Community Mental Health Practitioner (Band 6) – Stockport, UK

Stockport's Community Mental Health Team is in the middle of a genuine structural shift right now — part of the national move to transform community mental health services, paired with the local Living Well developments — and that's the backdrop this Band 6 vacancy sits against. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust isn't just backfilling a seat here; the Trust is explicit that this is a period of investment in staff and new role development within the team.

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust delivers mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and community-based, across five Greater Manchester boroughs: Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, and Tameside & Glossop. We checked the role against live NHS recruitment listings before writing this up, and both the Trust and the pay band check out against current Agenda for Change figures.

What the Role Covers

This is a Secondary Care CMHT post supporting people aged 16 and over with severe and enduring mental health and social care needs. As the named key worker for an identified caseload, you'll be responsible for:

• Holistic assessment, intervention planning, risk assessment, and care planning for your caseload
• Acting as care coordinator for an identified group of clients, within a service built around recovery and social inclusion
• Administering depot medication for clients unable to attend clinic in person (this is a nursing-specific duty within the team)
• Supervising an identified group of staff and students on placement
• Working within Mental Health Law policies and multidisciplinary team structures

Pay, Contract & Location

• Pay: £39,959 – £48,117 per year (pro rata), NHS Agenda for Change Band 6
• Contract type: Permanent
• Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week
• Location: Stockport Community Mental Health Team, Greater Manchester

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement under Agenda for Change terms
• Flexible working opportunities, including the Trust's "Get Ahead on Flex" pledge supporting the right to request flexible working
• Funded access to Continued Professional Development
• Opportunities to get involved in service improvement and research activity
• Health and wellbeing support, including an in-house staff wellbeing service
• Staff discounts across retail, leisure, and travel
• Guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme for applicants meeting the essential criteria

Sponsorship & Eligibility

• Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust is an approved sponsoring organisation, and sponsorship applications are considered alongside all others — but the Trust is explicit that not every role is eligible, so check your specific circumstances against current Home Office guidance before applying if sponsorship is something you'll need
• UK professional registration required: HCPC (Social Work/Occupational Therapy) or NMC (Mental Health Nursing)
• Experience in community mental health work required
• Enhanced DBS disclosure required — this post falls under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order
• Use of a car or equivalent means of mobility required to travel across the Trust's footprint
• Applicants outside Pennine Care will need to supply three years of HMRC employment history as part of reference verification

A Note on Using AI for Your Application

Worth passing on directly from the Trust: they explicitly flag that applications leaning entirely on AI-generated text tend to fall down at interview, because candidates are later asked to provide evidence for what they've written. If you use AI to help draft your supporting statement, make sure every claim in it is something you can back up with real examples from your own experience.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through NHS Jobs, and the Trust also runs monthly virtual application support sessions if you want help tailoring your supporting statement before you submit.

Start your job application here