Triage Mental Health Practitioner

Job Overview

Role Overview

The post holder will join the North Westminster and Queen’s Park & Paddington Community Mental Health Triage Teams, which act as the main access point for mental health referrals across 22 GP practices. We are seeking a Registered Mental Health Nurse to support the delivery of high‑quality, accessible mental health care within an integrated community setting.

Key Purpose

The post holder will undertake mental health assessments, manage referrals, and provide signposting to ensure timely and appropriate care. They will also deliver short‑term interventions within the Mental Health Hub and primary care, supporting continuity across community services. Some duties may take place within aligned GP practices.

Main Responsibilities

• Conduct mental health and risk assessments.
• Provide brief, evidence‑based interventions.
• Communicate effectively with MDTs, GPs, and partner agencies.
• Liaise with community services to support coordinated pathways.
• Contribute to training of colleagues, students, and primary care staff.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and follow professional standards.
• Participate in audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement.
  
  

Main duties of the job

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Receive and triage GP referrals, completing comprehensive psychosocial assessments to identify presenting issues, risks, and care needs.
• Act as a liaison point for GP practices, offering support for patients with complex mental health needs and co‑morbidities.
• Screen routine and enhanced referrals, determining suitability for primary care management in line with thresholds and available resources.
• Facilitate timely onward referrals and rapid access to Hub pathways, specialist teams, or external agencies.
• Ensure early identification and fast‑tracking of individuals showing signs of severe mental illness or high‑risk concerns.
• Respond promptly to safeguarding issues, ensuring appropriate escalation and compliance with safeguarding procedures.
• Refer patients with common mental health problems to psychological therapies or other relevant support services.
• Maintain high standards of practice using a psychosocial, problem‑solving, and evaluative approach.
• Use a range of therapeutic techniques and evidence‑based interventions aligned with patient needs.
• Demonstrate cultural competence, recognising social determinants of mental health and respecting diverse values, beliefs, and practices.
• Engage in regular clinical supervision to support safe, effective, and reflective practice.
  
  

Working for our organisation

We are committed to offering you an environment to flourish which includes dedicated development opportunities as well as a healthier work life balance. We will offer you;

• Free access to our Staff and Wellbeing service to ensure that you are always looking after yourself
• Commitment to career mapping to ensure continuous professional development including opportunities within the Trust
• On-site shadowing opportunities including HTT, Psych Liaison and many more
• An opportunity to work with a friendly, dynamic, passionate and diverse team who are committed to looking after each other as well as their patients
• Excellent staff benefits: our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include: childcare vouchers, health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, blue light card, discounts at Nando's and Superdrug, mobile phone contracts and much more! 
• Award-winning Staff Networks
• Hidden Gem & annual award ceremonies
  
  

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Receive and process GP referrals, undertaking comprehensive psychosocial mental health assessments to determine presenting needs, risks, and appropriate care pathways.
• Act as a key liaison point for aligned GP practices, providing advice and collaborative support regarding patients with complex mental health presentations and/or co‑morbid conditions.
• Screen routine and enhanced GP adult mental health referrals, identifying those suitable for primary care management in line with agreed thresholds and taking into account the mental health resources available within individual practices.
• Facilitate timely onward referral and rapid access to appropriate services, including Hub pathways, specialist mental health teams, or external agencies, in accordance with established protocols, thresholds, and criteria. Provide guidance to referring GPs on effective management where appropriate.
• Ensure early identification and fast‑tracking of individuals who present with indicators of severe mental illness or significant risk.
• Identify, respond to, and appropriately escalate safeguarding concerns, ensuring timely action and adherence to local safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Refer patients with common mental health problems to primary care psychological therapy services or other relevant community resources.
• Regularly engage with GPs and practice nurses within aligned Primary Care Network practices to support integrated, collaborative care.
• Deliver and maintain high standards of professional mental health care, applying a psychosocial, problem‑solving, and evaluation‑based approach.
• Use a range of therapeutic techniques and evidence‑based interventions tailored to individual needs and service requirements.
• Participate in the Hub duty rota, contributing to timely triage, decision‑making, and support for incoming referrals.
• Demonstrate cultural competence, taking into account social determinants of mental health and respecting the diverse cultures, values, customs, beliefs, and spiritual practices of all clients, particularly those from minority ethnic communities.
• Engage in regular clinical supervision, as agreed with the Mental Health Hub Manager, to support safe, effective, and reflective practice.
• Support the operation of the Hub depot clinic as required, as part of a shared rota.
  
  

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Current Professional Qualification in either mental health nursing, social work or occupational therapy.
• Registration must be live with professional body
• Evidence of post registration training and CPD.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Training in Psychosocial Interventions
• Other relevant training, e.g. psychosocial interventions
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in multidisciplinary mental health team with clients with acute/severe and enduring mental health problems
• Extensive post-registration experience
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Work with clients with acute/severe and enduring mental health problems who are homeless/rootless
• Work with people experiencing mental health crisis
• Supervision of students and junior staff.
• Audit and research
• Working with people who use substances
• Teaching
  
  

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and presentations / IT skills.
• Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive care package for the identified client group, using a wide range of resources.
• Able to develop a comprehensive programme of intervention and support for the identified client group and their families
• Skills in risk assessment and management.
• Can demonstrate understanding of psychosis and its impact on service users and carers.
• Knowledge of current legislation and guidance applicable to this client group.
• Can demonstrate understanding of the needs of diverse groups, e.g. residents of inner city; black and minority ethnic groups, and skills in engaging with them
• Skills in psychosocial interventions.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Skills in leadership: ability to motivate others, use initiative and manage change.
• Basic counselling and group work skills.
  
  

Other

Essential criteria

• The post-holder must have the ability to understand and implement the Equal Opportunities Policy at a level appropriate to the job.