WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: It is known that people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder often experience crises in their mental wellbeing. There is little evidence about the approaches of mental health nurses in community-based crisis teams when working with people with a diagnosis of BPD. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper highlights that limited resources, work-patterns and issues of stigma present challenges to delivering recovery-oriented care. The paper highlights that nurses typically try to navigate the challenges to continue to provide individualized care, though their self-assessment is that this is with mixed success. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings suggest that support is needed to develop brief interventions specific to teams working with people with a diagnosis of BPD who are at a point of crisis. ABSTRACT: Introduction People with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) are often in contact with mental health services at a point of crisis, and in the UK, this includes Crisis Resolution Home Treatment teams (CRHTT). There is a drive for services to be recovery orientated; however, there is little evidence about the degree to which community services achieve this for people with a diagnosis of BPD when in crisis. Research Aim To understand the perceptions held by CRHTT clinicians about their provision of recovery-orientated acute care, for people with a diagnosis of BPD. Method From a purposive sample of a single CRHTT, seven registered mental health nurses were interviewed and Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework was used to interpret the data. Results Five themes emerged: person-centred care; the timing is wrong; inconsistent staffing; the risks are too great; and BPD as a label. Discussion The results demonstrate tensions between a drive to deliver person-centred care and a range of challenges that inhibit this, with the possibility of reframing a recovery approach as "recovery-ready". Implications for Practice A whole-system approach is required to enable a consistent recovery-oriented approach, but research is also needed for brief interventions specific to this context.