Associate Mental Health Practitioner

Company: CNWL
Apply for the Associate Mental Health Practitioner
Location: Milton Keynes
Job Description:

Search here to find a new job, a new career, an opportunityto up skill or to simply change your career direction.Become part of our team.We care for you as much as you care for others.

There’s a place for you at CNWL.We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there’s always a place for you at CNWL.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London’s population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

To provide low intensity mental health interventions and support for men under Mental Health Services within HMP Woodhill.

These interventions will primarily be delivered in group format, but there is scope for 1:1 assessment and intervention. To provide support to your Mental Health team colleagues in the delivery of clinical care.

Main duties of the job

  • To support Mental Health colleagues in designing and preparing low intensity mental health interventions, both group and individual. To co-facilitate time-limited low intensity mental health groups and, when appropriate, time-limited individual interventions.
  • To help deliver initiatives promoting mental wellbeing across primary care and the prison.
  • To work in a highly emotive atmosphere with clients with offending histories and / or mental health problems on a regular basis, and be able to communicate sensitive and complex information, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times.
  • To work closely with senior colleagues to ensure information in relation to risk is collected and communicated sensitively and comprehensively.
  • To attend and contribute to other prison meetings, and to present the view of Mental Health Team for relevant clinical issues. To ensure any actions taken from these meetings are met or that the appropriate individual to carry out the action is informed.
  • To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific patient group and mental health.

Working for our organisation

Providingtop quality caredepends on our ability to employ the best people.

We’re always looking to recruit outstanding peoplewho will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With adiverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there’s always a place for you at CNWL.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • To provide low intensity mental health interventions to clients under the supervision of a qualified nurse (and supported by the Clinical Psychologist).
  • To support other members of the Mental Health team in the delivery of clinical care within the prison.
  • To support the mental health team in liaising with primary care and the prison to deliver mental wellbeing initiatives
  • To work independently according to a plan agreed within supervision and within the overall framework of the clinic’s policies and procedures.
  • To liaise with other professional services (resettlement workers, probation, CMHT) sharing information where appropriate.
  • To assist in clinically related administration and conduct of audits or project work.

Qualifications

  • Achieved or working towards an upper second class honours degree in relevant subject.
  • Second class honours degree in psychology or nursing. Further training in relevant areas of mental health practice.

Experience

  • Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or offending behaviour problems and/or other disabilities
  • Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
  • Experience of working in prisons or secure settings.
  • Experience of co-facilitating psychosocial groups.
  • Experience of working within a team

PERSONAL

  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • An ability to establish and sustain engagement with people who have mental health problems and severely challenging behaviours including violence and sexually harmful behaviours.
  • Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
  • Knowledge of our business and how it supports patient care.
  • An interest in working with people with forensic histories, mental health problems.

OTHER

  • Ability to accept and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively.
  • Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPS policy and procedure – to obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance.
  • Application must be clearly tailored to the post and Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

  • High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses service user’s particular needs.
  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
  • High standard of report writing skills
  • Knowledge and experience of using SPSS for windows

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work.Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience.AI-generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience.Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant’s chances of success.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

  • Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
  • Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system
  • Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
  • If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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Posted: October 5th, 2026