Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Student Support Practitioner

The closing date is 23 October 2025

Job summary

Are you looking to join a friendly, supportive and innovative team where your voice will be heard, your contributions valued and your skills and experience celebrated?

Are you ready to shape and influence our patient's experience through the support and development of students and apprentices and their placements in order to provide the NHS with a compassionate and effective future workforce?

If you have answered "yes" to the questions above, you may be just the person we are looking for to join our Practice Development Team as a Student Support Practitioner.

You will be a health care professional registered with either the Nursing & Midwifery Council or the Health and Care Professions Council and ideally experience of working in mental health services. This role offers a proactive and enthusiastic professional the opportunity to review current learning, make a positive impact on student experiences through pastoral support and to help shape service-learning culture.

Using advanced communication skills the post holder will be engaging with a range of staff members and services across mainly mental health clinical environments to inform and influence practice from an educational perspective and to negotiate and plan placements.

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Main duties of the job

Support multidisciplinary, pre-registration learners on placement across the organisation as part of the Student Support Team.

Support, influence and improve the quality of the learning environment by providing advice, supervision and guidance for learners. This will enable the practice setting to provide the best possible placement experience, ultimately enabling delivery of high-quality patient centred care.

Working with and being the conduit between HEI's and placements in order to plan placements to maximise learner's needs, consider new programmes and expand capacity.

Internally manage, negotiate and allocate capacity in order to meet the different needs of Higher Education Institutes.

Provide pastoral and professional practice support for learners and placement supervisors/assessors, provide supervisor/assessor training and maintenance of records.

Ability to travel to support learners and placements across Trust's sites as and when required and in order to work flexibly to meet the requirements of the team.

The post holder will facilitate direct and indirect support, guidance and pastoral support to pre-registration learners, Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors and Practice Educators to support learning in practice placements across the trust. This requires the post holder to forge strong relationships with partners across the region and with clinical staff across a range of learning environments throughout the organisation.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Details

Date posted

09 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£30,945 to £37,264 a year p.a.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

152-S113.25

Job locations

Learning and Development Centre

MoD Site

West Moors

BH21 6QS


Job description

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

Dorset HealthCare is in partnership with The Princes Trust to support people getting into work, as part of this partnership, we offer an employability service to support individuals between 16-30 years old with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. Please contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net to access the support.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

Dorset HealthCare is in partnership with The Princes Trust to support people getting into work, as part of this partnership, we offer an employability service to support individuals between 16-30 years old with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. Please contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net to access the support.

Person Specification

Knowledge, skills and training

Essential

  • Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by diploma level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty.
  • Knowledge of practice assessment and supervision, education and training and support of learners in practice.
  • Membership of a relevant Professional Body

Desirable

  • Recognised teaching qualification relevant to role

Job specific experience

Essential

  • A minimum of 2 years post registration experience of working in an NHS or Social Care environment with service user contact at Band 5 or equivalent.
  • Experience and understanding of research / education / audit requirements in a variety of settings
  • Experience of managing change
  • Proven ability to challenge current working practices and introduce changes in light of evidence based recommendations

Managerial / supervisory experience

Essential

  • Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively

Desirable

  • Staff management / supervision experience

Personal Qualities / Attributes

Essential

  • Able to communicate effectively at different levels of an organisation in both verbal and written form, for example with staff, learners or external organisations in the exchange of very highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, which will require the use of negotiating and/or persuasive skills.
  • Ability to use own initiative within sphere of authority
  • Demonstrated ability to analyse situations and provide a resolution
  • Ability to effectively manage working remotely and autonomously as required
Person Specification

Knowledge, skills and training

Essential

  • Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by diploma level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty.
  • Knowledge of practice assessment and supervision, education and training and support of learners in practice.
  • Membership of a relevant Professional Body

Desirable

  • Recognised teaching qualification relevant to role

Job specific experience

Essential

  • A minimum of 2 years post registration experience of working in an NHS or Social Care environment with service user contact at Band 5 or equivalent.
  • Experience and understanding of research / education / audit requirements in a variety of settings
  • Experience of managing change
  • Proven ability to challenge current working practices and introduce changes in light of evidence based recommendations

Managerial / supervisory experience

Essential

  • Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively

Desirable

  • Staff management / supervision experience

Personal Qualities / Attributes

Essential

  • Able to communicate effectively at different levels of an organisation in both verbal and written form, for example with staff, learners or external organisations in the exchange of very highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, which will require the use of negotiating and/or persuasive skills.
  • Ability to use own initiative within sphere of authority
  • Demonstrated ability to analyse situations and provide a resolution
  • Ability to effectively manage working remotely and autonomously as required

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Learning and Development Centre

MoD Site

West Moors

BH21 6QS


Employer's website

https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Learning and Development Centre

MoD Site

West Moors

BH21 6QS


Employer's website

https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Pre-registration Student Lead

Chris Pitt

chris.pitt@nhs.net

01202705633

Details

Date posted

09 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£30,945 to £37,264 a year p.a.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

152-S113.25

Job locations

Learning and Development Centre

MoD Site

West Moors

BH21 6QS


Supporting documents

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