MHSPA Crisis Care Practitioner( Social Worker)
At a glance
- Band
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 16/09/2026
- Closes
- 28/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship is not clearly stated in this advert.
The advert didn't contain a clear role-specific sponsorship line, so HiveMind can't confirm eligibility. Verify with the recruiting manager or trust HR before you apply.
Role summary
This role involves providing urgent mental health assessment and intervention for individuals in crisis, managing complex triage calls, and conducting face-to-face community assessments. The practitioner will formulate risk management and crisis plans, work autonomously, and liaise with various partner agencies to coordinate safe care pathways. It requires resilience, adaptability, and the ability to remain calm under pressure while delivering compassionate, patient-centred care.
Essential criteria
- Relevant professional qualification, e.g. Nurse (RMN/RGN/RNLD), Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Therapist, Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Counsellor
- Current registration with relevant professional body (e.g. NMC, HCPC, SWE, BACP, UKCP, NCPS, BPS)
- Educated to degree level standard plus postgraduate diploma or equivalent level of experience
- Specialist knowledge of mental health in relation to crisis, including assessment and management of risk
- Demonstrable clinical knowledge and experience of mental health, including triage, assessment and support for individuals with complex needs
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development within a mental health setting
- Understanding of the barriers and challenges faced by people with serious mental health issues
Desirable criteria
- Degree in a health-related subject
- Qualification in psychosocial interventions in mental health
- KUF training
- Additional training in brief interventions for people in crisis or emotional distress
- Full UK driving licence
- Experience of providing clinical support to people in mental health crisis or acute emotional distress
- Experience of carrying out crisis mental health assessments and risk formulations
- Experience of working autonomously and using own initiative in pressured environments
- Experience of telephone or remote (video/tele-triage) assessment and support
- Experience of prioritising tasks in a busy clinical environment
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
- Experience of receiving and engaging in clinical supervision
- Experience with telephone triage services (SPA, crisis line, 111*2)
- Experience in psychiatric liaison or home treatment services
- Experience supervising or mentoring staff and/or students
- Experience facilitating wellbeing sessions with colleagues or service users
- Experience of working with people across the lifespan
- Experience of working to agreed targets and demonstrating clinical outcomes
- Evidence of working in the local community
- Knowledge & Skills
- High standard of written and spoken English
- Knowledge of relevant mental health law (MHA, MCA)
- Excellent telephone manner and ability to engage empathetically in high-risk or emotive situations
- Competence in structured risk assessment and crisis safety planning
- Strong and adaptable communication skills (written and verbal)
- Ability to type quickly and accurately
- IT literacy, including MS Office and electronic health records
- High level of analytical and judgement skills
- Ability to work without direct supervision
- Ability to recognise own wellbeing needs and maintain resilience
- Ability to speak another community language
- Ability to work effectively with interpreters
- Knowledge of RiO or other NHS electronic record systems
- Knowledge of outcome measures and use in audit
- Knowledge of different mental health models and evidence-based psychosocial interventions
- Ability to appropriately challenge and resolve conflict
- Ability to work under pressure in high-risk situations
- Flexible and positive approach to shift work, including nights and weekends
- Empathy and ability to contain distress while maintaining professional boundaries
- Proactive, reflective, and self-aware approach to practice
- Committed to high-quality care and continuous learning
- Ability to manage potentially distressing or traumatic situations
- Evidence of self-development
- Evidence of supporting others in their development
- Requirements
- Able to participate in a 24 hour shift rota including days, nights, weekends and bank holidays, 365 days per year.
- Able to undertake breakaway training and maintain competency where required for the role.
- Holds a UK Driving Licence
- Relevant professional qualification, e.g. Nurse (RMN/RGN/RNLD), Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Therapist, Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Counsellor
- Current registration with relevant professional body (e.g. NMC, HCPC, SWE, BACP, UKCP, NCPS, BPS)
- Educated to degree level standard plus postgraduate diploma or equivalent level of experience
- Specialist knowledge of mental health in relation to crisis, including assessment and management of risk
- Demonstrable clinical knowledge and experience of mental health, including triage, assessment and support for individuals with complex needs
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development within a mental health setting
- Understanding of the barriers and challenges faced by people with serious mental health issues
- Degree in a health-related subject
- Qualification in psychosocial interventions in mental health
- KUF training
- Additional training in brief interventions for people in crisis or emotional distress
- Full UK driving licence
- Experience
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 6 at £37,338 – £44,962 a year, across England.
This advert: £45,953 – £54,254 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 12d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
West London NHS Trust
MHSPA Crisis Care Practitioner( Social Worker)
The closing date is 28 September 2026
Job summary
Thank you for your interest in this exciting opportunity at West London NHS Trust.
The West London NHS Trust (WLT) Mental Health Single Point of Access (MH SPA) and NHS111 Option 2 for Mental Health (NHS111*2) provides 24/7 access to mental health services, every day of the year. Both services support people in a mental health crisis and provide a telephone support line for service users, their families and wider support networks. This includes a triage, signposting and referral pathway to appropriate onward care, if indicated. NHS111*2 is a national initiative developed under the NHS Long Term Plan to improve access to crisis services. The key operational difference is that NHS111*2 is open to all ages, whereas MH SPA primarily supports adults aged 18 and over.
Being part of the service, you will be at the forefront of innovation of service delivery in one of the fasted growing parts of community healthcare. The team is highly motivated, diverse, energetic, and has a ready to help attitude to both patients and their carers, and communicate with a variety of other health care providers, 3rdsector organisations and other statutory services.
We believe in embracing the expertise of our staff and making a difference to the lives of our service users.
Join the community to read the full pack, responsibilities and person-specification in one place.
Your seat is reserved — activate it
CareerHive is included with your CareerHive Skool community membership. If you haven't claimed your account yet, join the community (or sign in with the same email you joined with) to unlock the full advert, the apply link, HiveMind AI interview & application suite, your private vault, and daily sponsorship alerts.