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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
455-NLFT-0689-A
Employer
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Initially Barnet Division
Town
Burnt Oak Broadway
Salary
£53,751 - £60,651 per annum inclusive of HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
05/05/2026 23:59

Employer heading

North London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Practitioner Single Point of Access

NHS AfC: Band 7

Thank you for your interest in the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT). This is an exciting time to join us and be part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through the North London Way, as we: 

  • Collaborate at every level by living our values to create the right conditions for us all to work together.
  • Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care.
  • Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes.
  • Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high-quality care across all our services.
  • Ensure that research, quality improvement, and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services.
  • Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do

We proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer.  We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.

The North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is:  https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/ 

As a values‑driven Trust, we recruit through our values. Our selection processes focus on behaviours, attitudes, and examples that reflect our organisational values and commitment to compassionate, high‑quality care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.

We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit  https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

North London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

 

Job overview

This advert is likely to close early therefore you are advised not to wait until the deadline to submit your application.

The role is to provide effective and strong clinical leadership to the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFS) Community Single Point of Access service (SPA) which will provide the gateway for all non-urgent referrals to Secondary Mental Health Services. Senior Clinical Practitioners within the service will support the Service Lead on the development of the North London Single Point of Access at pace, and services provided at the front door.

The post holders will have full oversight of the generic non-urgent referral mailbox and will action and allocate these referrals accordingly based on clinical need.

The post holders will provide management support as delegated by the SPA Lead including supervision of staff, team training, service development initiatives and be expected to deputise for the SPA Lead in their absence.

This is an exciting opportunity for dynamic registered professionals (Allied Health Professional, Nurse, Social Worker. Psychologist) with community operational experience and a passion for service transformation and some operational experience.

The role requires a broad understanding and capability for providing a solutions-based service rooted in the principles of trauma informed practice, supporting the team to carry out initial assessments, triage services and signposting.  

Main duties of the job

To provide day to day clinical leadership, management and co-ordination focusing on delivering high quality mental health support services. To actively work as part of the team as required.  

To support the team in providing a solutions-based service rooted in the principles of trauma informed practice, supporting the team to carry out initial assessments, triage services and signposting.
 To actively engage and work with all the stakeholder groups to take forward the mental health crisis care agenda.  
 To participate in setting standards of care in the team and ensure that those experiencing mental health issues are given fair access to treatment and services.  
 To ensure a robust training and support programme is in place for both SPA and peer support staff.  

To support the SPA Lead in regular reviews of the team and performance, and adapting practice or the service in collaboration with other key professionals. 

To participate in multi-agency meetings internal and externally.

To work in conjunction with the SPA Lead to ensure that all aims, goals and targets are completed successfully.  

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy: 
 

 

  1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.

  2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all

  3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

  4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology. 

Why NLFT?

  • We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.

  • We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

  • NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme

  • Excellent internal staff network

The post holder will be aligned with our Values:

  • We Are Kind
  • We Are Respectful
  • We Work Together
  • We Keep Things Simple
  • We Empower
  • We Are Proudly Diverse

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role is to provide effective and strong clinical leadership to the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFS) Community Single Point of Access service (SPA) which will provide the gateway for all non-urgent referrals to Secondary Mental Health Services. Senior Clinical Practitioners within the service will support the Service Lead on the development of the North London Single Point of Access at pace, and services provided at the front door.

Please refer to the attached job description for the full list of duties.

Person specification

Qualifications/Registrations

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Professional Qualification in Nursing (RMN), Social Work (Dip SW/CQSW) or Occupational Therapy
  • At least 2 years post qualification experience at Band 6 or higher in a mental health setting
  • Evidence of post registration continued professional development, qualifications, or equivalent experience.
Desirable criteria
  • Masters Degree

Skills/Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Strong commitment to improving patient services with a clear focus on achieving performance goals.
  • Able to work effectively across organizational boundaries
  • Biopsychosocial assessment skills
  • Competence in provision of clinical supervision/ people management skills
  • Teaching and mentorship within a clinical setting
  • Excellent written and verbal skills Computer Literacy
Desirable criteria
  • Research and presentation skills
  • Knowledge of a full range of therapeutic skills and approaches supported by further training in the specialty and management practice
  • Ability to review performance data and suggest ways of improving performance

Experience/Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Experience and knowledge of quality, standard setting and audit
  • Experience in managing complaints and quality assurance
  • Substantial Post registration experience
  • Knowledge of interventions and strategies which embrace social and health care needs
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of RIO Power BI and EMIS

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to travel to meet the requirements of the post
  • Commitment to equal opportunities

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Flexible Approach to work
  • Ability to use own initiative
  • Able to lead a team
  • Commitment to client/patient centred, non-discriminatory practice
  • Ability to use own initiative

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyAge positiveImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthAccredited Living Wage Employer

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
[email protected]
Job title
Service Lead Trust Wide SPA
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0208 702 5561
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