Community Mental Health Nurse

Job summary

We have opportunities for Band 6 Community Nurses in our welcoming and friendly Adult Community Mental Health Services in Cygnet House in Ware. We are looking for enthusiastic nurses to join our vibrant, friendly and supportive multi disciplinary team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is looking for further development with their knowledge of nursing in a community setting. Successful candidates will be working closely with experienced colleagues in a multi-disciplinary team, alongside allied teams in the wider local mental health system, making a difference to the quality of our service user experience. Successful candidates will also benefit from a competitive salary, staff benefits package and excellent career development opportunities, regular supervision, and training that comes from working for [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]. Should you feel like you are not quite ready to apply for band 6? why not submit your application anyway as we have a number of band 5 to 6 development posts across our Adult Community sites.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake assessments of needs of service users, working in partnership with service users and their families, to formulate personalised care and support plans and risk assessments.
• Work with colleagues and allied resources to review the effectiveness of interventions and re-plan using evidence based interventions to best effect in partnership with the service user.
• Involved in physical procedures including administration of oral and injectable medications, the storage and transportation of them, and the monitoring of people's physical responses to medications and physical health, such as blood pressure, glucose and weight monitoring.

About [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Job details

• Date posted: 06 May 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change, Band 6
• Salary: £41,957 to £50,387 a year per annum pro rata (5% fringe HCAS included)
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 367-ACMS-101241
• Job locations: Cygnet House 1 Old college court, Priory Street Ware SG12 0DE

Job responsibilities

• To carry a clinical caseload and act as the lead practitioner fulfilling the named nurse role for a group of service users.
• To undertake comprehensive personalised care and support needs and risk assessments (including capacity assessments).
• Where necessary to administer prescribed medication or to supervise its administration and assess the service user for desired and non-desired effects.
• To maintain robust clinical records and prepare reports as required.
• To be aware of and comply with the relevant mental health and work related legislation and policy at all times.

Person Specification

Knowledge/Training/Experience

Essential:

• RMN or Dip / BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
• ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship.

Desirable:

• ENB 812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health)
• Psychosocial interventions

Experience and Attainments

Essential:

• Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
• At least 2 years of post registration experience with at least one year at Band 5.
• Experience of working in acute mental health inpatient/day care services
• Experience of working in situations of crisis and emotionally demanding environments.
• Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
• Experience of teaching and training
• Experience and knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community
• Experience of delivering evidence based care

Desirable:

• Experience of working with acute mental health problems in a community setting.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management
• Professional Code of Conduct
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of parenting literature and its application
• Ability to teach and train others using multi-media materials suitable for presentation.
• Knowledge of current developments in research with service user group

Skills and Aptitudes

Essential:

• Skills to use and give supervision effectively
• Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment and treatment of individual, couples, and families requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Skills in applying theory to practice and ability to use a range of models in formulating community care plans.
• Ability to communicate effectively within a multi-professional team
• Ability to work with diverse communities in a wide variety of contexts
• Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, empathic and reassuring skills are required
• Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situation including; staff and organisational problems; safeguarding; family breakdown; serious mental ill health and risk of self-harm
• Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from service users.
• Ability to apply practice governance as appropriate to maintain ethical and effective clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Assessing and monitoring physical health care

Desirable:

• Substantial IT skills

Communication and People Skills

Essential:

• Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at an age-appropriate level - complex, technical, and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS
• Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.

Organisational skills

Essential:

• Ability to maintain high standards of record keeping, including data entry and recording.
• Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals in accordance with professional, ethical guidelines and Trust policies.

Additional information

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

Address: Cygnet House 1 Old college court, Priory Street Ware SG12 0DE

Employer's website: https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/

Contact for questions

Service Line Lead: Jackie Stonebrook

Email: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]