Mental Health Practitioner

Overview

In this role you will work as an autonomous mental health practitioner across GP practices within Hounslow, contributing to integrated pathways and recovery-oriented care. You will support adults with diverse mental health needs, undertake assessments and brief interventions, and help steer access to services. You’ll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and PCNs to shape primary care mental health pathways and improve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Work as an autonomous practitioner within one of the five Hounslow PCNs (80% in PCN, 20% with local adult community mental health service)
• Provide shared decision-making support, brief psychological interventions where qualified, and facilitate onward access to treatment services
• Collaborate with PCN-based roles (e.g., pharmacist, social prescribers) to address biopsychosocial needs
• Operate within the primary care team with direct bookings and no compulsory GP referral
• Receive supervision from MINT Team Manager and PCN Clinical Director; contribute to governance for quality and safety
• Support home visits within the wider PCN team when needed

Key requirements

• Professional qualification in mental health with current registration (NMC/HCPC/SW England or BPS-accredited Psychology)
• Experience in NHS/PCNs/outreach or community group work; experience with Complex Emotional Needs and serious mental health problems
• Ability to work in MDTs, multi-cultural settings, and with interpreters; strong risk assessment and crisis intervention skills
• Knowledge of psychosocial and counselling/CBT approaches; ability to work autonomously with senior clinical support
• Proficiency in NHS clinical systems (SystmOne, EMIS) and general IT literacy
• Flexibility to work across local environments and manage a demanding workload
• Good communication, de-escalation, and conflict management skills
• Ability to influence without authority and work in a matrix, multi-location setup
• Disclosure and Barring Service checks and UK registration required

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Empathy and cultural sensitivity
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure
• CBT or Brief Solution Focused Therapy knowledge
• Psychosocial interventions
• Risk assessment and crisis management

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