Specialist Practitioner

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 09 March 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a registered professional to work as part of a service designed to support young people as an alternative to hospital admission. This is a 12‑month fixed‑term post; we are ideally looking for full‑time hours but would be open to consider those on a part‑time basis.

The service operates from the same building as the current Child and Adolescent inpatient Unit. It provides specialised interventions for young people between the ages of 13 and 17 with a range of mental health difficulties in a mental‑health day‑service setting. The hours of operation are 8 am‑6 pm Monday to Friday with occasional work outside these times.

The ideal candidate will have experience working with young people in mental‑health settings, with intervention/therapy skills advantageous in day‑to‑day practice. Working with young people and their families is highly rewarding and can provide high levels of job satisfaction.

We welcome applications from all professionals with registration and experience in a mental‑health setting, for example Registered Occupational Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Learning Disability Nurses or Social Workers.

• Integrate as a member of the clinical team, participating in all aspects of day‑to‑day service provision.
• Manage a caseload of service users as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, providing assessment, care planning and interventions. Provide highly skilled care, psychological interventions, group work, clinical assessment, risk assessments, risk management and promote recovery and inclusion.
• Work closely with the Operational Manager to oversee the efficiency and effectiveness of treatment provided and support the CTM in carrying out their duties.
• Present as a positive and professional role model to all staff and stakeholders, striving to maintain a philosophy of service‑user involvement in continuously improving the service.
• Provide leadership, management and supervision/appraisal for junior nursing staff and other multi‑disciplinary team members, and often lead/coordinate/supervise teams of staff in the delivery and evaluation of care.
• In some roles, specialist skills and knowledge may be required. Practitioners often have designated areas of practice to lead within the team.

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

Benefits of working for LYPFT include: fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 – 33 days annual leave, flexible and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training, and education support. Additional benefits include exclusive discounts and payment schemes (cars, extra leave days, NHS Discount Offers). Permanent employees are automatically added to the bank department.

Applicants requiring a visa must be considered; the Trust only provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles (this does not include Healthcare Support Workers). This is an essential requirement, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you do not meet Trust and Home Office requirements for sponsorship and a visa.

• Regularly lead a team, delegate and supervise other staff, and may oversee the safe running of services and interventions.
• Consistently demonstrate the Six Cs: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.
• Expectations include cover across both the day service and inpatient service at times of need.

For more details on key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, see the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under “Supporting Documents”. The Candidate Guide to Values‑Based Recruitment provides additional information to help you apply.

• Registered with the relevant professional body.

• Therapy skills advantageous but not essential.

• Experience in mental health planning and delivering care.

• Knowledge of working with young people and those with mental health difficulties.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.