Band 5 Specialist Practitioner (Developmental Role)

Job Overview

We are offering a Band 5 developmental opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic practitioner who is either recently qualified or looking to develop from a Band 5 role towards a more autonomous Band 6 level of practice. This post is ideal for someone who is highly engaged in their work, demonstrates strong problem‑solving skills, and is keen to build confidence, autonomy, and clinical decision‑making. The successful candidate will be motivated to develop their clinical reasoning and rationale, and to take on the additional responsibilities associated with a more senior role, with robust support in place. You will be embedded within an experienced and supportive team of Band 6 practitioners, working closely with the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). Although you will largely undertake the duties of a Band 6 practitioner, this will be with enhanced supervision, mentorship, and structured support to ensure safe practice and ongoing development. A named supervisor will guide you through a clear developmental journey, helping you to consolidate skills, grow confidence, and progress towards greater independence.

Main Duties of the Job

• Support the screening, triage, and assessment of referrals, working within agreed clinical and operational frameworks.
• Demonstrate the ability to assess, and prioritise referrals based on clinical risk, acuity, complexity, and identified need, with appropriate supervision.
• Identify and recommend appropriate care pathways and disposition routes, including onward referrals, signposting, and service allocation, in line with local and national guidance.
• Clearly articulate clinical decision‑making and rationale for triage outcomes and pathway recommendations, both verbally and through high‑quality clinical documentation.
• Undertake initial assessments, synthesising relevant clinical, psychosocial, and risk information to inform care planning.
• Work collaboratively with the MDT, contributing to discussions around risk management, formulation, and care coordination.
• Proactively utilise clinical supervision, reflective practice, and feedback to support the development of autonomous Band 6‑level skills, including complex decision‑making.
• Develop confidence in managing clinical uncertainty, problem‑solving, and prioritisation in a fast‑paced environment, escalating appropriately when required.
• Contribute to maintaining safe and effective flow through the service, recognising pressures and balancing risk with responsiveness.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and professional records, ensuring decisions and rationales are clearly documented in line with Trust policy and professional standards.

Working for Our Organisation

We are [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] ([Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care. We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset. Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care. At [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

Clinical Skills

• Working as part of a team and within the parameters of the role contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery focused and trauma informed way through therapeutic engagement.
• Developing skills assessing and interpreting complex needs of patients/clients e.g. clinical assessment of complex health needs and social needs, interpretation of vital signs and related physical health assessments.
• Facilitate access to services such as housing, employment, education, and substance misuse support, advocating for patients’ needs and preferences.
• Provide support to families and carers to enhance understanding and involvement in the patient’s recovery journey.
• Developing skills to communicate complex and sensitive clinical information to patients, families, and carers in a clear, compassionate, and professional manner. Ensure that all information regarding care plans, treatment options, and health conditions is accurate, timely, and presented in an accessible format.
• Demonstrate empathy, active listening, and reassurance when supporting individuals through difficult or emotionally charged situations, adapting communication approaches to meet the individual needs of patients, including those with sensory impairments, cognitive challenges, language barriers, or disabilities.
• Administering medication including IM Long Acting Injections and monitoring the side-effects of, medication; monitoring service user compliance.
• Safety; safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust policy.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including pharmacists and prescribers, to ensure safe medicine management practices. Provide information and support to patients and carers regarding medication regimens, promoting adherence and understanding of potential risks and benefits.
• Leading on and directing junior to staff in providing hands-on care to service use.
• Proactively support patients in engaging with mental health and related community services, promoting recovery, independence, and social inclusion. Identify and address barriers to engagement, including stigma, accessibility, cultural factors, and individual anxieties or mistrust of services.
• Advocating for service users’ needs and rights within Trust policy. Encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care.

Continuing Professional Development

• Taking responsibility for post-registration education and for continuing professional development as outlined in NMC standards.
• Participating in education and training opportunities.
• Undertaking a thorough revalidation process in line with NMC and [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] policy.
• Maintaining up to date knowledge of the relevant medicines, related medication management issues, and act in accordance with the appropriate NMC standards and Trust guidance.
• Abiding by the legal rules, statutory regulations and professional responsibilities in relation to practice as outlined in the NMC code of conduct.
• Receiving restorative clinical supervision on a regular basis in line with the Trust clinical supervision policy.
• Engaging in management supervision from an identified line manager, or appropriate delegate, in line with the Trust management supervision policy.
• Engaging with Trust appraisal process in line with policy.
• Maintaining Health and Safety in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).
• Working within the Trust Policies and Procedures.

Education, Development and Collaborative Learning

• Support effective learning environments by upholding the NHSE Safe Learning Environment Charter principals.
• Undertake relevant training to act as Practice Supervisor for pre-registered nursing or AHP learners.
• Undertake relevant training to act as Practice Assessors and/or Practice Supervisor for Trainee Nursing Associates, as outlined in post registration training.
• Contribute to team supervision / reflective practice and peer support processes, and offer support and guidance to junior support staff, student nurses and trainee nursing associates.
• Contribute to ongoing evaluation of the quality, safety and effectiveness of the care provided in the community, including actively inviting service user and carer feedback.

Recording, Reporting and Communication

• Keeping contemporaneous, chronological and accurate mental health records in accordance with NMC guidelines and Trust policy.
• Adhere to records management requirements as outlined in Trust policies and procedures.
• Practice within the legal requirements relevant to the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Legislation.
• Contribute to any relevant service evaluations, audits, quality reviews and data management processes to assess and improve clinical quality on an ongoing basis.
• Undertaking relevant practice development and/or research activity.

Compassionate Leadership

• Using own skills, knowledge and resources to provide clinical leadership for all members of the MDT.
• Effectively managing own time.
• Providing supervision for unregistered practitioners in accordance with Trust management and clinical supervision policies.
• Providing appraisals for junior staff in accordance with the Trust appraisal policy.
• Maintaining the safety of service users and staff within the inpatient setting and ensure legal obligations are fulfilled.
• Understanding any identified environmental risks and their mitigation plans.
• Taking part in environmental risk assessments as requested.
• Utilising electronic rostering systems.
• Being familiar with and complying with all Policies and Procedures operational within the Trust.
• Maintaining stock control and a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources.

Person Specification

Shortlisting

Essential Criteria

• Professional registration
• Experience of assessments
• Knowledge of care pathways
• Developed interpersonal skills

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of PCLS

We are proud to be fostering a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. A key commitment to this is improving staff representation from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, those from the LGBTQ+ communities, people with ‘lived-experience’ of mental health conditions and people living with disabilities – we are a ‘Disability Confident Employer’ offering a guaranteed interview to Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. This includes people with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent conditions (for example autism, ADHD, sensory, physical and learning disabilities).

Further Details / Informal Visits Contact

Name: Ben Grattan-McInnes

Job title: Team Manager

Email address: [contact hidden]

Telephone number: [contact hidden]