Job summary
Discharge Coordinator - Bristol Intensive and Inpatient Wards
Location: Bristol Lime unit Contract: 1 Year Fixed-Term, or Secondment, Full-Time
Are you a seasoned Mental Health Practitioner looking for an exciting challenge that goes beyond the traditional ward role?
We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled professional to take on a brand-new role as Discharge Coordinator, working across Bristol's intensive and inpatient mental health services. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of patient care and support timely, safe, and effective discharges.
As the Discharge Coordinator working across Bristol's intensive teams and inpatient mental health wards, you'll play a pivotal role in promoting timely, safe, and recovery-focused transitions of care.
What makes this role special?
You'll be at the frontline of improving patient flow across busy wardsCollaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify discharge barriers and co-create recovery-focused plans.Build strong links with community services, families, and support networks.Champion service user outcomes with compassion, determination, and clinical leadership.Who we're looking for:An experienced senior mental health professional with experience in inpatient, community, and social care settings.Confident working autonomously and liaising across complex systemsPassionate about service improvement and continuity of care.Driven to make a real difference .
Main duties of the job
Purpose
- Oversee and track all admissions to intensive and inpatient wards, ensuring accurate data collection and timely review
- Support clinicians in identifying and addressing systemic or case-specific barriers to discharge
- Champion patient flow, reduce length of stay and prevent delayed discharges.
Key Partnerships
- Collaborate with ward teams, crisis and home treatment services, community recovery teams, Local Authority partners, housing services, and third-sector providers
- Liaise with families, carers, and service users to co-produce discharge planning .
Responsibilities
- Maintain and update live discharge tracking tools .
- Attend MDT discharge planning meetings across wards
- Proactively escalate issues that impact safe and timely discharge (e.g. housing, funding delays, placement issues)
- Monitor completion of Section 117 and Mental Health Act discharge processes in line with statutory guidance
- Provide input into service development.
Communication
- Act as a key point of contact for external agencies involved in post-discharge support
- Ensure effective handover of care and documentation when transitioning individuals between services
Recovery Focus
- Advocate for person-led discharge plans that reflect individual strengths, needs, and aspirations
- Ensure social inclusion, safety, and continuity of care are central to discharge decisions
Apply today and bring your expertise into a role that matters where clinical skill meets strategic coordination.
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide complex and sensitive information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (users of services, carers, multi-disciplinary staff, and other statutory / non statutory services).Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service managing clinical enquires.Provide a high standard of written and verbal communication that is clear and in line with local guidance.Role model effective communication; demonstrating empathy, respect, compassion and hope where there may be barriers to understanding.Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable in line with operational guidance.
Maintain professional relationships with all colleagues to ensure professional standards are met.Promote a culture that incorporates Trust values and is recovery focusedMust have an awareness and ability to maintain personal boundaries.Undertake complex clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies / procedures.Reporting of exceptions, complaints and gaps in service.Assist in data collection for the on-going evaluation of the service.Assist in Promotion of the Service locally and nationally as appropriate.Incident reporting - To report any incidents in line with trust procedures.Reporting policy supporting appropriate actions that are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.To assist with ensuring day to day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and person experienceTo be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment.Seek advice and support from senior colleagues/line manager whenever necessary.Ensure good documentation is provided and entered within the appropriate systems of record sharing.Plan assessment/appointments for face to face assessment of service users.Discuss and arrange appropriate police response as required under guidance from senior staff.Plan work allocation to Band 4 support workers.Co-ordinate any agreed lone working arrangements.To be responsible for the prevention and control of infection.
Ensure that individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective and integrated manner.Promote a recovery model that empowers persons, carers and relatives to be at the forefront of decision making, owning their packages of care / treatment.Create, implement and update care plans as required.Champion service users.Provide advice and guidance regarding mental health problems.Share clinical information on individuals coming into contact with Police Officers, as per agreed information sharing protocol under guidance from senior staff.Request information on specific individuals from Police Officers as per information sharing protocol.Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.Implementation of NICE guidance and other statutory / best practice guidelines (if appropriate) under guidance from senior staff.To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to service provision.
Supervise and support junior staff with guidance from senior staffEnsure information resources are used to maintain knowledge of Trust, Directorate and Team priorities and safety initiatives.Maintain up to date clinical records in a timely and accurate manner.
To participate in regular supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.Work without direct management and take accountability for your own actions.When tasks are delegated, ensure that the person you have delegated these tasks to is appropriately skilled to do so.Work within the operational policies and service specifications of the team.Work without direct supervision to deliver interventions via telephone under direction of practice lead.
To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do soEnsure that you remain professionally competent.This is not an exhaustive list of duties / responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the clinical lead.
Participate in trusts annual appraisal process .
Work co operatively with staff Colleagues ensuring a no hands off approach.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide complex and sensitive information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (users of services, carers, multi-disciplinary staff, and other statutory / non statutory services).Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service managing clinical enquires.Provide a high standard of written and verbal communication that is clear and in line with local guidance.Role model effective communication; demonstrating empathy, respect, compassion and hope where there may be barriers to understanding.Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable in line with operational guidance.
Maintain professional relationships with all colleagues to ensure professional standards are met.Promote a culture that incorporates Trust values and is recovery focusedMust have an awareness and ability to maintain personal boundaries.Undertake complex clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies / procedures.Reporting of exceptions, complaints and gaps in service.Assist in data collection for the on-going evaluation of the service.Assist in Promotion of the Service locally and nationally as appropriate.Incident reporting - To report any incidents in line with trust procedures.Reporting policy supporting appropriate actions that are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.To assist with ensuring day to day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and person experienceTo be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment.Seek advice and support from senior colleagues/line manager whenever necessary.Ensure good documentation is provided and entered within the appropriate systems of record sharing.Plan assessment/appointments for face to face assessment of service users.Discuss and arrange appropriate police response as required under guidance from senior staff.Plan work allocation to Band 4 support workers.Co-ordinate any agreed lone working arrangements.To be responsible for the prevention and control of infection.
Ensure that individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective and integrated manner.Promote a recovery model that empowers persons, carers and relatives to be at the forefront of decision making, owning their packages of care / treatment.Create, implement and update care plans as required.Champion service users.Provide advice and guidance regarding mental health problems.Share clinical information on individuals coming into contact with Police Officers, as per agreed information sharing protocol under guidance from senior staff.Request information on specific individuals from Police Officers as per information sharing protocol.Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.Implementation of NICE guidance and other statutory / best practice guidelines (if appropriate) under guidance from senior staff.To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to service provision.
Supervise and support junior staff with guidance from senior staffEnsure information resources are used to maintain knowledge of Trust, Directorate and Team priorities and safety initiatives.Maintain up to date clinical records in a timely and accurate manner.
To participate in regular supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.Work without direct management and take accountability for your own actions.When tasks are delegated, ensure that the person you have delegated these tasks to is appropriately skilled to do so.Work within the operational policies and service specifications of the team.Work without direct supervision to deliver interventions via telephone under direction of practice lead.
To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do soEnsure that you remain professionally competent.This is not an exhaustive list of duties / responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the clinical lead.
Participate in trusts annual appraisal process .
Work co operatively with staff Colleagues ensuring a no hands off approach.
Person Specification
extensive knowledge of housing and discharge
Essential
- extensive understanding and experience in issues around discharge and housing
- communication skills verbal and written
Person Specification
extensive knowledge of housing and discharge
Essential
- extensive understanding and experience in issues around discharge and housing
- communication skills verbal and written
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
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