Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

Are you passionate about patients receiving the best care? Are you looking for a specialist career pathway? Do you want to be influential in leading and developing a new model for the future? Then you may be the person we are looking for to be involved in shaping our services.

We are currently looking to recruit a keen, enthusiastic and highly motivated Mental Health Practitioner (RMNS, Occupational Therapists, or social workers) to join our Adult Community Eating Disorder Service, basedwithin the grounds of Addenbrookes Hospital, in the vibrant University City of Cambridge.

It is a very exciting time to join our services, with plans in place to expand and develop our excellent service into a new model for providing care in the community.

Main duties of the job

As a key member of our team you, will play a vital role in developing services including - MANTRA, providing 1 to 1 interventions and group work along with the medical monitoring pathways. Previous experience in a leadership position is considered desirable for this post and you will be required to work collaboratively and independently within our service.

In return for your commitment and enthusiasm, working within the unique Adult eating Disorders Team will give you the opportunity to practice a full range of core leadership and MDT team skills.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health & social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health & wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting & empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult & Older Peoples mental & physical health, Forensic & Specialist mental health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care & Liaison psychiatry, Substance misuse, Social care, Research & Development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high calibre candidates that share our vision & values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people & members of our ethnic minorities & LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders including health promotion, physical monitoring and focus on wellbeing and safe maintenance for severe and enduring eating disorders.
• To participate in the setting of quality standards, including the monitoring and reviewing in line with current clinical guidance practice and policy. Utilising the data available such as learning from incidences and complaints.
• To be responsible for the promotion of carer and service user involvement within the service and for its provision. To encourage recovery, discovery and independence, taking into account risk assessment and management.
• To be responsible for establishing therapeutic relationships with service users and the implementation of evidence based therapeutic interventions with appropriate boundaries in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Councils professional code of conduct.
• To lead on the provision of social/therapeutic activities for service users.
• To be responsible for the safe custody and administration of medicines in accordance with all medicine policies and ensure compliance is maintained.
• To ensure that a high standard of multi-disciplinary care planning is in place and to lead the nursing contribution to this process.
• To be competent and confident in undertaking medical monitoring for eating disorder patients in line with Kings College guidelines.
• To respect and value the different therapeutic approaches within the multi-disciplinary team but ensure that the agreed philosophy approach is adopted and followed.
• To work closely with the multi-disciplinary team and other agencies to support the facilitation of early discharges.
• To demonstrate care and compassion in your work and support others in the team to achieve this.
• To be responsible for maintaining and conducting oneself in a professional manner towards service users, carers, colleagues, primary care and other agencies, at all times.
• To work collaboratively with other Trust services and external agencies, in order to provide seamless care for our service users.
• To ensure that they contribute and work towards the service/organisational aims.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Current professional registration with an approved professional body
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

• Training Relevant to Practice
• Post Graduate Diploma
• Specific training in psychological approaches

Experience

• Experience of working autonomously and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of managing a caseload
• Experience of supervising students and providing mentorship

• Additional qualification for specialism
• Experience of working with service users diagnosed with learning disability and or neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Experience of dealing with service users with complex mental health needs

Knowledge and Understanding

• Thorough understanding of care planning and the Care Programme Approach (CPA).
• Knowledge of physical healthcare needs.
• Commitment to and understanding of evidence based practice.
• Awareness of safeguarding issues and responsibilities under relevant legislation.
• Understanding of the legislation relating to care including - Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act, Equality Act 2010.
• Knowledge of NICE guidance relevant to practice area.

• Interest in or knowledge of eating disorders
• The Trust's PRIDE Values

Physical requirements

• To be able to travel independently between locations in a timely manner

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to undertake assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of treatment plans.
• The ability to supervise and participate in providing teaching and training to other staff.
• Proven skills in undertaking risk assessments and management plans.
• An understanding and commitment to the principles of Recovery and Social inclusion
• An understanding of the role of health promotion and education with the client group.
• Ability to advocate for the service users who you are supporting.

• In depth knowledge and skill related to a particular therapeutic intervention such as CBT, DBT, family work, psychosocial interventions.
• Experience in group work

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children and young people’s mental health services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Social care;
• Ground-breaking research

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity.

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.

Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.