Community Forensic Mental Health Professional

Job summary

Are you a skilled mental health professional, looking for a new challenge?

The Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) is an expanding service that provides support and intervention to patients transitioning from secure care to the community, working inline with the South West Provider Collaborative (SWPC).

We are looking to recruit a dynamic, motivated and experienced Band 6 mental health professional. This is an exciting post in an innovative developing service and we are aiming to develop a highly skilled team.

The team are responsible for overseeing the care of Somerset patients who are currently detained to a secure hospital within the South West region. We also offer specialist advice and guidance to mental health and other relevant services.

You'll care coordinate a small caseload with support from an expert MDT. You will also be able to develop your skills and expertise in providing specialist advice and consultation to other professionals.

The team office will be in Bridgwater, however there will be an expected element of reimbursed travel across the County of Somerset and the South West Provider Collaborative region. This is likely to include travel to Langdon hospital (Devon) and Fromeside hospital (Bristol) as well as Wellesley hospital in Wellington, Somerset.

We welcome informal conversations prior to application and look forward to your call!

Main duties of the job

The aim of the SCFT is to reduce the length of patient stay for patients in secure hospital and work to prevent admission to secure care by

• Providing enhanced community support, to facilitate, support and maintain discharge processes.
• Providing clear, tiered levels of intervention with the aim of admission avoidance, including risk management.
• Encouraging proactive discharge discussions for longer stay patients who may have faced barriers to the discharge process.
• Supporting community placements.

The advertised role will form part of a close working multidisciplinary team, who will provide high quality, psychologically informed, risk managed care for a cohort of patients with complex forensic mental health needs.

You'll be a qualified mental health professional and will be responsible for joint care managing a defined caseload of patients who are currently detained to a secure hospital and are ready for discharge consideration.

The expectation will be to establish close links with each patient, their inpatient care team and families / carers, to support the journey of discharge planning and transition to community living. Many of these patients will return to the community under restricted sections of the mental health act and will require intensive MDT support both pre and post discharge.

You'll oversee each patient's pathway from inpatient care to community living supporting in both settings with regular appointments.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.