Senior Clinical Practitioner

Job Description – Senior Clinical Practitioner

Post Title: Senior Clinical Practitioner
Band: Band 7 (£27 - 29 per hour)
Directorate: Adult Community Mental Health Services
Location/Base: Designated Adult Community Mental Health Team / Locality Base
Responsible to: Team Manager / Operational Manager
Accountable to: Senior Manager, Community Services

Job Summary

The Senior Clinical Practitioner works as a Band 7 senior practitioner within an Adult Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), providing senior clinical leadership, expert advice, consultation, supervision and direct clinical care to adults experiencing serious and complex mental health difficulties.

The role involves working flexibly across the Adult CMHT pathway in response to clinical need, service demand and staffing requirements. Responsibilities include assessment, clinical formulation, personalised care planning, risk management, therapeutic intervention, care coordination, Named Worker responsibilities, complex case management, assertive outreach, review and discharge planning.

The post holder works as part of a multidisciplinary team and contributes to clinical decision-making, safeguarding, risk management and service development. They also provide supervision, support and professional guidance to Band 6 practitioners, students and other members of the team.

Key Responsibilities

Senior Clinical Practice and Leadership

Provide senior clinical input, advice and professional challenge within the multidisciplinary team.

Undertake and support comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, clinical formulation, care planning and risk assessment.

Support clinical decision-making relating to complex presentations, deterioration, risk, safeguarding, engagement difficulties, transfers and discharge.

Act as a clinical role model, promoting high professional standards and safe, evidence-based practice.

Promote personalised, recovery-focused, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches to care.

Contribute to assessment, triage, allocation and review processes across the CMHT pathway.

Direct Clinical Care and Named Worker Responsibilities

Manage an agreed caseload of service users with complex mental health needs.

Act as Named Worker where required, maintaining oversight and coordination of care and support plans.

Develop and review personalised care plans, formulations, risk assessments and safety plans in collaboration with service users and carers.

Use DIALOG+ and other outcome measures to support shared decision-making and monitor progress.

Provide profession-specific interventions, including brief evidence-based interventions, recovery-focused support and longer-term therapeutic work.

Support individuals who require enhanced engagement or assertive outreach due to complexity, risk, disengagement or deterioration.

Contribute to safe and collaborative discharge planning and re-access arrangements.

MDT Working and Clinical Decision-Making

Participate in and support daily clinical huddles, weekly MDT meetings, complex case discussions and review processes.

Chair or deputise for MDT meetings, clinical huddles and professional meetings where appropriate.

Promote shared MDT responsibility for clinical decision-making, risk management, safeguarding and care planning.

Encourage formulation-informed practice, professional curiosity and constructive challenge.

Ensure clinical decisions and agreed actions are accurately documented and followed through.

Supervision, Line Management and Staff Development

Provide clinical supervision, advice and professional support to Band 6 practitioners and other team members.

Support newly qualified practitioners, students and unregistered staff within the scope of the role.

Provide coaching and guidance on personalised care planning, Named Worker practice, DIALOG+, risk management and outcome-focused reviews.

Contribute to reflective practice, clinical debriefs and psychologically safe learning environments.

Support staff induction, appraisal, performance management, wellbeing and professional development in accordance with organisational policies.

Identify training and development needs and contribute to workforce development.

Caseload Oversight and Safer Staffing

Support caseload allocation and review, taking into account clinical complexity, risk, continuity, workload and professional skill mix.

Assist with prioritisation and safe management of demand using agreed systems and processes.

Balance direct clinical care with MDT responsibilities, supervision, professional development, administration and unplanned clinical activity.

Identify and escalate concerns relating to staffing, capacity, quality or patient safety.

Work flexibly across referral, assessment, intervention, review, recovery and discharge functions according to service need.

Risk, Safeguarding and Clinical Governance

Complete and review complex risk assessments, safety plans and risk management plans.

Apply positive risk management, least restrictive practice and shared decision-making principles.

Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns involving adults and vulnerable individuals.

Contribute to incident reviews, safeguarding investigations, complaints learning and clinical governance processes.

Promote high standards of clinical documentation, data quality and outcome recording.

Participate in audit, quality improvement, service evaluation and implementation of learning.

Partnership and Multi-Agency Working

Work collaboratively with GPs, primary care networks, local authorities, inpatient services, crisis teams, voluntary and community organisations, carers and families.

Support effective communication and continuity of care during assessment, transfer, review and discharge.

Liaise with specialist mental health services and other relevant agencies to ensure appropriate and coordinated support.

Promote an accessible, person-centred service for individuals with serious and complex mental health needs.

Professional Responsibilities

Maintain current professional registration and comply with relevant professional codes of conduct, legislation, organisational policies and procedures.

Maintain accurate, timely and confidential clinical records.

Participate in supervision, appraisal, mandatory training, continuing professional development and relevant specialist training.

Comply with safeguarding, confidentiality, information governance, equality and diversity, infection prevention and health and safety requirements.

Maintain professional competence and undertake appropriate learning and development activities.

Essential Skills and Experience

The Senior Clinical Practitioner should have:

Current professional registration as a Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Mental Health Social Worker.

Significant post-registration experience within mental health services, including community mental health or an equivalent complex community setting.

Experience working with people experiencing serious mental health difficulties, complexity, risk and co-occurring needs.

Experience managing a complex caseload and undertaking care coordination or Named Worker responsibilities.

Experience providing supervision, support or professional guidance to other staff.

Strong clinical assessment, formulation, risk management and safeguarding skills.

Experience contributing to MDT decision-making, clinical huddles and complex case reviews.

Strong communication, leadership, organisation and clinical decision-making skills.

Commitment to personalised, recovery-focused, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice.

Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and reducing health inequalities.

Commitment to reflective practice, continuous learning and quality improvement.

Working Arrangements

The role may require flexibility across the Adult Community Mental Health pathway in response to service demand, clinical complexity, workforce capacity and safer staffing requirements. There may be an occasional requirement to travel across the Trust's geographical footprint to attend meetings, training and other work-related events.

This job description is intended to provide an overview of the role and is not exhaustive. Duties may be reviewed and amended in accordance with service requirements, organisational developments and changes to the Adult Community Mental Health operating model.

Please contact Mathure for further information.