About this role
Job summary
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Clinical Practice Lead to join our Adult Community Mental Health team based in Bideford and covering the North & Mid Devon locality.
The Clinical Practice Lead will provide clinical leadership and professional guidance to multidisciplinary teams, championing high standards of care and driving improvements in clinical practice.
This pivotal role focuses on delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care for service users, particularly those with complex mental health needs.
You will lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical standards and protocols, promote evidence-based interventions and new models of care, and play a key part in service design and delivery by engaging with service users, carers, and partner organisations. Additionally, you will support clinicians through supervision, mentoring, and coaching, facilitating learning opportunities to foster professional development and reflective practice.
Working collaboratively with service managers, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and other professionals, you will contribute to integrated care, risk management, safeguarding, and continuous quality improvement.
Main duties of the job
Provide clinical leadership and professional guidance to multidisciplinary teams within community mental health services. Promote and maintain high standards of clinical practice, ensuring care is safe, effective, and aligned with current evidence and guidelines. Lead on the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice standards and protocols. Support clinicians in delivering recovery-focused care to individuals with complex mental health needs. Provide clinical supervision and coaching to support professional development and reflective practice. Identify training and development needs within the team and facilitate learning opportunities. Monitor clinical outcomes, service performance, implementing improvement initiatives where required. Lead or contribute to clinical audits, quality improvement projects, and service evaluations. Ensure compliance with professional, regulatory, and organisational standards and policies. Work collaboratively with service managers, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other professionals to support integrated care delivery. Contribute to risk management, safeguarding processes, and incident review to improve safety and learning. Support the implementation of evidence-based interventions and new models of care within community mental health services. Engage with service users, carers, and partner organisations to improve service design and delivery.
About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification which will provide further information on this role.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Significant post qualifying work, including community and inpatient mental health Risk assessment/management Clinical leadership
Desirable
Ability to interpret research and apply to practice Other relevant post registration experience Understanding of research principles Teaching, training and/or supervision of clinical staff Experience of working in a senior or advanced clinical role Transformational work
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of key areas of professional mental health practice Specialist knowledge of mental health disorders Knowledge of clinical risk assessment Application of teaching theory into practice Ability to undertake bio-psycho-social assessment and formulating, robust care pathways Higher level communication skills, both written and oral Sufficient clinical and operational knowledge to be able to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems. Management and organisational skills that enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty Information Technology skills
Skills and Abilities Essential
Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with large groups who may be antagonistic and/or distressed. This will apply to persons who use the service and their carers/relatives and professional staff groups Able to produce well written reports Ability to communicate complex information across multi-agency teams Ability to support junior staff: professionally and academically, promoting their personal growth and developing their competencies Ability to develop a healthy culture of team working Able to engage and communicate with confidence Ability to manage own time and that of the teams Ability to work flexibly Ability to be mobile across a geographical area Computer literacy
Qualifications Essential
A professional mental health qualification to degree level or equivalent Evidence of commitment to life-long learning and continuing professional development Leadership or quality improvement qualification
Desirable
Management qualification Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff
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 Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address Bideford Hospital
Abbotsham Road
Bideford
Devon
EX39 3AG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)