ARRS Assistant Practitioner

Job overview

Are you passionate about supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing?

Dorset HealthCare is looking for a compassionate and motivated ARRS Assistant Practitioner to join our Primary Care Mental Health Team within The Vale Primary Care Network. This is a part time position for 22.5 hours a week to spread across 4-5 days flexibly between face to face and remote appointments.

Working alongside Mental Health Practitioners and partner organisations, you will support people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties through assessment, brief interventions, health promotion, and community-based support. You will help individuals build confidence, improve wellbeing, access local services, and achieve meaningful recovery goals. We are looking for someone who has the ability to work autonomously in a range of settings.

This rewarding role offers the opportunity to work within a supportive multidisciplinary team, make a real difference in local communities, and contribute to innovative, patient-centred care. If you have experience supporting people with mental health needs, excellent communication skills, and a genuine commitment to recovery-focused practice please do apply.

Please note that applications from candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately not eligible for this position.

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As an ARRS Assistant Practitioner, you will support individuals experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties to improve their wellbeing, build resilience, and achieve personal recovery goals. Working within a multidisciplinary Primary Care team, you will deliver brief interventions, provide psychoeducation, promote self-management techniques, and support lifestyle changes that enhance mental and physical health. You will help people access community resources, social support networks, voluntary sector services, and wellbeing activities that reduce isolation and encourage independence. The role involves developing positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers, undertaking brief assessments, maintaining accurate records, and working collaboratively with GPs, Mental Health Practitioners, Social Prescribers, and partner organisations. Playing a key role in promoting recovery, social inclusion, and compassionate community-based care while ensuring services are person-centred, accessible, and responsive to local needs.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

Working for our organisation

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [email protected]

At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
• Excellent NHS pension scheme
• Health and wellbeing services
• Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
• Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
• Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
• Relocation costs where applicable
• Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
• NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more

Visit our careers website to learn more about our culture, staff stories, benefits, development programmes and opportunities.

What you need to do:

Before applying for this post, please do ensure that you have read the job description and person specification requirements. If you think you have everything we're looking for, then we'd love to hear from you, alternatively if you would like more information about the role please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.

Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)