Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Community Psychiatric Nurse
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Job Overview
The Westminster Joint Homelessness Team (JHT) is a multi-agency service dedicated to supporting individuals who are homeless, rough sleeping, or at risk of homelessness within the City of Westminster. Working collaboratively with Westminster City Council, NHS services, housing providers, social care teams, substance misuse services, mental health services, and voluntary sector organisations, the team provides coordinated, person-centred interventions to address complex needs and improve long-term outcomes.
The primary purpose of the team is to engage with vulnerable adults experiencing homelessness, assess their housing, health, and social care needs, and support them in accessing appropriate accommodation, healthcare, welfare benefits, and community resources. The service focuses on reducing rough sleeping, preventing homelessness, promoting recovery and independence, and improving overall wellbeing.
Staff within the Joint Homelessness Team work closely with service users to develop tailored support plans, undertake comprehensive assessments, coordinate multi-disciplinary interventions, and advocate on behalf of individuals facing barriers to accessing services. The team operates within a trauma-informed and strengths-based framework, recognising the impact of homelessness, mental ill health, substance misuse, physical health conditions, and social exclusion.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting comprehensive mental health and risk assessments, developing and reviewing recovery-focused care plans, managing a caseload of service users, administering and monitoring medication, and providing therapeutic interventions.
- The post holder works proactively to engage vulnerable individuals who may find it difficult to access mainstream services, often undertaking assessments and interventions in community settings such as hostels, temporary accommodation, day centres, and on outreach visits.
- The role involves close partnership working with housing services, Westminster City Council, social care, substance misuse services, primary care, inpatient services, and voluntary organisations to support access to housing, healthcare, and social support. The nurse is also responsible for safeguarding vulnerable adults, managing risk, contributing to Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act processes, and promoting recovery, independence, and social inclusion.
- As a senior practitioner, the Band 6 CPN provides leadership, supervision, and support to junior staff and students, contributes to service development and quality improvement initiatives, and ensures that all care is delivered in accordance with professional standards, Trust policies, and evidence-based practice.
Working for our organisation
Working for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) provides the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of people from diverse communities. It offers a supportive and collaborative environment where multidisciplinary working, professional development, and person-centred care are highly valued. Being part of a large NHS Trust enables staff to contribute to high-quality services, promote recovery and wellbeing, and work alongside partner agencies to improve outcomes for individuals with complex health and social care needs.
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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Undertake comprehensive mental health, psychosocial, and risk assessments for service users experiencing homelessness.
- Assess, monitor, and manage risks relating to self-harm, suicide, exploitation, self-neglect, substance misuse, safeguarding, and risks to others.
- Develop, implement, and regularly review recovery-focused, person-centred care plans.
- Provide evidence-based mental health interventions and therapeutic support.
- Monitor mental and physical health needs and facilitate access to primary and secondary healthcare services.
- Administer and monitor prescribed medication, including depot injections where required.
- Identify deterioration in mental state and coordinate timely interventions to prevent relapse and unnecessary hospital admissions.
Care Coordination and Case Management
- Manage a caseload of service users with severe and enduring mental illness and complex social needs.
- Act as Care Coordinator in accordance with the Care Programme Approach (CPA) and Trust policies.
- Support service users to engage with mental health services, housing providers, benefits systems, and community resources.
- Promote service user involvement in care planning, goal setting, and decision-making.
- Facilitate discharge planning and continuity of care following inpatient admissions.
Homelessness and Housing Support
- Work closely with Westminster City Council, outreach teams, housing providers, hostels, and supported accommodation services.
- Contribute to housing assessments and support pathways into appropriate accommodation.
- Assist service users in maintaining tenancy arrangements and reducing the risk of repeat homelessness.
- Support individuals who have difficulty engaging with statutory services through assertive outreach and flexible engagement approaches.
Multi-Agency Working
- Work collaboratively with psychiatrists, GPs, social workers, occupational therapists, substance misuse services, probation services, safeguarding teams, and voluntary organisations.
- Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and case conferences.
- Provide specialist mental health advice and consultation to partner agencies working with homeless individuals.
- Advocate for service users to ensure equitable access to healthcare, housing, and social care provisions.
Safeguarding and Risk management
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- Identify and respond appropriately to adult and child safeguarding concerns.
- Lead on risk management planning and ensure appropriate safeguarding procedures are followed.
- Contribute to Mental Health Act assessments and Mental Capacity Act processes as required.
- Maintain professional accountability for decision-making in complex and high-risk situations.
Professional and Leadership Responsibilities
- Provide supervision, support, and mentorship to junior staff, students, and support workers.
- Contribute to service development, clinical audits, and quality improvement initiatives.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and legally compliant clinical records.
- Uphold NMC standards, Trust policies, and evidence-based practice.
- Participate in continuing professional development and mandatory training.
Assertive Outreach and Engagement
- Conduct assessments and interventions in a range of community settings including streets, hostels, temporary accommodation, day centres, supported housing, and healthcare settings.
- Use assertive outreach approaches to engage individuals who are reluctant or unable to access mainstream mental health services.
- Develop therapeutic relationships with individuals who may have experienced trauma, exclusion, and repeated disengagement from services.
- Work flexibly to improve engagement and continuity of care.
- Maintain professional boundaries while building trust with vulnerable individuals.
Person specification
Education And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- RMN with current NMC registration.
- Evidence of post registration training and CPD
Desirable criteria
- Other relevant training, e.g. substance misuse
- ENB 810/811/812 (or equivalent).
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a setting that provided care for people who were acutely and chronically ill.
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary mental health team with clients with acute/severe and enduring mental health problems
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with homeless people with mental health problems
Skills and knowledge
Essential criteria
- An understanding of the particular needs of homeless clients with enduring mental health problems.
- A commitment to utilising a range of mental health nursing skills to meet the needs of this client group in a way that promotes optimal user choice and participation in the type and quality of services received.
- An understanding of current government policy in relation to mental health, homelessness & rough sleeping.
- An understanding of the implications of providing mental health services in an inner city area with reference to class, race, sex and disability.
- Effective written and verbal communication
- Evidence of effective time management and organisational skills.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
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