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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Flexible working patterns will be considered however, working Fridays and Mondays will be essential.)
Job ref
354-AE-21322
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Cavendish House
Town
Hastings
Salary
£39,959 - £48,117 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/09/2026 23:59
Interview date
08/09/2026

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust logo

Community Mental Health Nurse

NHS AfC: Band 6

Come and join us

We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.

At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.

We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.

We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.

Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.

We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.

Job overview

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Band 6 Community Mental Health Nurse to become part of the East Sussex Rehabilitation Pathway. You will be joining a friendly and supportive multi-disciplinary team that works closely together to provide high-quality, person-centred care. We value collaboration with our patients and their families, and are committed to supporting individuals to reach their optimum level of mental health and wellbeing in the community. 
 

This post offers the Trust's £2,000 Golden Hello or Relocation Incentive for Band 6 Nurses & Practitioners, (pro rata and subject to terms and conditions; please see attached Protocol Document for full details).

Main duties of the job

The East Sussex Rehabilitation Pathway provides inpatient and community rehabilitation for individuals with complex mental health needs, offering both short- and long-term support.

This community-based role focuses on delivering long-term rehabilitation interventions as a Lead Practitioner, supporting service users for up to three years. The team holds medical responsibility, working collaboratively to promote recovery, independence and meaningful outcomes.

You will work with adults (18+) with complex and enduring mental health needs, most often severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder. Service users are supported and motivated to engage in their recovery journey.

Who We Support

We work with individuals who:

  • Require more intensive support than standard community services
  • Have experienced barriers to recovery and ongoing functional difficulties
  • Are transitioning from high-support settings to greater independence
  • Need focused community input to support discharge from inpatient care.

Working for our organisation

Our services provide compassionate, specialist mental health care to individuals experiencing a range of conditions, including psychosis, depression, anxiety, dementia and personality disorders. Alongside this, our specialist learning disability services deliver both community and inpatient care for people with complex and often unmet health needs.

We are proud to offer a number of highly specialised services for individuals with complex health and social care needs. Care is delivered across a range of settings, including people’s homes, clinics, hospitals, GP surgeries and prisons. We support children, young people and adults of all ages, working collaboratively with partners to ensure a holistic and person-centred approach to care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a full-time position within a dynamic community mental health team.

The post holder will act as Lead Practitioner for a caseload of approximately 15 patients, supporting individuals with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, often presenting with complex comorbidities, dual diagnosis, and elevated levels of risk to self and/or others.

The role includes providing clinical supervision and support to junior staff, contributing to their development within a supportive learning environment.

You will take an active role in the assessment and formulation of new referrals, ensuring timely and comprehensive care planning. In addition, you will participate in shift coordination, promoting safe and effective day-to-day service delivery, and contribute to the duty system, supporting urgent and unplanned work across the team.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Nurse with current registration [mental health/LD/Adult], appropriate to the job role
  • Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
  • Evidence of continuous professional development

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
  • Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
  • Experience of supervising staff
  • Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
  • Experience of working consultatively with professionals
  • Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
  • Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
  • Experience of working within the CPA process
  • Understanding of clinical governance
  • Previous experience of working in the community

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStep into healthPride In Veterans

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

Due to high numbers of applications this vacancy may close before the advertised closing date. We will not be able to accept late applications to this post.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sarah Longworth
Job title
Team Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07933511823
Additional information

If I do not answer please leave me a voicemail and I will return your call as soon as I am able. 

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