OUR VALUES IN ACTION

• Compassion • Kindness • Integrity • Teamwork • Excellence

Newly Qualified Community Mental Health Nurse

37 hours per week, Permanent, Band 5 (Annex 21) moving to Band 6 after 12 months

Are you a final year nursing student, qualifying this summer and interested in working within Mental Health Services?

Why work for us?

Patients are at the centre of everything we do in our daily working lives at NHS Borders ensuring they are safe, cared for efficiently, effectively by suitably experienced and qualified staff driving quality at the heart of patient care. We are a dynamic and forward thinking organisation with a wealth of clinical and leadership experience. We aim for an open and honest culture and believe in nurturing future stars in NHS.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Registered Community Mental Health Nurse (RMN) to join our Adult Community Mental Health Team. This post is being recruited at Band 6 under Annex 21, with a structured development programme supporting progression to Band 6 once required competencies, autonomous practice, and professional development goals are met. This is normally achieved within 12-24 months. This is an excellent opportunity for a newly registered Mental Health nurse or someone wishing to develop specialist community mental health skills in a supportive team environment.

What We Offer

As an Annex 21 development post, you will receive:

• A comprehensive induction programme
• Regular clinical supervision and mentorship
• Protected time for learning and development
• Competency‑based progression to Band 6 CMHN
• Opportunities to develop skills in assessment, risk management, care planning, and therapeutic intervention
• Experience working within a multi‑disciplinary team (MDT) including nursing, psychiatry, AHPs and social work

You do not need prior experience in a Community Mental Health Team — full training and supervision are provided.

Applications are invited from students in their final year of university, newly qualified and experienced Mental Health nurses.

Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here. 

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form

***PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early***

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.