Mental Health Link Worker

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Pennine Care NHS FT Mental Health Link Worker

The closing date is 13 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

The Neighbourhood Mental Health Team is an MDT who work as part of the transformed community mental health service working with people 18+, including older adults, with SMI according to the principles of the National Framework for Community Mental Health 2019. This role will be integral in ensuring people get a warm welcome that they are treated with respect and are listened to and heard. You will collaborate with service users to ensure people get to the right service whether that is inside or outside Neighbourhood Mental Health Team. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and take part in the discussions about the type of support a person may need and you will be then instrumental in identifying where that might come from. You will also be able to offer support to individuals on a short-term basis especially if the help they need is around access. The postholder will act as the service users keyworker in certain circumstances and support service users to access socially inclusive activities to maintain their wellbeing and to prevent relapse. You will also act as a point of contact if the service user needs to step back into active treatment due to relapse of mental health.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work to goal oriented care plans to empower and enable service users to live as independent life as possible, by supporting our service users to access a range of community-based resources such as housing, community groups, vocational, employment and education opportunities and substance misuse services.

The role will involve working closely with a range of professionals bridging primary and secondary care and include working with our VCSE partners.

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Details

Date posted

02 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-S775-26-A

Job locations

Unit 2 Cirtek House

Thomas Street- Higher Hilgate

Stockport

SK1 3QD

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

To form and maintain professional relationships with service users, carers and colleagues in a way that respects their views, autonomy, and culture.

To attend huddles with Neighbourhood Mental Health Team partners and contribute to discussions and plans of care

To identify when service users may need to step back into active care due to relapse and liaise with registered professionals

To act as key worker for service users where nonclinical care is required and hold a caseload

To act as a point of contact for service users who have stepped down from active treatment and support who may need to step back up

To contribute to collaborative care planning and review processes for individual service users.

To support service users to identify their own hopes and goals to improve their quality of life.

To provide signposting and referral to community-based resources to service users to support their recovery.

To build strong links with the VCSE sector and our partner agencies to collaboratively support the needs of our service users.

To support service users in engaging positively with appropriate services and resources such as benefits, education and employment, housing and substance misuse services.

To provide information and support to enable service users to engage in meeting education, employment, and vocational needs.

To undertake therapeutic activity with service users that promotes recovery, is valued and increases independence

To assist service users to develop skills for everyday living i.e., budgeting, shopping, cooking, establishing and improving social networks, accessing local services etc.

To engage with families and carers as appropriate as part of service users recovery journey

Job description

Job responsibilities

To form and maintain professional relationships with service users, carers and colleagues in a way that respects their views, autonomy, and culture.

To attend huddles with Neighbourhood Mental Health Team partners and contribute to discussions and plans of care

To identify when service users may need to step back into active care due to relapse and liaise with registered professionals

To act as key worker for service users where nonclinical care is required and hold a caseload

To act as a point of contact for service users who have stepped down from active treatment and support who may need to step back up

To contribute to collaborative care planning and review processes for individual service users.

To support service users to identify their own hopes and goals to improve their quality of life.

To provide signposting and referral to community-based resources to service users to support their recovery.

To build strong links with the VCSE sector and our partner agencies to collaboratively support the needs of our service users.

To support service users in engaging positively with appropriate services and resources such as benefits, education and employment, housing and substance misuse services.

To provide information and support to enable service users to engage in meeting education, employment, and vocational needs.

To undertake therapeutic activity with service users that promotes recovery, is valued and increases independence

To assist service users to develop skills for everyday living i.e., budgeting, shopping, cooking, establishing and improving social networks, accessing local services etc.

To engage with families and carers as appropriate as part of service users recovery journey

Person Specification

Education/qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 4 qualification or equivalent
• OR Assistant Practitioner Qualification
• Care Certificate

Desirable

• Lived experience or carer experience

Experience

Essential

• Supporting / dealing people with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance abuse
• Experience of community working with people with SMI
• Working with multi agency partners to provide care including voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE)
• Collaborative MDT working and confidently providing professional opinion
• Experience of working with service users to recognise relapse signatures and responding appropriately
• Experience of using initiative to effectively manage situations as they occur

Desirable

• Previous experience of receiving / providing supervision
• Involvement / facilitating group work
• Experience of providing constructive feedback to peers

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the models of recovery from mental illness and social inclusion
• Knowledge of solution focused principles and how to apply in practice
• Knowledge of principles of community mental health transformation and Living Well
• Knowledge of local mental health system and services available

Desirable

• Knowledge of employment and benefits systems

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work creatively and compassionately to support service users and to develop collaborative goals
• Ability to motivate, engage and support service users in their own recovery and to achieve their goals
• Effective communication skills both verbally and in written form
• Ability to develop rapport and therapeutic relationships with service users
• Maintains professional boundaries
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
• Ability to understand needs of people with complex mental health issues and awareness of issues relating to consent and capacity
• Ability to deliver recovery based and socially inclusive interventions
• Ability to work independently on own initiative without close supervision, and as part of a team
• Ability to supervise and delegate tasks to others
• Competent use of IT
• Ability to act calmly in emergencies and respond in a professional manner to challenging situations
• Ability to adapt and respond positively to service changes
• Good organisational and time management skills.

Person Specification

Education/qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 4 qualification or equivalent
• OR Assistant Practitioner Qualification
• Care Certificate

Desirable

• Lived experience or carer experience

Experience

Essential

• Supporting / dealing people with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance abuse
• Experience of community working with people with SMI
• Working with multi agency partners to provide care including voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE)
• Collaborative MDT working and confidently providing professional opinion
• Experience of working with service users to recognise relapse signatures and responding appropriately
• Experience of using initiative to effectively manage situations as they occur

Desirable

• Previous experience of receiving / providing supervision
• Involvement / facilitating group work
• Experience of providing constructive feedback to peers

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the models of recovery from mental illness and social inclusion
• Knowledge of solution focused principles and how to apply in practice
• Knowledge of principles of community mental health transformation and Living Well
• Knowledge of local mental health system and services available

Desirable

• Knowledge of employment and benefits systems

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work creatively and compassionately to support service users and to develop collaborative goals
• Ability to motivate, engage and support service users in their own recovery and to achieve their goals
• Effective communication skills both verbally and in written form
• Ability to develop rapport and therapeutic relationships with service users
• Maintains professional boundaries
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
• Ability to understand needs of people with complex mental health issues and awareness of issues relating to consent and capacity
• Ability to deliver recovery based and socially inclusive interventions
• Ability to work independently on own initiative without close supervision, and as part of a team
• Ability to supervise and delegate tasks to others
• Competent use of IT
• Ability to act calmly in emergencies and respond in a professional manner to challenging situations
• Ability to adapt and respond positively to service changes
• Good organisational and time management skills.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Unit 2 Cirtek House

Thomas Street- Higher Hilgate

Stockport

SK1 3QD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Unit 2 Cirtek House

Thomas Street- Higher Hilgate

Stockport

SK1 3QD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager

Rose Clarkson

[email protected]

01617164614

Details

Date posted

02 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-S775-26-A

Job locations

Unit 2 Cirtek House

Thomas Street- Higher Hilgate

Stockport

SK1 3QD

United Kingdom

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