their family to reduce disabling effects of psychosis and enable full and sustained recovery.
Provide psycho-education regarding first episode psychosis to service users and families.
Develop and maintain effective working relationships and networks with colleagues within mental health services, primary care and other partner agencies including physical health checks and interventions.
Ensure basic needs are addressed i.e. housing, income, support in accessing education/training etc.
Provide interventions and work with other disciplines/agencies/teams in the care of service users experiencing co-morbid problems with substance use/misuse.
Engage the service user and their family in relapse prevention and crisis planning and provide and coordinate interventions that maximise the service users' ability to resolve crises, remain at home and avoid the need for hospitalisation.
To support medication concordance.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Date posted

19 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-25-1026

Job locations

Devon Partnership Nhs Trust

Collett Way

Newton Abbot

Devon

TQ12 4PH

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person specification for the job role which gives the criteria.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person specification for the job role which gives the criteria.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Extensive post registration experience working at band 5 or 6 in mental health care working.
Substantial experience of managing/leading a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health conditions within a community setting.
Working within a community mental health setting.
Experience of clinically supervising junior, unqualified staff and mentoring students.
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

Desirable

Participation in user involvement in services.
Experience in deputising for more senior staff.
Evidence of following through specific pieces of work or projects as delegated by managers or others.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
Able to produce well written reports.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings.
Ability to be mobile across a geographical area.
Computer literacy.
Ability to manage risk.
Able to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent clinical assessment skills.

Qualifications

Essential

A professional mental health qualification eg RMN, Social Work Degree or equivalent, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, on the appropriate professional body register and hold current registration with no restrictions.
Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.

Desirable

Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism.
Clinical Supervision qualification.
Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people.
Evidence of leadership/management training within a core service.
Family Intervention for Psychosis.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp).
Non Medical Prescriber.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Extensive post registration experience working at band 5 or 6 in mental health care working.
Substantial experience of managing/leading a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health conditions within a community setting.
Working within a community mental health setting.
Experience of clinically supervising junior, unqualified staff and mentoring students.
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

Desirable

Participation in user involvement in services.
Experience in deputising for more senior staff.
Evidence of following through specific pieces of work or projects as delegated by managers or others.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
Able to produce well written reports.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings.
Ability to be mobile across a geographical area.
Computer literacy.
Ability to manage risk.
Able to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent clinical assessment skills.

Qualifications

Essential

A professional mental health qualification eg RMN, Social Work Degree or equivalent, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, on the appropriate professional body register and hold current registration with no restrictions.
Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.

Desirable

Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism.
Clinical Supervision qualification.
Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people.
Evidence of leadership/management training within a core service.
Family Intervention for Psychosis.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp).
Non Medical Prescriber.

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).