Job Introduction

• Working as a Duty and Risk Mental Health Practitioner in a regional Team, covering several Talking Therapies Services, liaising directly with service users, members of the Talking Therapies team, GPs and other agencies, including Secondary Care.
• The Duty and Risk Mental Health Practitioner will work as part of the Duty Team and be responsible for providing advice and support to our staff (CBT Therapists/Counsellors, DIT, IPT, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) and our administrative team) about all aspects of clinical risk, supporting robust risk management and safeguarding processes across the service.
• The Duty and Risk Mental Health Practitioner will have substantial client contact by telephone, often talking with people who may be distressed, to help screen client suitability for the service and make referrals where appropriate into secondary mental health services.  There may be some additional responsibilities in managing the interface between Talking Therapies Services and Secondary Care mental health services.
• We welcome applicants who have experience of and confidence in managing risk. A working knowledge of primary and secondary mental health care services would be an advantage.
• Staff development is very important to Vita Health Group and you will have an annual study leave allowance, for your own development as a practitioner.  
• The role will be remote but we encourage occasional team building days on site at Vita Health Group bases in the region. You will need to have private working space to take confidential calls. 

Your skills and background:

Essential:

• Hold a current registration to a professional health registered body (i.e. RMN, HCPC registered OT, Psychologist). 
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and training to the equivalent of safeguarding Level 3 
• Experience of working within NHS mental health services with a range of mental health issues. 
• Experience of assessing & managing multiple presentations of risk. 
• Experience of multidisciplinary working. 
• Experience of assessment & managing wide range of safeguarding issues. 
• Experience of working with people in acute mental distress. 
• Experience of providing risk & safeguarding advice, consultation and/or supervision to other practitioners. 
• Knowledge of local and national policies relating to safeguarding children and adults at risk, relevant professional and NHS policy initiatives.  
• Excellent organizational and time management skills  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate clearly and empathically with clients in distress including suicidal clients and angry clients. 
• IT literate – intermediate level minimum.

Desirable:

• Safeguarding Level 4 training
• Evidence of working within both secondary and primary care healthcare settings. 
• Experience of delivering risk/ safeguarding supervision. 
• Experience of multi-agency working. 
• Specialist knowledge of adult safeguarding practice and legislation.

Why Vita Health Group?

Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do.  Now part of Spire Healthcare Group plc we have been providing physical and mental health services for over 30 years. We work in partnership with the NHS, are engaged by insurers and some of the UK’s largest corporate companies to support their workforce and provide a full range of physiotherapy services to private customers.

To achieve our mission of Making People Better, we recognise the importance of investing in our staff. We are an award-winning employer recently recognised nationally as “Best Company to Work for” at the Health and Wellbeing Awards 2024.

This is also recognised by current employees – our most recent Employee Survey results showed the top 5 reasons to work here as being:

• Supportive team and management
• Positive work environment
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Trust and respect
• Autonomy and flexibility

We are keen to progress your skills and enable career development and provide regular Continued Professional Development opportunities including secondments, management training, a mentoring scheme, apprenticeships and regular events and webinars across a range of clinical disciplines.  In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer the opportunity of a flexible work life balance and a comprehensive benefits package which you can view here: https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/join-us/careers/

Vita Health Group is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and is seeking to improve the diversity of its workforce.  We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion best practice and positively encourage applications from candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion/belief, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity.  For further information on our EDI commitments please view here: Vita Health Groups commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to being equitable and supporting the wellbeing of all employees.

• We are a Mindful Employer
• Our status as a Disability Confident Leader dedicated to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. All disabled candidates that meet the minimum essential criteria will be considered for interview.
• Our Ethnicity Matters Scheme where all applicants for senior roles (£40,000+) from a minority ethnic group that meet the essential criteria will be considered for interview.
• Our Gender Matters Scheme where all women applicants for senior roles (£60,000+) that meet the essential criteria will be considered interview.
• Our sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant.  
• Our status as a Menopause Friendly Committed employer. 
• Our sign up to the Employer with Heart Charter.  
• Our commitment to meet the standards outlined in the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS). Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).
• Access to health and wellbeing services for colleagues including Mental Health Advocates and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• An embedded “speaking up” culture facilitated by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.
• Treating transgender individuals with dignity and recognising the potential complications that may arise when taking references. We encourage applicants to contact HR at hr@vhg.co.uk to discuss or amend how we manage reference requests.

Should you wish to discuss any adjustment or assistance you need in the application or interview process please contact recruitment@vhg.co.uk and we will facilitate.

Please note, all applicants must be legally entitled to accept and perform work in the UK and all positions are subject to a DBS check. 

Any data which you share with us throughout the hiring process will be stored securely within the UK and is accessible only by staff who require it. Should your application be unsuccessful, your data will be securely destroyed after 6 months. 

Vita Health Group reserves the right to close this job when sufficient applications have been received.

Vita Health Group