Assistant Practitioner - Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service

Job overview

The North London Foundation Trust Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS) is a multi-disciplinary community mental health service for pregnant and postnatal women and birthing people with moderate to severe mental illness. The aim of the team is to detect, prevent and treat perinatal mental health problems to improve the experience of pregnancy and the two years postpartum for service users and their families.

The service has been running since 2017 and provides specialist perinatal mental health services across the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey. The model operates with 3 clinical sub-teams.

The vacancy for this role is in the West team which covers Barnet based at N12 9RH.

Clinics normally run at team bases, maternity sites, children’s centers, and community centers across the boroughs as well as home visits. Some clinical work is additionally carried out via video call.

Main duties of the job

The aim of the team is to detect, prevent and treat perinatal mental health problems to improve the experience of pregnancy and the two years postpartum for service users and their families. The Maple Service is a community psychological therapy service for people who have the experience of perinatal fear, trauma, or loss.

Camden & Islington Mental Health Foundation Trust jointly with Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust have developed perinatal mental health services across five boroughs in the North Central London area. The service has been running since 2017 and provides specialist perinatal mental health services across the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey.

• West team (Barnet) based at N12 9RH
• East team (Enfield & Haringey) based at N9 7HD
• South team (Camden & Islington) based at NW1 0PE

The post holder will be responsible for participating and assisting in the delivery of care for service users under the North London NHS Foundation Trust Perinatal Mental Health Service. This includes supporting partners, families, and professionals of those being cared for by the team.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for participating and assisting in the delivery of care for service users under the North London NHS Foundation Trust Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service. This includes supporting partners, families, and professionals of those being cared for by the team.

The post holder will carry out a range of clinical support tasks, including direct patient interactions, risk assessment, and delivering recovery interventions, identified as part of the service user’s care plan, with particular focus to develop / sustain the mother and infant relationship.

They will work as part of the multidisciplinary team to provide excellent, compassionate, and sensitive care to women/birthing people. Working under supervision, the post holder will provide direct support to a defined group of service users as allocated and delegated by the team.

The post holder will provide direct support to the service users and partners and families under the care of the service. The focus of the role will be that of supporting women / birthing people and their families during the perinatal period., Providing clinical assistance to registered and medical staff to ensure safe provision of care.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Diploma in Mental Health Practice or NVQ level 3 in Mental Health with post qualification evidence of further study / additional training to diploma level or NVQ 4 in Mental Health or equivalent level experience. or Evidence of extensive and current paid experience of working with service users who have dementia.
• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent (with a minimum of 5 A – E qualifications – which must include and English).
• Level 1 Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults certificate.

• Level 2 Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults certificate.
• To have experience of or if appropriate to service needs be willing to undertake training in de-escalation or breakaway techniques.

Experience/Knowledge

• Significant experience of caring for people with mental health problems in an acute in-patient or community care setting.
• Previous experience of working in a Health or Social Care setting in a paid or voluntary position
• Demonstrate an understanding of the key sections of the Mental Capacity Act and their use in practice.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and their partners and family.
• To demonstrate an understanding and/or practical experience of delivering interventions.

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to work on own initiative.
• Able to work as part of a team.
• Motivated and enthusiastic about working with women and families in the perinatal period.