Intensive Outreach Mental Health Practitioner
About Us
EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:
- We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.
EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values- We Care
- We Learn
- We Empower
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
- Mental Health Services
- Community Health Services
- Learning Disabilities Services
- Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.
Job overview
Due to retirement we currently have a vacancy for a Band 6 nurse, OT or Social Worker who is able to join the Intensive Outreach Team covering South East Essex. You will manage a small caseload of service-users who often present with an increased complexity in relation to their needs and support requirements.Though challenging at times it can be an incredibly rewarding client group to work with and the team itself is very experienced and supportive. The team base is in Canvey but due to the area the team covers other Trust bases are also used as needed.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a dynamic and passionate mental health practitioner (OT, social workers and nurses welcome to apply). The post-holder will work with service-users with the most severe and enduring long-term mental health problems across a range of diagnoses and co-existing needs.They will undertake co-produced, personalised support and care planning with service users where goals and interventions are based on empowerment and each individual’s strengths and assets.
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;- Season Ticket Loans
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Day One Flexible Employer
The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To assess, plan, deliver and evaluate care for service users who are referred to the Intensive Outreach Team, including the assessment and management of risk.
- To be responsible for a caseload of patients as the named key worker/care coordinator/lead clinician (or other equivalent title)
- To work alongside the service user in meeting the practical needs of everyday life such as activities of daily living, budgeting skills, social structures, leisure activities, etc. in a collaborative manner
- To work within a psychosocial / family centred framework when assessing and planning individual packages of care.
- To be responsible for organising and planning an active clinical caseload as an autonomous practitioner managing your time effectively and liaising closely with other agencies and disciplines.
- To undertake evaluation of clinical symptoms and disabilities, advising appropriate medical staff of any changes requiring psychiatric evaluation and / or intervention
- To undertake the role of CPA co-ordinator for a case load of service users with complex mental health problems who are difficult to engage and require intensive packages of care in line with the Trusts CPA policy.
- To work within the framework of any new model of patient care, as designated by the trust, which may replace the pre-existing CPA framework
- To develop therapeutic relationships with service users in order to provide support and assistance, as appropriate to the service users and their informal carers associated
- To ensure that the Team is aware of the particular perspective of your professional background in relation to patient care, whilst acknowledging the need to blur professional boundaries in order to achieve a seamless approach to client care
- To participate in mental health promotion / education and give advice as necessary to clients and their carers on the maintenance of good health and prevention of relapse
- To administer and monitor the effects and adverse effects of prescribed medication and liaise with medical staff regarding any necessary adjustments in medication (if within professional competency)
- To offer advice / information to clients and carers in regard to prescribed medications
- To ensure the Intensive Outreach Team promotes a positive view of mental health, breaking down prejudice and stigma to facilitate an understanding of problems associated with mental illness
- To provide formal clinical supervision to students and other staff within the team
- To receive formal clinical supervision from the relevant line manager or senior practitioner as appropriate
- To take part in the team duty rota (if applicable), taking duty calls as required for the shift and following the lone working policy for checking staff whereabouts to maintain staff safety
- To possess enhanced communication skills to be able to communicate with service users and cares who are experiencing a range of mental health experiences, including psychotic symptoms or personality disorder – and who may be in distress
- To undertake the role of Lead Clinician for people who are detained under a Community Treatment Order (Mental Health Act)
- To complete formal tribunal/hospital manager’s reports for people detained under a section or a Community treatment Order
- To provide cover for line manager in their absence.
- Being confident, autonomous practitioner who take responsibility for the care they give to patients but also take responsibility for overseeing the work of others in the team including less experienced and unqualified staff
- Communicating well with all members of the team
- Understanding their role in the team and how they help the team achieve its objectives
- Reflecting on their own practice regularly and encouraging the whole team to reflect on their practices in handovers and team meetings
- Encouraging the team to learn from adverse events or respond to data analysis from audits or benchmarking exercises and implement sustainable initiatives which improve clinical outcomes
- Ensuring the best possible clinical outcomes by using up-to-date skills and adhering to evidence based policies and procedures
- Demonstrate good risk assessment and management skills, ensuring that decisions made regarding referrals are in the interests of the individual patient’s needs and their safety, upgrading referrals where necessary.
- Be fully conversant with statutory and non-statutory services across South East Essex
- Maintain a good public image of the community mental health services by dealing with all patient, family, team and inter agency interactions in a professional manner
- Be responsible for the maintenance and accurate patient records on relevant patient information system (i.e. Mobius)
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria- Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work
- Evidence of appropriate CPD post qualifications
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive experience in care coordinating people in a community mental health setting
- Experience working in the community under an AOT model
Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Important Professional References
Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.
Equal Opportunities Employer
Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply.If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.
The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Covid Vaccination
Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.
If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing [email protected].