The closing date is 28 September 2025Senior Primary Care Mental Health Nurse

This post is a permanent position working in the Maldon/Braintree area for the Primary Care Mental Health service in Essex. The post will be based in General Practice, working with existing Primary Care teams to triage, assess, manage and follow up patients and provide brief intervention to those registered with GPs in the area. You must be highly skilled and motivated, work autonomously and be confident in your ability to provide evidence-based psychological and non-psychological treatments for common mental health disorders following your assessments.Excellent skills of assessment and knowledge of local services are essential to this role, as the practitioner will be the gatekeeper and guardian for referral to secondary services. Working in collaboration with Primary Care colleagues, the practitioner will provide support and specialist advice, consultation, education and problem-solving skills to Primary Care colleagues with regards to the assessment and management of service users with common mental health disorders. You will act as a “sign poster” for other internal and external services appropriate to service users\'' needs, where required, and be at the forefront of developing integrated care pathways.Main duties of the job

Experience of working within a Primary Care Mental Health setting as a qualified Mental Health NurseAbility to work under pressure and to contain and manage the stress of others and oneselfRobust clinical judgementAbility to work autonomously and take an appropriate level of responsibilityParticipate in Patient Safety investigations, complaints and any relevant investigations in line with Trust policiesMentorship and supervision of studentsDevelop innovative practice to deal creatively with service demands for referrals, allocations, monitoring of KPI\''s and clinical caseload managementTo hold a UK driving licence, essential to drive to Primary care network bases in Braintree/Maldon and trust sites. Some areas are remote and have no public transportWork in conjunction with the GP, Primary Care team and Consultant Psychiatrists to ensure that patients are supported in the most appropriate clinical practice environment from a multi-disciplinary perspectiveTriage and assess patients and facilitate them receiving the most appropriate support for their needs ensuring people are not passed around the systemManage and deliver effective and safe services which support the key elements of Clinical/Practice governanceProvide and undertake detailed physical health investigations such as ECGs and offer basic interpretation of the resultsNon-medical prescriber is preferredTo have knowledge of SystmOne patient documentation systemTrained Advanced Nurse Practitioners (Independent Non-medical prescribers) who have diagnostic skills will provide consultation diagnosis and prescribe for a specific group of service usersAdditional responsibilities include day-to-day supervision and management of lower-banded staff within the professional group and team locality when appropriate, in line with Trust HR processes; establish strong working relationships within the Primary Care setting; provide educational support and training to enhance knowledge of Mental Health and Wellbeing; provide professional clinical leadership at multi-disciplinary meetings; adhere to Trust policies; ensure professional accountability and supervision; contribute to development of Trust and Government directives; deliver high-quality care in collaboration with statutory and non-statutory agencies; identify and manage risks; and support physical healthcare alongside mental health care.In addition, the post holder will:Deliver training where appropriate for other professionalsComplete and return timely and accurate statistics to the Information DepartmentEnsure compliance with Outcomes/KPIsIdentify aspects of the service for improvement and implement changes with the MDT, EPUT management and primary care teamComplete highly complex nursing needs assessmentsBe proficient with computer systems including Word, E-mail and SystemOneProvide information and education to patients and relatives to support informed choices, dignity, independence and quality of lifeThe above is not an exhaustive list of duties.Job responsibilities

Create and maintain a single path within the sphere of responsibility and work closely with other Community Mental Health teams to provide a seamless service in order to aid patients\'' recovery and well-being plans in the community. Work with the GP, Primary Care team and Consultant Psychiatrists to ensure the most appropriate clinical practice environment from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Ensure safe clinical practice in line with Care Quality Commission standards and NHS Constitution. Triage patients and facilitate access to appropriate support. Maintain governance and participate in continuous service improvement.During service development, lead teams to improve quality of care and safeguarding standards, and create an environment where excellence can flourish. Provide and undertake detailed physical health investigations such as ECGs and interpret results.Trained Advanced Nurse Practitioners (Independent Non-medical prescribers) with diagnostic skills may provide consultation, diagnosis and prescribe for a specific group of service usersOther duties include supervision of lower-banded staff, educational support for the enhanced Primary Care team, professional leadership at meetings, policy adherence, and dissemination of best practice. Ensure compliance with Trust policies and contribute to policy development. Provide timely statistics and ensure delivery against KPIs. Maintain relationships with statutory and non-statutory agencies and manage clinical and non-clinical risks.Ensure the delivery of high-quality care with computer literacy including SystemOne, and provide patients and relatives with information to support informed decisions.The above is not an exhaustive list of duties to be undertaken.Person Specification

Education Qualifications

Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)Non-Medical PrescriberVenepuncture trained / ECG interpretation of resultsPhysical health screeningKnowledge

Risk management / suicide prevention trainingGood written and spoken EnglishExperience of using System OneExperience of working in the primary care settingGood communication skills fluent in EnglishSkills using SystmOnePersonal Qualities

Ability to work under pressure and manage stress of oneself and othersSelf-motivated and able to work effectively within a teamAbility to manage priorities of workloadCorporate

Full UK driving licenceAbility to travel across trust sites as requiredDisclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such a disclosure check will be required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB).Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustSalary: £47,810 to £54,710 per annum

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