Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Communicate effectively with colleagues within the Primary Care Mental Health Team, and all levels of staff in the provider organisation.
• Communicate effectively with all levels of staff in partner organisations to include GMMH, GPs, Practice Managers, IOWICB, Primary Care Team and Commissioners.
• Liaise with key stakeholders/partner organisations regarding care pathways and treatment.
• Communicate and engage effectively with patients, their carers and the public regarding care pathways and treatment.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with a range of statutory, voluntary, charitable and commercial organisations to support and develop mental health care in Isle of Wight.
• Provide written reports, training packages and presentations upon the request of the Practice Managers when required.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of communication and vary the style and content to ensure understanding at all levels.
• Attend individual GP practice meetings and contribute information about the service and its outcomes.
• Communicate and present complex and sensitive clinical information when required at relevant forums.
• Ensure that personally generated patient documentation is accurate and maintained in line with relevant NMC/professional bodies standards, guidelines and operational guidance.
• Provision of assessment for people presenting to the GP Practice who appear to be experiencing mental health problems.
• Be able to utilise specialist assessment tools so to enhance the assessment process.
• Assess and manage clinical risk within agreed protocols and ensure actions are implemented to meet the health and welfare needs of staff and patients.
• Use a variety of techniques to elicit and interpret the history of the problem/condition including past medical history in order to reach a clinical decision.
• To work independently and use clinical judgement in decision making.
• Provide interventions and self-management techniques, advice, guidance and support literature to patients who will benefit.
• Support patients to access the GP practices physical health promotion and prevention services. Signpost to Health Improvement Practitioners within the surgery/neighbourhood, community assets and other voluntary services for interventions.
• Refer patients on to the GPs and Practice Nurses in the Practice, when problems are identified which are outside the remit of a Mental Health Practitioner in Primary Care, recognising the role of other colleagues within the surgery.
• Follow up patients at the request of the GP.
• Signpost referrals to IAPT and to Secondary Care when clinically indicated.
• Facilitate access to lower level emotional well-being and/or crisis support services, potentially preventing patients from attending A&E or deteriorating to the level that hospital admission is required.
• Refer on to local specialist services for further advice, support and longer term management if required, fostering and maintaining strong links with all mental health services across the locality.
• Develop extensive knowledge about the evidence base for patient care relating to maintaining physical health and mental well-being, in the context of common mental health conditions across the adult age range.
• Have the ability to monitor patients that have been safely transitioned to Primary Care who experience a severe mental illness who are on antipsychotics or other medicines requiring monitoring.
• To work alongside GPs to identify patients to be assessed and develop referral pathways.
• Demonstrate ability to work as a member of a practice team and wider team working.
• To lead in MDT meetings.
• Support mental health need in neighbourhoods to link in with wider Primary Care services including the Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.
• Support the IOWICB to identify commonly recurring mental health issues in every day practice, which may inform training and education for GPs and Practice Nurses, and the wider health and social care workforce.
• To support the development of the Locality Plan, and other health strategies, which have links with mental health care and prevention by working collaboratively with a range of partner organisations.
• Contribute towards the development of operational policy and guidelines for own work area, in collaboration with colleagues from the practice, IOWICB, FT and GMMH.
• In conjunction with the Practice Manager ensure policies and guidance are cascaded to practices and applied across the work area.
• Effectively champion innovation and change for mental health service development in Primary Care.
• In conjunction with the Practice Manager develop programmes of care which reflect current and anticipated mental health need, which is sensitive to the varying needs of our neighbourhoods by gaining an overview from all available data and information so that service changes can be planned.
• Support and improve the performance management function of the service in the practice. This will involve working closely with GPs and Practice Managers to provide succinct information to practices on interventions for their patients.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Primary Care Development Team to deliver/develop the Mental Health Practitioner service in Primary Care.
• Identify gaps in service provision. In conjunction with GMMH, make recommendations for service development to the provider and the IOWICB. Support any redesign and inform any implementation of approved initiatives.
• Support the development, implementation, management and evaluation of the Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner service to meet local need and targets.
• Contribute towards the development of an evaluation framework.
• Administration & professional responsibilities
• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team.
• Ensure accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes.
• Ensure the clinical computer system is kept up to date, with accurate details recorded and amended.
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice.
• Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports and audit.
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required.
• Training & personal development
• Training requirements will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice. It is the individuals responsibility to remain up to date with recent developments.
• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the introduction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate
• Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development, ensuring PREP requirements are met.
• Develop and maintain a Personal Learning Plan
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
• Liaison
• As well as the Clinical team, there is a need to work closely with reception, office and dispensary staff to ensure the smooth running of the practice, reporting any problems encountered to the relevant person and ensuring everyone is aware of the different roles within the nursing team.
• There is also the need to establish and maintain good liaison with other surgeries and agencies, including secondary care.
• Confidentiality
• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.
• Equality & diversity
• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
• Contribution to the implementation of services
• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people with acute and long term mental health problems in a community setting
• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work)
• Experience of making full psychosocial assessments.
• Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role

Desirable

• Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations

Qualifications

Essential

• Current professional registration: Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or equivalent
• Community experience in mental health services for adults or older age adults with severe/significant/enduring mental illnesses
• Completed Preceptorship
• Fully conversant with requirements of the Mental Health Act
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
• Experience of providing a range of evidence-based interventions to people with a variety of mental health problems and serious mental illnesses

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience
• Mental Health Interventions qualification (MSc or post grad diploma)

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Significant knowledge of and ability to interpret & apply relevant legislative frameworks and policies relating to care e.g. Mental Capacity Act
• Knowledge and understanding of the NMC Code of Conduct
• To engage with people with mental health problems, assess their needs, design and deliver appropriate interventions and evaluate the effectiveness care provided.
• To be competent in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care
• Understanding of the wider determinants of mental health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
• The ability to work effectively with a large number of organisations, managing communications and maintaining good relationships.
• Significant awareness of clinical governance and its relationship to clinical effectiveness and patient safety and patient experience.
• Leadership skills e.g. taking charge, delegation of duties, supervising others.
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• To participate in Quality Improvement, Audits, Research, etc.

Desirable

• Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills
• Knowledge of the personalised care approach

Personal Attributes and Qualities

Essential

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non-judgemental way.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people in all communities.
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential.
• Able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Able to provide leadership and finish work tasks.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
• Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues.
• Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• High level of written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Wight Primary Partnerships Ltd

Address

Brookside Health Centre

Queens Road

Freshwater

Isle Of Wight

PO40 9DT

Employer's website

https://brooksidehealthcentre.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)