Job summary
- Main area
- Nurse
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 367-ACMS-9312
- Employer
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Saffron Ground
- Town
- STEVENAGE
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum pro-rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Community Mental Health Nurse
NHS AfC: Band 6
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
http://hpft.recruitforvalues.com/
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a Community Mental Health Nurse to join our Adult Community Mental Health Services Team in North Hertfordshire / Stevenage.
The area is well served with transport links to historic Hertfordshire and its glorious countryside as well as into London and beyond. We are looking for someone who is passionate about delivering care to Adults with mental health issues.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
We can offer you a competitive salary, staff benefits package, excellent career development and training that comes from working for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT. We are on a “Good to Great” journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.
Please refer to the “Main Duties Of The Job”, “Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities” sections and the Job Description and Person Specification documents attached elsewhere for full details.
Main duties of the job
• The post-holder will be responsible for the clinical and operational day to day service delivery ensuring that an individualised comprehensive assessment and Care Management service is effectively delivered.
• Responsibilities include the clinical and operational supervision of junior nursing staff and students as delegated by the team manager.
• To be accountable for delivering a quality services that is effective and efficient in line with the organisations objectives and performance indicators
• To contribute to strategic service development working collaboratively with other agencies.
All staff should comply with the Trust’s Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Relationships
• To support the Team Leader in establishing and maintaining effective inter-team and inter agency communication
• To provide effective liaison/communication throughout the care pathway to service users, their carers and others, responding sensitively to all needs especially in highly emotive settings
• To maintain effective joint working with others, developing positive working relationships and clear communications with MDT and other professionals
• Ensure that all relevant information regarding service users care in particular issues of concern re practice and workload are communicated as necessary to the line manager
• To liaise with other professionals in relation to service user care, actively participating in care planning and review meetings and attending case conferences required
Analytical and Judgemental
• The post holder will be able to undertake assessment of need of service users who meets the service eligibility criteria, and their family. To formulate a care plan and risk assessment, review its effectiveness and re-plan using evidence based interventions to best effect in partnership with the service user.
• The post holder will be expected to identify and respond to acute presentations in order to manage risk and promote the safety and well being of the service user.
• Utilise clinical judgement to evaluate service user’s physical and psychological responses to treatment.
• To initiate, plan and deliver effective risk management systems within the clinical area
• To ensure a consistent and timely response to safeguarding cases in line with departmental procedures
• To provide a responsive effective service to individuals in crisis
Planning and Organisation
• To plan, organise and prioritise resources and tasks on a daily basis to meet service and organisational needs
• To take a leading role in the day to day management of the service supporting the Team Leader, including recruitment retention, rostering and attendance management as required.
• To work in conjunction with and alongside colleagues and partners within the organisation.
• To plan and deliver treatment interventions in line with Best Practice and local and National Guidelines
• To act as a Care Coordinator ensuring high quality care delivery at all times
• To take a leading role in designated projects/service development as allocated
• To support the line manager/service line lead in the effective and timely management of complaints and serious untoward incidents
• To identify the training needs of junior staff highlighting this to the Team Leader
• To plan, develop and deliver training to others as needed
Physical & Emotional Working Conditions and Environment
• Document service user care by recording information on electronic care record, demonstrating keyboard skills.
• To have the ability to sit with service users for extended periods of time, often within pressurised circumstances and to sustain frequent, intense concentration.
• To be adaptable to the physical environment, particularly when meeting service users in their homes, continually being aware of Trust Health & Safety Policies within this context.
• Ability to cope with the physical demands of frequent travel across the Trust.
• The post holder may be involved in physical procedures including administration of oral and injectable medications, the storage and transportation of them, and the monitoring of people’s physical responses to medications, such as blood pressure, glucose and weight monitoring.
• The post holder will be expected to travel between appointments across a wide geographical area in order to manage numerous visits each day, across the west and south of the county and occasionally further.
• The post holder will be expected to share office space in a hot desk arrangement and work in an open plan environment. Visits to service users occur mainly within their own homes and can therefore include exposure to a range of environments.
• Work frequently in distressing, challenging and emotionally demanding situations requiring mental effort to undertake duties effectively.
• The post holder may be exposed to unpleasant and distressing working conditions; some service users may exhibit aggressive and abusive behaviour
Mental Effort
Service User Care
• To carry a clinical caseload and act as a CPA Care Coordinator, adhering to the CPA policy and fulfilling the named nurse role.
• To undertake comprehensive health needs and risk assessments (including capacity assessments) and develop a care plan (Health Action Plan) in accordance with identified needs establishing specialist course of responsibilities/actions based on Recovery Principles.
• To carry out joint assessment with other MDT as required.
• To be aware of and comply with the relevant mental health and work related legislation and policy at all times.
• To provide relevant up to date evidence based information about treatment/intervention that enables service users to make informed choices about their care.
• To deliver evidence based care in a timely manner.
• To make reactive recommendations as necessary when working alone in the community.
• To undertake health promotion activities with individuals and groups.
• To promote physical health and well being by providing health checks/screen and monitoring.
• Where necessary to administer prescribed medication or to supervise its administration and assess the service user for desired and non- desired effects.
• To maintain robust clinical records and prepare reports as required
• To provide and facilitate specialist help and advice to other professionals agencies and carers
Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility
Managers have a duty to promote and support staffs’ personal health and wellbeing at all times, this includes both physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Managers have a responsibility to support staff by directing employees to services that are available to everyone to help in managing health and wellbeing.
They should be open and approachable as well as proactive in discussing and agreeing a process to monitor an employee’s mental and physical health.
Human Resources
• To provide effective professional supervision/mentorship of junior staff and students assessing proficiencies of practice as required
• To be a sign off mentor for students and provide a conducive learning environment
• To maintain one’s own Professional Registration and development
• To actively participate in and seek clinical and professional supervision and appraisal in line with organisational policy
Financial Responsibility
• To ensure effective and economic use of resources available
• To comply with the relevant Trust and service financial policies and procedures
Service Development and Improvement
• To remain up to date concerning relevant clinical, social and legal issues.
• To be aware of relevant research findings and assist the Team Leader in the development of the team, incorporating evidence based practice.
• To adhere to quality initiatives compatible with national targets and local standards applicable to practice.
• To be involved in the development and use of quality assurance systems contributing to and participating in audits/outcomes, evaluation and lesson learning.
For a more in-depth Person and Job Specification please read the attached before applying
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- RMN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
- ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship
Desirable criteria
- ENB812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health)
- Psychosocial interventions
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
- Post-registration experience with at least one year at Band 5
- Experience of working in an acute mental health inpatient/day care services
- Experience of working in situations or crisis and emotionally demanding environments
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
- Experience of teaching and training
- Experience and knowledge of working in a multiethnic community
- Experience of delivering evidence based care
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with acute mental health problems in a community setting
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management
- Professional Code of Conduct
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Clinical risk assessment and management in a community stetting
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of parenting literature and its application
- Ability to teach and train others using multi-media materials suitable for presentation
- Knowledge of current developments in research with service user group
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Karen Howard
- Job title
- Head Of Service North & East/South-East ACMHS
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01462 417790
- Additional information
E-Mail is the most direct method of contact.
List jobs with Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Nursing and Midwifery or all sectors