IRS Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary Main area Mental Health Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 351-BAY876-MF-C Employer Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site East Barn Town Lancaster Salary £38,682 - £46,580 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/03/2026 23:59 Employer heading IRS Mental Health Practitioner Band 6 Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve. As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including: Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care. Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support. Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management. The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children's nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services. For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT . Job overview The Initial Response Service (IRS) launched in the Bay in 2023 and since then it has consistently demonstrated itself to be an integral part of secondary mental health services; we've improved access to mental health services for individuals who need it, whilst reducing demands on care and treatment delivery services. In the most recent CQC report, the IRS was identified as a source of positive change in how mental health services are delivered in Lancashire and South Cumbria Forget caseloads and case management. In the IRS your skills and expertise will be in assessing patients at the point of referral and identifying what service will best meet their needs moving forwards. The spectrum of mental health needs vary significantly; you will have the ability to offer advice and guidance for mild to moderate mental health issues and ways this can be managed and improved. Equally, you'll have the ability respond to urgent referrals with more acute needs and higher risks in the community. If you require more details about the role or an informal chat please contact us on the details provided Main duties of the job Ability to use your skills to triage and assess individuals with varying degrees of mental health difficulties over the phone and/or face to face in the community. Identify community services that are most appropriate for presenting need (third sector, CMHT, HBTT, and Talking Therapies). Act as shift lead, screening referrals and prioritising them based on your clinical judgment of risk and need. Working alongside the police to support patients and implement care when they are at risk of being held under s.136 of the MHA. Fast paced environment and supportive developing team. We want to hear from practitioners who are experienced in the field of mental health, and its care and treatment pathways (including third sector service). We need confident practitioners with an ability to assess risk and respond to it appropriately in a fast paced environment. Fancy the challenge? IRS for the Bay have multiple roles available in the team so come along and join the team. Working for our organisation LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask. We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services. LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time. Detailed job description and main responsibilities For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification. Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria Recognised Core Mental Health Professional Qualification (e.g. RMN/Dip SW/OT) Knowledge Essential criteria In-depth knowledge of mental health problems In-depth knowledge of issues that impact upon people with mental health problems Detailed knowledge of the impact of risk and protective factors that affect people with mental health problems Experience Essential criteria Experience of post qualification clinical work with service users experiencing a range of mental health problems Experience of delivering evidence based interventions in a time-limited framework Evidence of assessment across a broad range of mental health problems You are advised to consider applying for LSCFT vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within four weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates. Please note that further communication from LSCFT will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCFT to contact them. Please ensure that you read the person specification as your application will be measured against this document. If you use AI to assist with your application, you must declare this. Undeclared use may result in withdrawal. Please ensure your application reflects your own skills and experiences. While AI tools can assist, they may produce generic or inaccurate content. We encourage you to provide personal examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria. For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s). Employer certification / accreditation badges Applicant requirements You must have appropriate UK professional registration. 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. Documents to download JDPS ( PDF , 600.3 KB ) We Do More at LSCFT ( PDF , 654.2 KB ) Apply online now Further details / informal visits contact Name Katie Lowis Job title Team Manager Email address katie.lowis@lscft.nhs.uk Telephone number 07790578028 List jobs with Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors