Senior Mental Health Practitioner
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to work in partnership in Primary Care as part of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) - part of a wider transformation and expansion of community-based mental health services set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
The post sits within the Newcastle Central Primary Care Network MDT working alongside the GP surgery teams and other PCN professionals. The post holder will also be part of the community mental health MDT with ready access to a wide range of support and expertise across both MDTs.
Newcastle Central are a group of six GP practices working together to focus on local patient care. The PCN comprises a multi-disciplinary team, covering Newcastle central areas.
The role delivers timely access to an integrated, high quality, service user-centred service in primary care that enables people with mental health needs and/or social care problems (regardless of diagnosis) to improve their well-being and functionality, thereby preventing, reducing or delaying the need for more specialist services (either for mental health, physical health or social care needs).
Main duties of the job
The post holder will lead on the service delivery to ensure the mental health and associated social care needs of service users are addressed alongside their physical care thereby promoting wellbeing, independence and choice - whilst preventing, reducing or delaying the onset of greater need.
The post will sit within the GP practices and will offer a combined consultation, advice, triage and liaison function. The role will involve providing leadership, development and supporting shared decision making about self-management, facilitating onward access to treatment services and providing brief psychological intervention where appropriate.
The MHP will offer screening and advice/signposting to patients where there is an indicated mental health problem - providing high quality interventions to patients across all ages. The MHP will provide the least intensive intervention appropriate to personal needs first, and patients can then step up or down the care pathway in accordance with their changing needs and response to treatment.
The practitioner can facilitate onward access to other secondary care-based services or third sector services integrated within the mental health pathway.
Working for our organisation
As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.
We pride ourselves on ensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.
We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world’s first ‘carbon net zero’ national health system by 2045 (Greener NHS (england.nhs.uk). As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers.In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike. For 2024/2025, we have launched our “Proud to be Green” engagement campaign which is aligned to the targets set out in our Green Plan.
As a Trust, you can be assured that we will commit to supporting you in working towards our net zero ambitions, set out in our Green Plan, through our sustainability programme”.
The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will demonstrate outstanding autonomous and critical thinking and is a caring, compassionate and committed experienced health professional. They will, whilst acting within their professional boundaries, provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, assessment and management of care, arrange timely assessments, either face to face or via telephone triage and provide short-term intervention as appropriate.
They will demonstrate safe, competent clinical decision-making and expert care for patients within the practice and wider primary care network. They will communicate and work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures.They will liaise with other professionals and agencies both statutory and non-statutory and to provide a link between primary and secondary services from a North Staffs Combined perspective.
To be a point of contact for acute crisis in known mental health patients and support navigation to the most appropriate point of assessment, whether this be in primary or secondary care
Support the wider PCN teams in the best practice management of mental health.- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients via telephone or video, in clinic or in their own homes.
- Proactively identify and manage treatment plans for patients with dementia and serious mental illness.
- Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug- and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management plan
- Review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice
- Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments
- Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations.
- Take prompt action on changes in condition, liaising with other care givers, members of the clinical (multi-disciplinary) team and/or other agencies when necessary, reviewing nursing care and communicating any amendments to the medical records.
- To have responsibility for seeking support and advice from the clinical lead, General Practitioner or CMHT Manager in respect of issues and difficulties with individual patient care. To attend regular clinical supervision with the clinical lead and CMHT Manager in order to address caseload management issues.
- Develop skills in respect of specific interventions that are appropriate to the clinical area and act as the lead in developing nursing practice in relation to this.
The role will require travelling across a wide geographical area covering the GP’s aligned to the Primary Care Network and therefore the applicant needs to be a car driver.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Qualified Registered Mental Health Practitioner – RMN, DipSW, CQSW, CSS or OT – registered with appropriate professional governing body such as NMC, Social Work England or HCPC with evidence of professional updating and development in the delivery of service to people with mental health problems.
- Driven to extend their clinical practice in a particular area (therapeutic interventions/independent prescribing etc).
Experience
Essential criteria- Significant post qualification experience
- Recent community experience
Skills
Essential criteria- Experience of Mental Health Risk Assessment and Intervention
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. We offer a variety of flexible working opportunities for both full and part time staff. Job Share applicants will be fully considered and applications are particularly welcomed from current and previous service users
All correspondence at each stage of the process (including any offer packs) will be sent to you via the email address you applied from, please ensure you check your emails regularly.
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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POINTS- In the event of exceptionally high levels of response, we reserve the right to close the post before the date stated above in order to prevent the number of applications received being unmanageable. You are advised to submit your completed application form as soon as possible to have the best chance of being considered.
- Priority will be given to NHS staff across the region who are at risk of redundancy, where the vacancy is at the same band or one below their current band and candidates meet the essential criteria for this post.
- All employees new to the Trust will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.
- All clinical staff bands 2-4 that are new to the Trust will be required to complete a Care Certificate.
Canvassing of members of the Trust or of any Committee of the Trust directly or indirectly for any appointment under the Trust shall disqualify the candidate for such appointment. The Trust does not pay travel expenses for candidates attending interviews.
ALL POSTS INVOLVING ACCESS TO PERSONS IN RECEIPT OF HEALTH SERVICES WILL BE SUBJECT TO A DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE DISCLOSURE.
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