Specialist Mental Health Nurse

Employer Dorset Health Care University NHS Foundation Trust. Site:
Dorset Pain Management Service Poole Community Clinic, Poole. Salary £30,945 - £37,264 p.a. Closing: 12/02/2026 23:59.

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced Mental Health Nurse to join the Dorset Pain Management Service. The successful candidate will ideally have experience of working with patients with long term conditions, but if not please get in touch; full training and support will be provided.

The post covers East Dorset with the team base at Poole Community Clinic, with hybrid working and face to face clinics across the patch. We are ideally looking for full-time hours, but part-time will be considered. The Dorset Pain Management Service is an inter-professional team delivering modernised clinical practice to help people coping with chronic, non-malignant pain lead meaningful lives. The service operates county-wide with individual interventions and group programmes delivered by two teams.

Staff include pain consultants, psychologists, specialist physiotherapists, pain and mental health nurses, occupational therapists, therapy assistants, trainees, and our admin support team. Our service user movement, including peer ambassadors, supports programme design and delivery via the Pain Chain and our website.

Working as part of the multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will provide high quality person-centred care to patients living with persistent pain. Manage own caseload, deliver individual and group programme sessions, provide specialist advice to other professionals, and liaise with and support shared care with mental health services.

Note: Applications from candidates requiring current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are ineligible to apply for this position.

We empower people to make the most of their lives through outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We are a dynamic Trust with 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities, and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for almost 800,000 people. We strive to be outstanding and value diversity, equality of opportunity, and inclusivity. We offer flexible working options and opportunities to develop your career within a supportive environment.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is central to our work. We celebrate diversity and aim to create a workplace where everyone is welcome and can be their best selves. We encourage you to challenge yourself, build a career, and contribute to healthier lives and thriving communities.

For the main duties and responsibilities, please read the attached job description and person specification. When applying, ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents and demonstrates how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We acknowledge the use of AI as a tool to support applications. If used, it should enhance but not replace your own statement or experience. We may withdraw applications if AI usage is detected to misrepresent your experience.

Dorset Health Care offers support for people getting into work, including an employability service for application writing, interview skills, and other employment support. Contact dhc. for information.

• Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by post-registration diploma level specialist training and/or relevant experience
• Membership of the relevant Professional Body

• Experience at Practitioner Band 5 level
• Experience of specialist working
• Knowledge of assessment and therapeutic interventions in the area of specialism
• Recent experience in a comparable role

• Experience of providing clinical supervision and mentoring to junior staff

• Ability to analyse data and produce reports using Microsoft Excel and Word
• Experience of using electronic patient/service user record systems

• Effective communication with staff, patients/service users and external organisations, capable of handling highly complex information
• Ability to overcome barriers to understanding where there are physical or mental disabilities
• Analytical and decisive, able to interpret situations and determine appropriate actions
• Demonstrable tact and diplomacy

Flexible working options are welcome; discuss arrangements with the recruiting manager. Our commitment to flexible working supports wellbeing and patient care.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 with length of service
• Health and wellbeing services
• Flexible working options
• Free training and career coaching
• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
• Access to nine staff networks
• Relocation costs where applicable
• Salary sacrifice schemes including childcare…