About this role
Job summary
A new exciting opportunity has arisen for a Team Leader role for the Assertive Outreach function of the Bentley House Community Mental Health Hub. We are looking for an experienced Mental Health Nurse/Occupational Therapist/Social Worker to join our dynamic team. The post holder will work with adults in the community with severe and enduring mental illness who are at risk of disengaging with the service. The post holder will oversee the staff working with this client group, and facilitate collaborative work with the wider team.
The role is suitable for a qualified clinician with experience working in the community. Applicants should have strong clinical and risk management skills, and be able to work flexibly.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as a Team Leader with duties including:
Manage a complex caseload of patients with SMI and dual diagnosis, and have oversight of patients receiving assertive outreach interventions To offer patients assertive and intensive time-limited support with the aim of building engagement, stabilising risk and preventing crisis. Work collaboratively with the consultants, CMHH MDT and Psychotropic Clinic. To coordinate referrals and transfers of care between teams Be responsible for the supervision of staff Chair clinical and team meetings as appropriate To assist the team to be compliant with KPI and monitor electronic records
About us
Commitment from the team to develop youby offering in-house development sessions Free access to our Staff and Wellbeing serviceto ensure that you are always looking after yourself Commitment tocareer mappingto ensure continuous professional development including opportunities within the Trust On and off-site shadowing opportunities, including HTT, Psych Liaison and many more Localnursing, social work or OT forumsrun by one of the senior leads An opportunity to work with afriendly, dynamic, passionate and diverse teamwho are committed to looking after each other as well as their patients Regular training opportunities including Trauma Informed Approach
Job description Job responsibilities MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Assertive Outreach Delivery
Provide intensive outreach in line with the SOP: First 3 months: minimum 3 contact attempts per week, aiming for 12 successful contacts. Next 3 months: minimum 2 contact attempts per week. Deliver flexible contact through home visits, community meetings, phone calls, texts, and occasional evening/weekend availability. Maintain a no discharge for DNA approach, using persistent and creative engagement strategies. Build strong therapeutic relationships through empathy, reliability, and traumainformed practice. Provide continuity and consistency as the allocated Assertive Outreach named worker. 2. Clinical Responsibilities
Complete and update care plans, risk assessments, and safety plans in line with Trust policy. Conduct frequent dynamic risk assessments and escalate concerns promptly. Lead on transition planning back to routine CMHH care. Ensure timely documentation of all contact attempts, outcomes, and risk assessments. Work collaboratively with the Hub named worker where this is a separate role. Deliver meaningful intervention Use therapeutic engagement to support patients to engage. Supervision of Assertive outreach staff To hold a case load of 10-15 patients. 3. Holistic Support & MultiAgency Working
Address mental health and physical health Liaise with other partners regarding identified needs e.g. drug and alcohol services, social care, housing teams, and voluntary sector partners. Support individuals to access practical help such as housing applications, benefits, and community resources. Involve families and carers (with consent) to strengthen support networks. 4. InReach to Inpatient Wards
Provide continuity of care during hospital admissions. Attend inpatient wards to maintain engagement and support discharge planning. Ensure safe and coordinated transition back to community services. 5. MDT Working & Communication
Participate in MDT meetings and AO huddles. Share updates, escalate concerns, and contribute to joint care planning. Maintain strong links with crisis services, inpatient teams, and external agencies. Promote reflective practice and collaborative working within the team. 6. Training, Supervision & Professional Development
Maintain professional registration and adhere to relevant legislation (MHA, MCA, Care Act). Participate in clinical supervision, reflective practice, and mandatory training. Contribute to team learning, including sharing specialist knowledge related to your profession. Support students or trainees where appropriate. To participate in training relevant to post. 7. Management of Resources
Work within CNWL policies including lone working, safeguarding, risk management, and health & safety. Ensure accurate and timely recordkeeping. Contribute to monitoring caseloads, contact frequency, and clinical review processes. Use Trust systems (e.g., Tableau disengagement dashboards) to support identification of risk patterns. 8. Research, Audit & Service Development
Contribute to audits, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives. Ensure practice is evidencebased and aligned with the Assertive Outreach SOP. Participate in the development of the AO model and wider CMHH pathways. Recording caseload activity on system one and ensuring accurate recording To report on team performance in terms of patient feedback and productivity and DNA rates. 9. Building and Maintaining Relationships with Local Community
Work collaboratively with community organisations, primary care, and voluntary sector partners. Support individuals to access community resources that promote stability and recovery. Maintain strong links with other CNWL community and inpatient teams. 10. General
Abide by legal requirements and the professional code of conduct for your discipline. Undertake any other duties relevant to the post as requested by senior managers. Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of practice. RIDING CLAUSE This job description is an outline of the postholders duties and responsibilities. It is not exhaustive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the service.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Relevant diploma/degree in Mental Health Nursing, OT or Social Work Registration with NMC/HCPC/Social Work England
Desirable
Relevant post-basic training for all Disciplines Mentorship qualification relevant to professions Management training Practice Educator Programme
Experience Essential
Significant years post qualifying experience at Band 6 level Experience of working with a complex and high risk caseload of patients with SMI in the community Assessing health and social needs and formulating care-plans to reflect those needs. Working in a multi-cultural environment. Experience working with individuals with substance misuse Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team. Practical experience of providing high quality care and exceeding expectations Demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding children/adult practices/procedure Experience of providing supervision to junior staff
Desirable
Management experience General life skills. Evidence of continuing professional development. Budgetary management Mentoring
Skills/ Abilities Essential
Ability to chair regular MDT meetings with strong leadership skills Highly proactive and responsive to day to day demands of working in a busy CMHT Experience of using a range of therapeutic skills & psychosocial interventions. Strong clinical and risk assessment skills Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy using good communication skills Ability to succinctly formulation clinical intervention including signposting to other community services Leadership skills (motivating, using initiative, change management).
Desirable
Teaching and delivering group/individual presentations Experience of policy development and strategic planning and clinical governance development resulting in change management projects/programmes
Knowledge/ Understanding Essential
Mental Health Act 1983, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2015 Risk assessment and management. Experience of using a range of therapeutic skills & psychosocial interventions. Highly skilled in IT applications i.e excel, word Knowledge of new developments in social care and allied health professions Ability to embrace and manage change effectively & sensitively within the team and the wider organisation. Proficient in utilising Tableau to monitor team/individual performance
Other Essential
Willingness to undertake further training & professional development.
Desirable
Possession of a valid driving license Able to recognise signs of stress in self & others.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship 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).
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 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bentley House
15-21 Headstone Drive
Harrow
HA3 5QX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)