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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health Inpatients and Intensive Services
Grade
Band 5
Contract
12 months (12 month fixed term contract or secondment)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
342-BR135-0825
Employer
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Oakwood Ward, Southmead Hospital
Town
Bristol
Salary
£31,049 - £37,796 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
24/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust logo

Band 5 Discharge Co-ordinator (Mental Health Practitioner) - Bristol

Band 5


Job overview

Are you a seasoned Mental Health Practitioner looking for an exciting challenge that goes beyond the traditional ward role?

We’re on the lookout for an enthusiastic and skilled professional to take on a brand-new role as Discharge Coordinator, working across Bristol’s intensive and inpatient mental health services. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of patient care and support timely, safe, and effective discharges.

As the Discharge Coordinator you’ll play a pivotal role in promoting timely, safe, and recovery-focused transitions of care. Your work will complement the complex clinical tasks outlined for Senior Associate MH Practitioners by addressing barriers to discharge and facilitating collaborative solutions.

Who we’re looking for:

A qualified and experienced senior mental health professional with experience in inpatient, community, and social care settings
Confident working autonomously and liaising across complex systems
Passionate about service improvement and continuity of care
Driven to make a real difference at a systemic level

Come be part of a forward-thinking team that values innovation, impact, and meaningful change.

Apply today and bring your expertise into a role that matters where clinical skill meets strategic coordination

Main duties of the job

What makes this role special?

  • You’ll be at the frontline of improving patient flow across busy wards
    Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify discharge barriers and co-create recovery-focused plans.
  • Build strong links with community services, families, and support networks.
  • Champion service user outcomes with compassion, determination, and clinical leadership.

Purpose and Scope:

  • Oversee and track all admissions to intensive and inpatient wards across Bristol, ensuring accurate data collection and timely review.
  • Actively support clinicians in identifying and addressing systemic or case-specific barriers to discharge.
  • Champion patient flow, reduce length of stay where appropriate, and prevent delayed discharges.

Key Partnerships:

  • Collaborate with ward teams, crisis and home treatment services, community recovery teams, Local Authority partners, housing services, and third-sector providers.
  • Liaise with families, carers, and service users to co-produce discharge planning tailored to individual recovery goals.

Communication:

  • Act as a key point of contact for external agencies involved in post-discharge support.
  • Ensure effective handover of care and documentation when transitioning individuals between services.

Recovery Focus:

  • Advocate for person-led discharge plans that reflect individual strengths, needs, and aspirations..
  • Ensure social inclusion, safety, and continuity of care are central to discharge decisions.

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): 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 AWP 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.  

AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.

At AWP 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 AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Responsibilities

  • Maintain and update live discharge tracking tools across multiple sites.
  • Attend regular MDT discharge planning meetings across wards.
  • Proactively escalate issues that impact safe and timely discharge (e.g. housing, funding delays, placement issues).
  • Monitor completion of Section 117 and Mental Health Act discharge processes in line with statutory guidance.
  • Provide input into service development and contribute to improvement initiatives focused on patient experience and outcomes.

Person specification

Education and Experience

Essential criteria
  • qualified to degree level in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling, psychological therapy or other health related subject
  • evidence of working with people who have suffered a mental health problem
  • knowledge of MDT working
  • understanding of recovery principles in mental health
  • excellent communication skills
  • ability to work without direct supervision
  • ability to assess situations, make decisions, co-ordinate and organise appropriate responses
  • ability to prioritise work to reflect changing needs

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace.Veteran AwarePositive about disabled peopleThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace.Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerInclusive Top 50 LogoThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Armed Forces Covenant

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sarah Pavey
Job title
Modern Matron
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07562907936
Additional information

Annabel Parry - Oakwood Ward Manager

[email protected]

0117 3546634

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