Job Description

Are you a seasoned Mental Health Practitioner looking for an exciting challenge that goes beyond the traditional ward role?



We're on the lookout for an enthusiastic and skilled professional to take on a brand-new role as Discharge Coordinator, working across Bristol's intensive and inpatient mental health services. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of patient care and support timely, safe, and effective discharges.



As the Discharge Coordinator you'll play a pivotal role in promoting timely, safe, and recovery-focused transitions of care. Your work will complement the complex clinical tasks outlined for Senior Associate MH Practitioners by addressing barriers to discharge and facilitating collaborative solutions.

Who we're looking for:

A qualified and experienced senior mental health professional with experience in inpatient, community, and social care settings

Confident working autonomously and liaising across complex systems

Passionate about service improvement and continuity of care

Driven to make a real difference at a systemic level



Come be part of a forward-thinking team that values innovation, impact, and meaningful change.



Apply today and bring your expertise into a role that matters where clinical skill meets strategic coordination



What makes this role special?



You'll be at the frontline of improving patient flow across busy wards

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify discharge barriers and co-create recovery-focused plans.



Build strong links with community services, families, and support networks.



Champion service user outcomes with compassion, determination, and clinical leadership.

Purpose and Scope:

Oversee and track all admissions to intensive and inpatient wards across Bristol, ensuring accurate data collection and timely review.



Actively support clinicians in identifying and addressing systemic or case-specific barriers to discharge.



Champion patient flow, reduce length of stay where appropriate, and prevent delayed discharges.

Key Partnerships:

Collaborate with ward teams, crisis and home treatment services, community recovery teams, Local Authority partners, housing services, and third-sector providers.



Liaise with families, carers, and service users to co-produce discharge planning tailored to individual recovery goals.

Communication:

Act as a key point of contact for external agencies involved in post-discharge support.



Ensure effective handover of care and documentation when transitioning individuals between services.

Recovery Focus:

Advocate for person-led discharge plans that reflect individual strengths, needs, and aspirations..



Ensure social inclusion, safety, and continuity of care are central to discharge decisions.



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.



Responsibilities



Maintain and update live discharge tracking tools across multiple sites.

Attend regular MDT discharge planning meetings across wards.

Proactively escalate issues that impact safe and timely discharge (e.g. housing, funding delays, placement issues).

Monitor completion of Section 117 and Mental Health Act discharge processes in line with statutory guidance.

Provide input into service development and contribute to improvement initiatives focused on patient experience and outcomes.