Rough Sleepers Mental Health Practitioner (RMN/ OT/ SW)
We have an opportunity for a Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist to join the ELFT Rough Sleepers Mental Health Project (RAMHP), a London trust wide service covering City of London, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham.
RAMHP is an assessment and liaison service that works with street outreach services to support people who sleep rough and help them get the right mental health care. This role requires an understanding of the health needs of rough sleepers and the challenges homeless people face in health settings.
The team uses an assertive outreach approach which means they will go out to see people where they are. We are looking for people who are trauma informed and creative in how they engage and support people with multiple needs.
The post holder will be an active member of the multidisciplinary team and will support rough sleepers and people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness with multiple needs by providing bio-psychosocial assessment.
The core hours of the RAMHP team is Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. However there are periodic outreach shifts. Early shifts start at 5:30am and later shifts end at midnight.
For an informal discussion about this opportunity, or to arrange a visit please call Hilary Neal, Operational Lead, on 07970 650805hilary.neal@nhs.net
- To work with people who are rough sleepers who are experiencing a mental health problems. Provide assessment and link in with other advocacy and support services in the non-profit sector as well as helping existing services work together more effectively so that homeless people are identified, assessed, supported and directed so that their recovery is sustained.
- The team operates 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. The team mainly operated 9am - 5pm shift patterns. In addition, there are regular early and late outreach shifts with street outreach teams.
- Work with the Clinical and Operational Leads in supporting the continuous development of the service ensuring safe and effective practice upholding the Trust values with the homeless person at the centre of all care delivered.
- To undertake comprehensive assessments of mental health and social needs including risk assessments effectively and efficiently.
- To have an understanding of trauma informed principles and the challenges homeless people face in health settings.
- To promote a service user focussed service and maintain a recovery focussed ethos. To formulate and agree care plans and safety care plans.
- Be flexible, working according to the needs of the service.
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
- Develop and maintain a high standard of practice based on assessment through the use of psychoeducation, the Recovery Model and supportive clinical management.
- To liaise and establish good working relationships with partner agencies, colleagues in non-profit sector services, Primary Care services, Social Services, Community Mental Health Teams, In-Patient services, Criminal Justice, and other agencies as appropriate.
- To have knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions available to reduce distress for individuals experiencing mental illness/ distress.
- Ability to work autonomously and within MDT setting.
- To work with the multi-disciplinary team in developing plans that offer supportive care in the least restrictive way.
- Act as a role model in the practice area, encouraging staff in teaching and supervision to sustain a supportive learning environment.
- Be responsible for the maintenance and accurate recording of patient information in the documentation systems and to ensure the effective dissemination of patient information throughout the multidisciplinary team.
- Ensure compliance with the requirements of Safeguarding Adults and Children’s policies. To ensure that staff have the required knowledge and skills to work within these procedures to support the safety of vulnerable adults and children.
- Recognize the role of advocacy, promote concept of autonomy and self-empowerment and ensure members of the team comply with this.
- Have an understanding of the KPI’s for the Rough Sleeper Mental Health Project and ensure compliance with Trust CQUINs.
- Participate in audits and survey relevant to the team.
- Identify own educational needs ensuring professional updating and development as appropriate.
- Ensure full potential through supervision, appraisals and performance management.
- Ensure that you are suitably skilled in addressing the physical health needs of service users.
- To participate in development of new policies and procedures as required.
- Ensure that clients receive a culturally competent service.
- To co-ordinate the day-to-day activity and manage the workload of the Team.
- To ensure the legal requirements of the Mental Health Act (1983) and subsequent amendments and the Mental Capacity Act (2005) are adhered to.
- To establish and maintain good relationships with service users, carers and voluntary sector colleagues.
- To provide best evidence practice to service users which complies with legislation, policies and procedures and relevant quality, governance and local and national guidelines.
- Ensuring that the local demographics are taken into consideration for service provision and improvement.
- To represent the team positively both internally and externally to the Trust.
This advert closes on Sunday 3 May 2026
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