Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator - BNSSG Sequoia

Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator - BNSSG Sequoia

Sequoia is a specialist NHS-commissioned service, co-delivered by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) and Rethink Mental Illness, supporting adults with mild-moderate complex emotional needs (CEN) and personality difficulties across the BNSSG area. Rooted in lived experience and recovery principles, the service provides evidence-based group interventions including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)-informed groups, Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT)-informed groups, psychoeducation courses, and peer support programmes.

As a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Group Facilitator, you will either deliver DBTi or MBTi groups, enabling service users to manage emotional intensity, build resilience, and achieve recovery goals. You will work collaboratively with NHS teams, voluntary and community partners, and service users to promote wellness, safety, and inclusion.

This role is offered at four days per week, with potential to increase to full-time (37.5 hours). Most service-user facing work runs 9:00am-5:00pm, though some evening sessions are required, so flexibility to work one evening weekly is essential.

Delivery blends in-person work across community bases in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire with online interventions, typically facilitated from home. Recognising the emotional impact of this work, we provide robust supervision (individual and team-based), ongoing CPD opportunities, and regular chances to connect socially with colleagues.

Facilitate either DBT and MBT informed groups
, adapting content to meet service user needs.

Support delivery of psychoeducation and peer support courses.

Assess referrals, determine service suitability, and plan reviews and next steps with service users.

Support safe discharge back to GP care following programme completion.

Contribute to crisis planning, safeguarding, and protective interventions.

Provide clinical leadership, mentoring, and supervision within the team for our Rethink colleagues.

• Work as part of the duty team dealing with ad hoc situations that arise.

Maintain accurate records and meet reporting requirements.

Participate in service development, supervision, and training.

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

This role is focused on providing effective, evidence-based interventions to people with complex emotional needs and personality difficulties, enabling them to meet daily health, social care, and wellbeing needs in line with recovery goals.

Key responsibilities include:

Conducting support conversations covering mental state, risk, physical health, social care needs, safeguarding, and capacity under the Mental Capacity Act.

Reviewing treatment programmes
, incorporating psychological therapies (DBTi, MBTi), psychosocial interventions (Peer Support and Psych Education), considering people's motivation to change.

Acting as care keyworker for service users with the most complex needs, while also supporting individuals on other caseloads.

Delivering interventions to improve carers ability to support service users.

Building hope-inspiring relationships with service users, focusing on strengths and aspirations to create meaningful recovery plans.

Leading and supporting colleagues in clinical practice, mentoring students, and contributing to professional development.

Ensuring compliance with safeguarding, confidentiality, infection control, and health and safety policies.

Promoting Sequoias ethos of community, resilience, and inclusion
, inspired by the Sequoia trees symbolism of strength and growth.

Supporting service development through co-production, service user participation, and feedback mechanisms.

This…