Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 16 November 2025

Job summary

If you are passionate about improving mental health and interested in working at the forefront of an innovative, collaboration with primary and secondary mental health care then this role may well be for you.

As part of the ongoing transformation of Mental Health service provision we are looking to recruit a Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner post to cover 9 months maternity leave based in Southport. The role will be based directly within GP practices, providing a preventative and 'hands on' approach to supporting GPs in the provision of mental health care.

You will work as part of the primary care team, covering all the GP practices within a designated Primary Care Network, adopting a population health approach to ensure the needs of the community are met.

Main duties of the job

This role is an instrumental part of the wider community transformation programme and you will receive supervision and support from a Mersey Care Mental Health Lead covering the same geographical region as you. You will also receive day to day support from a Primary Care Lead within your designated Primary Care Network.

This is a new role and there is a requirement to be adaptable and creative. It is an exciting opportunity for innovative working across community providers to improve the quality of mental health services and address health inequalities. The role will evolve in accordance with the needs of the local population and your primary focus will be to ensure that GP practices are supported in the management of people who present to Primary Care with mental health difficulties.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Details

Date posted

30 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

350-MHC7547182

Job locations

Primary Care Mental Health Team Sefton

Various GP surgeries within a Primary Care Network

Southport

L34 1PJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

To coordinate the care of service users carrying out assessment planning,implementation and evaluation of their care under the guidelines of the care programme approach and under the supervision of the line manager.

To ensure that the service users care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of the individual and that unqualified staff are delivering care as identified in the care plan.

To liaise with family members, carers and significant others when completing the assessment and developing a care plan.

To undertake and supervise risk assessments and formulation of risk management plan for service users under your care, taking note of the contributions from other members of the team, family members carers and significant others.

To ensure Safeguarding Children and Adults requirements are followed and participate in meetings as appropriate.

To participate in setting standards for care based on sound evidence based and research findings.

To participate in the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users that you have responsibility for.

To communicate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team information which has an impact on the service users care.

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through training or experience to impart sensitive information.

To check understanding of information where there are barriers to effectivecommunications.

To give and receive accurate up-to-date information regarding service users care in reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings etc. These reviews may be external to the Trust.

To have accurate and up-todate knowledge of the Mental Health Act / Mental Capacity Act and other relevant legislation.

Please refer to attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To coordinate the care of service users carrying out assessment planning,implementation and evaluation of their care under the guidelines of the care programme approach and under the supervision of the line manager.

To ensure that the service users care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of the individual and that unqualified staff are delivering care as identified in the care plan.

To liaise with family members, carers and significant others when completing the assessment and developing a care plan.

To undertake and supervise risk assessments and formulation of risk management plan for service users under your care, taking note of the contributions from other members of the team, family members carers and significant others.

To ensure Safeguarding Children and Adults requirements are followed and participate in meetings as appropriate.

To participate in setting standards for care based on sound evidence based and research findings.

To participate in the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users that you have responsibility for.

To communicate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team information which has an impact on the service users care.

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through training or experience to impart sensitive information.

To check understanding of information where there are barriers to effectivecommunications.

To give and receive accurate up-to-date information regarding service users care in reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings etc. These reviews may be external to the Trust.

To have accurate and up-todate knowledge of the Mental Health Act / Mental Capacity Act and other relevant legislation.

Please refer to attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate professional qualification or experience at Degree Level e.g. RMN, AHP, Social Worker
  • Evidence of post registration study / continuing professional development e.g. Mentorship in Practice

Desirable

  • Working towards master level education

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

  • Significant demonstrable post registration experience in mental health.
  • Evidence of leadership and management skills.
  • Evidence of experience of managing cases & case loads
  • Evidence of supervising staff.
  • Ability to work autonomously across the organisation/boundaries and with other agencies
  • Experience of working in partnership with other agencies and service users and carers
  • Experience of audit/research and working knowledge of clinical governance.
  • Experience in change management and policy formulation.
  • Experience of using Incident Reporting Systems e.g. DATIX
  • Experience of undertaking and involvement in Serious Untoward Incident Reviews
  • Evidence of experience of working with a range of people with mental health problems in a variety of health care settings.
  • A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights

Skills

Essential

  • Able to communicate effectively both verbally and non-verbally.
  • Being responsive and flexible, seeing change as an opportunity to improve services
  • Ability to lead the process of standard setting and audit
  • Leadership Skills
  • Ability to work within a CBU management team, be able to generate own workload and ability to work to strict deadlines.
  • Ability to build purposeful relationships with a range of both internal and external to the organisation.
  • Proven knowledge of relevant mental health legislation.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of ECC guidelines.
  • Demonstrate knowledge in the concepts of mentorship, preceptorship and supervision and ability to provide education and supervision to junior staff
  • Demonstrate a good knowledge of professional Codes of Conduct and Staffs' responsibility to identify gaps in their knowledge base.
  • Professional attitude.
  • Possess excellent listening and negotiation skills and leadership skills.
  • Excellent oral and written skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
  • The ability to lead change management
  • Ability to contribute to developing care excellence within the ward / team area.

VALUES

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • High professional standards
  • Responsive to service users
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet
  • Change oriented
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate professional qualification or experience at Degree Level e.g. RMN, AHP, Social Worker
  • Evidence of post registration study / continuing professional development e.g. Mentorship in Practice

Desirable

  • Working towards master level education

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

  • Significant demonstrable post registration experience in mental health.
  • Evidence of leadership and management skills.
  • Evidence of experience of managing cases & case loads
  • Evidence of supervising staff.
  • Ability to work autonomously across the organisation/boundaries and with other agencies
  • Experience of working in partnership with other agencies and service users and carers
  • Experience of audit/research and working knowledge of clinical governance.
  • Experience in change management and policy formulation.
  • Experience of using Incident Reporting Systems e.g. DATIX
  • Experience of undertaking and involvement in Serious Untoward Incident Reviews
  • Evidence of experience of working with a range of people with mental health problems in a variety of health care settings.
  • A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights

Skills

Essential

  • Able to communicate effectively both verbally and non-verbally.
  • Being responsive and flexible, seeing change as an opportunity to improve services
  • Ability to lead the process of standard setting and audit
  • Leadership Skills
  • Ability to work within a CBU management team, be able to generate own workload and ability to work to strict deadlines.
  • Ability to build purposeful relationships with a range of both internal and external to the organisation.
  • Proven knowledge of relevant mental health legislation.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of ECC guidelines.
  • Demonstrate knowledge in the concepts of mentorship, preceptorship and supervision and ability to provide education and supervision to junior staff
  • Demonstrate a good knowledge of professional Codes of Conduct and Staffs' responsibility to identify gaps in their knowledge base.
  • Professional attitude.
  • Possess excellent listening and negotiation skills and leadership skills.
  • Excellent oral and written skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
  • The ability to lead change management
  • Ability to contribute to developing care excellence within the ward / team area.

VALUES

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • High professional standards
  • Responsive to service users
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet
  • Change oriented

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Primary Care Mental Health Team Sefton

Various GP surgeries within a Primary Care Network

Southport

L34 1PJ


Employer's website

https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Primary Care Mental Health Team Sefton

Various GP surgeries within a Primary Care Network

Southport

L34 1PJ


Employer's website

https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Primary Care Mental Health Lead

Carys Sergeant

Carys.Sergeant@merseycare.nhs.uk

07814456216

Details

Date posted

30 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

350-MHC7547182

Job locations

Primary Care Mental Health Team Sefton

Various GP surgeries within a Primary Care Network

Southport

L34 1PJ


Supporting documents

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