Specialist Mental Health Pharmacy Technician (Medicines Management)
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
Are you a qualified and experienced registered pharmacy technician looking for an exciting new challenge as part of a forward thinking and dynamic pharmacy team?
We are looking for 1 enthusiastic technicians to join the team as a medicines management pharmacy technician to provide support with medicines optimisation for our Adult Mental Health inpatients in Chelmsford. These new and innovative posts would suit ambitious and forward thinking registered pharmacy technicians who would join the Inpatients Mental Health Team as integral members of the Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) Pharmacy Service in providing clinical pharmacy services and enhancing the medicines-related care of patients.
If you are looking for a unique opportunity in a responsible and challenging post, this could be the role for you. You will work independently at times as well as operating closely with specialist pharmacists. The post includes participation in the weekly ACPT, weekend and bank holiday dispensary rota, and there may be opportunity to work additional hours elsewhere within the pharmacy team, as part of our staff bank.
We are seeking self-motivated and adaptable pharmacy technicians with excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills to take on this exciting new post.- Previous applicants need not apply
Main duties of the job
You will provide clinical pharmacy services, enhancing the medicines-related care of patients, supporting the provision and development of medicines management services and participating in training, education, and audit as required. The department provides support to services including adult and older adult, secure and learning disability services at a wide range of locations.You will be based in Chelmsford, but will be required to support either Basildon and Rochford (one post).
Your primary role will be to provide clinical services to a dedicated area, and to develop skills and knowledge to enable you to contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings and ward rounds, and provide medicines education to patients, carers and staff.You will be supported by both junior and senior pharmacists and within the team. You should be able to work on your own initiative as well as within a larger team.
You should be currently registered as a pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council. We welcome applicants from any background, including community pharmacy, with the passion to manage clinical services in a hospital setting. Experience in psychiatry would be an advantage but is not essential to fulfil this role, as you would be supported to identify and meet your learning needs, for example to undertake further postgraduate training in psychiatric pharmacy.
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
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
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide specialist medicines management support in a specific area of clinical and/or operational practice, to support the medicines-related care of patients, support the provision of medicines management services and to participate in training and education as required.
See the Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- BTEC/NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent
- Accredited checking qualification
- Current registration with GPhC
- Medicines management/Medicines Reconciliation qualification and demonstrable post-qualification experience working as a Medicine Management Technician
- CPPE consultation skills qualification or equivalent
- NVQ A1 workplace assessor or willingness to work towards
Personal qualities
Essential criteria- Shares trusts beliefs and models this in attitude and behaviour
- Ensures trust values are demonstrated
- Driving licence / access to a vehicle for work
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Good time management, organisation and prioritisation skills
- Ability to use initiative and solve problems
- Good interpersonal skills
- Ability to work alone and motivate staff
- Ability to demonstarte effective communication skills (written and oral)
- Knowledge of psychotropic drug therapy
Skills
Essential criteria- Relevant post registration pharmacy experience, including mental health
- Experience as working as part of a multi disciplinary team
- Literate in IT skills
- Experience of developing SOPs
- Experience of supervising staff
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].