Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Home Treatment Service as a Senior Mental Health Practitioner (Band 6) based in Taunton. The Home Treatment Service provides intensive support to adults experiencing a mental health crisis, helping individuals remain safely in the community and reducing the need for inpatient admission wherever possible.

As a key member of a multidisciplinary team, you will undertake rapid mental health assessments, formulate care plans, manage risk and deliver evidence-based crisis interventions. You will work closely with service users, carers, inpatient teams, primary care services and partner agencies to provide safe, responsive and person-centred care.

This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced mental health professional who is passionate about crisis care, recovery-focused practice and supporting people through some of the most challenging periods of their lives. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the successful candidate will contribute to the delivery of flexible, high-quality care across the urgent care pathway.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments of individuals presenting in mental health crisis across community, acute and mental health settings.
• Assess and manage risk, developing and reviewing risk management and safety plans to support recovery and minimise harm.
• Triaging referrals and determining the most appropriate intervention or care pathway for service users.
• Develop, implement and evaluate person-centred care plans in partnership with service users, carers and multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Deliver short-term crisis interventions, including therapeutic support, psychoeducation, behavioural activation and other evidence-based approaches.
• Act as a key worker for a defined caseload, coordinating care and supporting effective discharge planning.
• Support gatekeeping responsibilities for acute mental health admissions and identify safe alternatives to hospital admission where appropriate.
• Facilitate early discharge from inpatient settings by providing intensive community-based support.
• Participate in shift coordination, allocation of workload and effective team communication within a 24/7 service.
• Supervise, support and mentor Band 5 practitioners, support workers, students and trainees.
• Maintain accurate electronic patient records and contribute to clinical governance, audit and service improvement initiatives.

Details

• Date posted: 02 November 2026
• Closing date: 16 November 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 184-OL-GR-6156
• Job locations: Foundation House, Wellsprings Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 7PQ, United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Senior Mental Health Practitioner will play a pivotal role within the Home Treatment Service, delivering high-quality crisis assessment, treatment and recovery-focused support to adults experiencing acute mental health difficulties. Working within a multidisciplinary team, you will provide timely assessments, formulate care plans and deliver interventions that support individuals to remain safe within their home environment whenever clinically appropriate.

You will be responsible for undertaking detailed risk assessments and implementing risk management plans for individuals presenting with complex mental health needs. This includes working collaboratively with service users, carers, families and wider agencies to ensure risks are appropriately identified, communicated and managed.

The successful candidate will contribute to the service's gatekeeping function, assessing potential admissions and working creatively to identify alternatives to inpatient care where possible. You will also support discharge planning and provide intensive follow-up to promote recovery and reduce the likelihood of readmission.

A key aspect of the role involves building effective partnerships with community mental health teams, inpatient services, primary care, social care, emergency services and voluntary sector organisations. You will communicate highly complex and sensitive information, coordinate care and ensure individuals receive seamless support across the urgent care pathway.

As a senior practitioner, you will provide clinical support, mentorship and supervision to colleagues, students and trainees. You will contribute to service development, quality improvement, clinical audit and professional leadership activities while role-modelling compassionate, recovery-focused care in line with Trust values.

Applicants should be Registered Mental Health Nurses with significant post-registration experience within community mental health services and experience of working with people experiencing mental health crises. Strong assessment, risk management, communication and leadership skills are essential, together with the ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

You will be flexible, resilient and committed to delivering compassionate care, demonstrating the Trust values of Kindness, Respect and Teamwork in all aspects of their practice.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• RMN
• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development.
• Evidence of Post qualifying professional development in an acute setting

Experience

Essential

• Significant post registration experience in multi-disciplinary community mental health services.
• Good knowledge of resources and working practices across health and social care
• Ability to be innovative in practice
• Experience of managing risk of clients in crisis.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Willingness to travel across the Trust

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).

About us

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, fantastic pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will to experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan -- there is truly something for everyone!

Employer details

• Employer name: Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
• Address: Foundation House, Wellsprings Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 7PQ, United Kingdom
• Employer's website: https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/