Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AFC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon - Fri 9am- 5pm excluding Bank Holidays)
- Job ref
- 354-CS-21978-1
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bexhill Health Centre
- Town
- Bexhill
- Salary
- £39,959 - £48,117 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lead Practitioner - Hastings Early Intervention in Psychosis Service
NHS AFC: Band 6
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, progressive Early Intervention in Psychosis Service based in Hasting and Rother area, supporting clients with First Episode Psychosis to have a positive, hopeful and meaningful experience of mental health services.
We are looking to recruit a full-time Occupational Therapist, Mental Health Nurse or Social Worker to work as a Lead Practitioner, to complement our existing multidisciplinary Early Intervention in Psychosis service based at Bexhill Health Centre in Bexhill. Hastings Early Intervention Service is a small team of passionate and creative individuals, offering a wide range of specialisms.
If you would like to make a real difference to the lives of those living with Psychosis and their recovery, using your professional training and skills, please apply.
This post offers the Trust's £2,000 Golden Hello or Relocation Incentive for Band 6 Nurses & Practitioners, (pro rata and subject to terms and conditions; please see attached Protocol Document for full details).
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will support a small caseload of clients aged 14-65, with suspected/ confirmed First Episode Psychosis or At-Risk Mental State in the community from point of referral to discharge, providing effective care co-ordination for up to 3 years.
Through developing therapeutic relationships, you will work collaboratively with clients to create person centred care and treatment plans which aim to reduce their distress, maintain independence, prevent relapse, promote recovery and social inclusion. Involving and working with friends and family members seen as a key component to the way care is delivered.
Previous experience of supporting clients with mental health and social care difficulties is beneficial, and you will be supported to develop specialist knowledge and skills to support those presenting with First Episode of Psychosis. It is important the successful applicants have a keen interest in understanding the principles and ethos of early intervention and this client group. You can find out more information about our approach here: What is Early Intervention in Psychosis? (likemind.nhs.uk)
Working for our organisation
This small, friendly, multi-disciplinary team is based at New Park House in Horsham, situated At Bexhill Health Centre, a train station and within walking distance of the town centre shops and cafes.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an expanding team within Sussex EIP. The Hastings EIP team is one of 6 Early Intervention in Psychosis teams provided by the Trust. The teams have a single service-wide governance group which oversees and leads on the delivery of care.
You will be supported by the team leader and the wider MDT via clinical supervision, managerial supervision, and professional supervision with our EIP Professional leads. We also have regular MDT zoning meetings and risk discussions, team learning spaces and case formulation meetings.
As a service we offer a real commitment to support your continuing professional development through a variety of internal and external training opportunities and university accredited courses.
The base for this post is in Hastings however the team regularly works flexibly and remotely using a range of digital solutions for meetings and consultations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role of Lead Practitioners is to work in partnership with service users with complex health and social care needs, developing their care and recovery plans to enable them to lead fulfilling lives, using NICE recommended interventions and an assertive outreach approach. The successful applicants will demonstrate an understanding of interventions relevant to clients with Psychosis, working closely with carers, families and partner agencies to facilitate this.
The post holder will work at all times to promote the safety and the well-being of service users and their families/carers. They will be involved in the triaging and assessment of referrals to the services, as well as assess, plan and implement care, provide specialist advice and carry out specialist assessments.
For more details, please see Job Description and Person Specification.
If you are looking to increase your community experience or want to gain experience of working in a specialist mental health service, please don't hesitate to contact Norman Lusted for more information.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Practitioner with current registration [mental health/LD/Adult/Social Work/OT], appropriate to the job role
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
- Experience of working alongside people with psychosis and complex health and social care problems in the designated care group
- Experience of managing a caseload
- Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within the CPA process
- Understanding of clinical governance
- Previous experience of working in the community
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Norman Lusted
- Job title
- Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03003040714
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