Community mental health and learning disability staffing

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Working with local authorities and healthcare providers to deliver leading community care 

Our team members seamlessly blend into your organisation to help fill staffing gaps and enhance the overall quality of care. We work with local authorities, the NHS and private clients across Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

Our nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) have a wealth of experience to support patients with compassion and expertise, helping you to:

Optimise patient discharge 

Prevent hospital stays 

Manage patients with complex clinical profiles

Deliver excellent outcomes for patients in any location 

Promote independent living skills through active support

Provide de-escalation and breakaway expertise

Specialist nurses and HCAs

Whether you need to fill staff shortages for a few hours or several weeks, our nurses and HCAs are on hand at short notice for holiday cover, sick leave or to support patients with complex care needs.

With the Scottish Nursing Guild, you have access to experienced staff who have completed and passed our thorough screening process:

  • Registered mental health nurse (RMN)
  • Registered learning disability nurse (RNLD)
  • Specialist HCAs
Speak to our staffing team

Rated Excellent by the Care Inspectorate

The Scottish Nursing Guild is inspected and has the highest rating given by the Care Inspectorate, setting us apart from our competitors.  

Case Study – Providing specialised complex mental health care in a community setting

The Scottish Nursing Guild (SNG) supported a young non-verbal male diagnosed with autism and complex mental health needs. He presented behaviours of distress, including aggression, self-harm, attempted absconding and property destruction. His previous provider struggled to manage his care, leading to a referral to SNG by social services.

SNG conducted an initial assessment with the family to understand his preferences, using this information to build trust, introduce positive boundaries and establish structured routines with visual aids and Makaton sign language to communicate. After months of intensive support, he made significant progress and transitioned to a new care provider.

However, 18 months later, a crisis led to the breakdown of the client’s placement and SNG was approached again. Using the same strategies of structured routines, personalised care and consistent staffing, SNG helped him regain stability and transition to his own home with a new provider. This gradual process ensured his needs were met while fostering independence and community integration. Through a person-centred approach and effective communication, SNG significantly improved his quality, helping him to thrive in his own home and community, despite the challenges associated with his condition.

Community care mental health and learning disability staffing FAQs

Where can you provide nurses to?

We send our nurses to a range of different community settings to help support patients with their mental health and learning disabilities, including:

  • Temporary accommodations
  • Interim placements
  • Family home
  • Anywhere else in the community
Are your nurses PMVA trained?

Our workers are highly trained in supporting individuals through crisis, using techniques such as verbal de-escalation, distraction and breakaway strategies when necessary and physical intervention to ensure safety.

With full certification in the Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PMVA), they apply their clinical expertise to effectively de-escalate situations.

How do you screen your nurses and HCAs?

The Scottish Nursing Guild recruits to standards which meet or exceed local regulations and guidelines. We only accept agency workers of the highest calibre, with just 20% of applicants making the cut.
Our nurses are registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) and our HCAs are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

Our vetting includes enhanced DBS checks and a minimum of 12 months’ experience in the last two years working in an acute mental health or learning disability setting.

What is the cost of your staffing service?

Our community mental health and learning disability staffing is tailored to meet your organisation’s unique needs. When you arrange nurses and HCAs through the Scottish Nursing Guild, various factors will affect the cost of our services, including:

  • How many nurses and HCAs you need
  • The amount of time that you require our staff for
  • The types of staff you need

Talk to a member of our team

Call us if you need to request a nurse, discuss your requirements or
wish to understand more about our wide range of services.

Scotland
0131 229 9988

Northern Ireland
0333 323 0336

Republic of Ireland
01 9023080

Our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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