ARRS Assistant Practitioner
At a glance
- Band
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Hours / week
- 22.5
- Posted
- 04/09/2026
- Closes
- 20/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
“Please note that applications from candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately not eligible for this position.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role involves supporting individuals with mild to moderate mental health difficulties within a Primary Care Mental Health Team. You will deliver brief interventions, psychoeducation, and promote self-management techniques to improve wellbeing and resilience. The position requires working autonomously, forming therapeutic relationships, and collaborating with various healthcare professionals and community services to facilitate recovery and social inclusion. It is a part-time role for 22.5 hours per week, spread across 4-5 days with a mix of face-to-face and remote appointments.
Key responsibilities
- Support individuals with mild to moderate mental health difficulties to improve wellbeing and achieve recovery goals.
- Deliver brief interventions, psychoeducation, and promote self-management techniques.
- Help people access community resources, social support networks, and wellbeing activities.
- Develop positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers.
- Undertake brief assessments and maintain accurate records.
- Work collaboratively with GPs, Mental Health Practitioners, Social Prescribers, and partner organisations.
Essential criteria
- NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare, equivalent, or willingness to work towards achieving this
- Working knowledge, focussing on recovery of people mental health difficulties to a diploma level or equivalent demonstrable experience
- Commitment to undertake Continuing Personal Development
- Recent experience of working in mental health services with this client group
- Genuine interest and motivation to work with people experiencing mental health issues
- Ability to form positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers
- Ability to acknowledge and promote diversity, ensuring anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities
- Ability to act calmly in emergency situations and respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
- Ability to work autonomously and unsupervised in a range of settings
- Experience of electronic patient / service user record systems, data entry and reporting
- Written communication skills to enable completion of records
- Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively.
- Subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business.
Desirable criteria
- Basic level of knowledge of Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act
- Experience of dealing with emotional distress
- Experience of supporting socially isolated people
- An understanding of the Mental Health services
- Awareness of local services and the ability to promote close working relationships with outside agencies
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 4 at £26,530 – £29,114 a year, across England.
This advert: £17,035 – £18,694 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 3d ago · Closes in 14d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
ARRS Assistant Practitioner
The closing date is 20 September 2026
Job summary
Are you passionate about supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing?
Dorset HealthCare is looking for a compassionate and motivated ARRS Assistant Practitioner to join our Primary Care Mental Health Team within The Vale Primary Care Network. This is a part time position for 22.5 hours a week to spread across 4-5 days flexibly between face to face and remote appointments.
Working alongside Mental Health Practitioners and partner organisations, you will support people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties through assessment, brief interventions, health promotion, and community-based support. You will help individuals build confidence, improve wellbeing, access local services, and achieve meaningful recovery goals. We are looking for someone who has the ability to work autonomously in a range of settings.
This rewarding role offers the opportunity to work within a supportive multidisciplinary team, make a real difference in local communities, and contribute to innovative, patient-centred care. If you have experience supporting people with mental health needs, excellent communication skills, and a genuine commitment to recovery-focused practice please do apply.
**Please note that applications from candidates wh
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