Band 6 - Mental Health Practitioner - South Bristol PCN

Job overview

Calling all Mental Health Practitioners! An exciting opportunity has arisen to provide your expertise working in Primary Care as part of a General Practice team. This role will be based in Swift Primary Care Network practices in South Bristol.

We are redesigning our community mental health services so that, in future, people receive a personalized, preventative and proactive integrated approach. Primary Care, voluntary services and AWP are working together to provide a one team approach for our local populations and your role as a Mental Health Practitioner in is key to the success of this approach.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with AWP trust policy all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding. All NQSW’s are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be extended for a further 2 years.

If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful ASYE completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 post you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy upon successful ASYE completion.

Main duties of the job

You will be working alongside our communities and local authorities with patients and their families making sure that issues such as housing, debt, carer fatigue and addictions are addressed at the same time as mental health problems.

Delivering care from GP’s surgeries this is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of local service provision moving forward.

We expect all staff to treat patients and colleagues with dignity and respect.

Working for our organisation

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Give best practice advice and support in a broad range of conditions for people with both functional and organic mental health needs.

Promote the needs of family and carer/s, including various support networks and third sector agencies.

Advise and support on evaluating risk from a positive risk-taking perspective.

Support and advise within safeguarding and public protection procedures where the issues are complicated by mental health problems, alongside Primary Care colleagues.

Provide a prompt response to all contacts following jointly agreed procedures and within agreed time frames.

Ensure, where needed, that people experience a seamless transfer into AWP provider/treatment services via trusted assessment processes.

Following assessment, provide short- term follow up of patients where appropriate.

Contribute evidence-based expertise to multi-disciplinary team processes.

Promote positive attitudes, mutual understanding and collaboration between non-mental health staff and mental health services, users, carers, voluntary agencies, primary care and social services.

Demonstrate responsibility for developing own practice in line with professional qualifications and for contributing to the development of others, by making use of and providing, effective feedback, supervision, coaching and appraisal.

Adhere to the relevant professional code of conduct ensuring required skills and competencies required are maintained.

Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, undertaking assessments and taking appropriate action where required.

Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.

Maintain appropriate health record, in accordance with professional and organisational standards.

AWP values its staff and makes investment in their development a priority. Currently we offer the following development opportunities for staff:

• Leadership programs.
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Access to training via the Workforce Development Fund.
• An induction program tailored to your needs.
• Strong on-boarding and a buddy system.

• As an AWP member of staff you will be able to access the following:
• Discounts available from retailers, UK hotels and main attractions – often up to 15% savings.
• NHS Pension Scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme (scheme available several times a year).
• Flexible working options considered.
• Relocation package may be considered for the right candidate.
• Please see attached job description and person specification for full details.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in mental health equivalent to Registered RMN, Registered Social worker or Registered Therapist
• Current registration with a professional body and commitment to CPD
• Detailed working knowledge secondary specialist mental health services and the wider health and social care community and the third sector.
• Significant skills and experience in educating and training the mainstream workforce, particularly non-specialist mental health workers
• Demonstrates substantial experience of assessing risk and developing risk management strategies

• Relevant post-registration qualifications, such as Thorn, Non-Medical Prescribing, CBT, AMHP, Brief Interventions etc

Experience & Knowledge

• Front line experience of using advanced assessment skills especially in determining the nature and severity of mental illness/health (functional and organic) and differentiation between physical and mental health symptoms and conditions
• Extensive working knowledge of the structure of the wider health and social care community including statutory and non-statutory services and direct experience of multi professional and inter-agency working and collaboration
• Specialist knowledge of the needs, treatment approaches and rights of people with mental health problems and the needs of their carers and family.
• Significant and demonstrable levels of initiative utilised within practice and work delivery

• Experience gained in a wide variety of settings, including Primary Care

Skills & Abilities

• Strong track record and ability to act with high levels of diplomacy whilst maintaining the strength of relationship to challenge inaccurate assumptions and perceptions
• Highly developed verbal communication skills, able to engage effectively with people at all levels, even when a more assertive approach is needed.
• Conversant with policies and national drivers influencing the service development in question, plus a broader and detailed understanding of the respective legislation affecting the people using the service
• Able to articulate a detailed understanding of the relevant legal frameworks/legislation including CPA process, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and Safeguarding

Other Requirements

• Mobile with the facility to move quickly across a geographically dispersed area with limited access to public transport
• Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times.

This includes people with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent conditions (for example autism, ADHD, sensory, physical and learning disabilities).

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service users.

Click here to view our applicant guidance

Please apply to join us, we would love to hear from you. Any personal details you supply to us are kept safe in line with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Adverts normally close for application a few minutes before midnight on the closing date and we will let you know if we are offering you an interview by email via our recruitment system ‘TRAC’. We contact all applicants within 4 weeks after the closing date, so please check your emails regularly once you have submitted your application; you are welcome to contact us, via the TRAC system, if you have any queries about your application.

Please note the use of AI is monitored and if you have used it in your application you are required to declare this.