About this role
Job summary
Are you an enthusiastic Community Psychiatric Nurse looking to make a genuinely transformative impact when service users and their families need it most?
We are excited to welcome a skilled, compassionate CPN to our dynamic Home Treatment and Rapid Response Team.
Working within the home treatment function delivering support to patients and their families using evidence based, profession specific and general mental health knowledge providing client centred, recovery orientated principles and practice for individuals, families and carers referred to the Service.
You will also work within the Rapid response function undertaking assessments 24/7 received from Urgent Mental Health Helpline as well as undertaking gatekeeping assessments.
To work in accordance with Trust and Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team Policies and Procedures and the Care Programme Approach. To provide an alternative to inpatient admission treating patients in their home environment who are presenting in a crisis with significant distress.
Sarah's story: A career in community mental health nursing
Main duties of the job
Crisis Assessment & Triage: Screen, assess, and engage with newly referred service users experiencing acute mental health crises (referred via the Urgent Mental Health Helpline and other pathways), delivering immediate nursing care and risk management. Home-Based Recovery Care: Provide evidence-based, nurse-led psychosocial interventions to service users and their families, empowering recovery and providing a safe alternative to inpatient admission. Gatekeeping: Undertake clinical gatekeeping assessments to ensure individuals receive care in the least restrictive environment suitable to their needs. Shift Leadership & Coordination: Lead and coordinate shifts--prioritising team workloads, allocating care to the wider MDT, and supporting colleagues through high-pressure situations. Quality & Clinical Governance: Maintain meticulous, up-to-date nursing documentation and risk assessments in line with Trust standards and CPA guidelines. Practice Education & Mentorship: Act as a practice educator/mentor to nursing students and new staff, supporting their induction, supervising clinical practice, and contributing to team training package
About us
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.
Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.
Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Person Specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration Essential
Registration with relevant regulatory body. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Desirable
Further training relevant to the role Mentorship or practice educator qualification
Experience Essential
Experience working in mental health service Experience of prioritising casework and allocation /delegation of tasks to others. Experience of liaising with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to organisations.
Desirable
Experience working within Crisis Home Treatment Team
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Knowledge of and ability to apply relevant legislative frameworks and policies relating to care e.g. Care programme approach, Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding, Consent to Treatment. An understanding and ability to apply principles of risk assessment and risk management. Understanding of the impact of mental health crisis on lifestyle and function for clients, family and carers and common pharmacological and psychosocial treatments Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times, especially in complex/challenging situations
Desirable
Leadership skills
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 Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
Address St Martins Hospital Site
littlebourne
Canterbury
CT1 1AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)