Job responsibilities
1 CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
1.1 To deliver, or support the delivery of, highly specialist evidence-based assessment, care planning, treatment and review for women in the perinatal period.
1.2 Under supervision provide specialist consultation, advice and support to both WLT in-patient and community services, as well as other external services/stakeholders on best practice when working with pregnant women and women with infants up to two-years-old.
1.3 To work jointly with care co-ordinators from local recovery teams, with a small complex and challenging caseload of pregnant women or those with infants, up to 2 years postnatal.
1.4 To work in consultation with other professionals making known concerns regarding safeguarding children and/or adults to the appropriate and responsible service. This includes attending Safeguarding Children Conferences as appropriate where the child is at risk because of the mothers mental illness.
1.5 To support the MDT in setting up structures that allow the dissemination of knowledge and skills regarding working with perinatal women in both in-patient and community services.
1.6 To liaise and work with specialist tertiary services such as Mother & Baby Units, personality disorder services, eating disorder services etc.
1.7 To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team exercising semi-autonomous professional responsibility for managing a clinical caseload independently. Providing highly specialist assessments and follow-up for women referred with moderate needs. Which includes assessment of risk in terms of self-harm, self-neglect, vulnerability, harm to others, domestic violence and safeguarding children.
1.8 To seek consultation where necessary with clinical supervisor and/or line manager on clinical work and participate in regular supervision.
1.9 To be mindful of the needs of women and their families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and to develop, with colleagues, sensitive and innovative ways of meeting these needs.
1.10 To ensure care plans are developed in partnership with the woman and that they reflect personal recovery goals. These should be strengths-based and oriented towards reinforcing a positive identity and developing valued social roles. This may require pre and post birth meetings.
1.11 To attend the WLT Safeguarding Children multidisciplinary meetings and any other relevant multidisciplinary meetings within Maternity services, as appropriate.
1.12 To be responsible for monitoring, recording and reporting on clinical work and communicating highly complex clinical information to a variety of recipients (e.g. patients, families and carers, other professionals) orally and in writing.
1.13 To be responsible for developing and maintaining knowledge of local resources and developing excellent working relationships with relevant statutory, voluntary and community groups and organisations.
1.14 To participate in rotation on the service daily Duty rota, as required, to support the triage of new referrals and urgent / emergency presentations in the maternity units.
2 COMMUNICATION
The post holder will:
2.1 Utilise high level oral and written communication skills.
2.2 Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self awareness and empathy in all communications.
2.3 Demonstrate the ability to give and receive complex clinical details clearly, with patients, carers and other professional colleagues, supervise and augment the work of midwives as necessary.
2.4 Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in situations that are challenging and/or contentious.
2.5 Demonstrate an ability to negotiate and problem solve in contentious and/or antagonistic situations, where agreement is required to communicate clear decisions and rationale when agreement cannot be reached e.g. in situations where there are Safeguarding issues.
2.6 Demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues in within the Perinatal team, WLT and other relevant agencies.
3 EDUCATION & TRAINING
3.1 To participate in providing regular education and training (both formally and informally) on perinatal psychiatry issues to a wide range of professionals involved in the care and management of women in the perinatal period (particularly those listed in 1.4 - Key Working Relationships). This should be focused around compliance with NICE guidelines.
3.2 To participate in providing on-going training and advice to midwives on enquiring about mental illness at booking of pregnancy and ensuring the implementation of NICE guidelines.
3.3 To contribute to the statutory training for midwives providing teaching sessions focussed on screening, identification and management (including risk assessment) of pregnant women with mental illness.
4 POLICY & SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
4.1 To be aware of and comply with all WLT Trust policies and procedures and in particular follow and promote the Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children Policies and contribute to the development of the Perinatal Psychiatry Policy.
4.2 To be responsible for monitoring, recording and reporting on clinical work and communicating highly complex clinical information to a variety of recipients (e.g. patients, families and carers, other professionals) orally and in writing.
4.3 To work collaboratively with and support the Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist (Lead Clinician) systems and processes to record relevant information at the time of referral, during on-going work, and for evaluation purposes, as consistent with the policies and protocols of WLT and ICHT record keeping policies.
4.4 To work closely with colleagues to promote and develop a collaborative Perinatal Psychiatry Service for the assigned locality.
4.5 To be actively involved in the audit process, collecting data, mapping of local needs, and the evaluation and monitoring of personal work and the work of the service.
5 CLINICAL GOVERNANCE
5.1 To be knowledgeable about, and advise on best practice for treatment of pregnant and postpartum women, with particular regard to relevant NICE guidelines and CEMACH reports.
5.2 To be knowledgeable about, and advise on best practice for Safeguarding Children, with particular regard to Working Together to Safeguard Children, HM Government, revised 2006 and the London Child Protection Procedures, revised 2007.
5.3 To participate in the evaluation and audit of clinical work and the service.
5.4 To take an active role in seeking user, carer and stakeholders feedback to help shape and influence the further development of the service.
6 MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISION & ACCOUNTABILITY
6.1 To assist in providing specialist supervision to other professionals regarding perinatal psychiatry cases.
6.2 To represent WLT in the acute Trust setting, playing a vital role in communicating and maintaining excellent working relationships in this interface.
6.3 Act as a change agent to promote innovation and high standards of practice.
6.4 Ensure effective and efficient time management.
6.5 To receive regular clinical supervision from the Perinatal Team Manager/Deputy Team Manager and alongside regular peer supervision (with additional support from the Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist if required).
6.6 To receive regular professional/managerial supervision from the Perinatal Team Manager and/or identified supervisor.
6.7 To contribute and commit to participating in an annual Personal Development Review and undertake any personal development as identified in the plan.
6.8 To undertake all mandatory and statutory training, as per Trust policy.
6.9 To all times adhere to Professional Code of Conduct (NMC, Social Work England, Standards of Professional Practice, Code of Conduct) and Post Registration Education and Practice (PREP).
6.10 To ensure he/she is aware of current evidence-based developments and practice in relation to Perinatal Psychiatry and the interface with other relevant services.