Senior Liaison Psychiatry Practitioner

Job responsibilities

ELPS has an office space on the 9th floor in EH and provide a service to the acute trust primarily. Excellent working relationships have already been developed with both clinicians and managers of EH.

The team has a mix of Consultant Liaison Psychiatrists, Specialty Registrars, Foundation doctors, Band 5, 6 & 7 Liaison Psychiatry Practitioners as well as a Team Administrator. The team is committed to maintaining high standards of care and improving patient experience.

We promote learning and professional development in a supportive environment. We offer an extensive reward package to team members, alongside an exciting and fulfilling career with our Trust. Some of the benefits you can enjoy when you join our team are:

• A competitive relocation package meaning you can claim up to £8k in expenses when moving over 40 miles to join the Trust
• Up to 33 days annual leave as well as the opportunity to buy even more days or sell some leave days that you do not need
• You will be able to request up to six shifts off work per rota
• Childcare vouchers
• Support towards career development and promotion opportunities within the Trust
• A supportive environment to develop clinical skills
• Access to a comprehensive online library of training, development, and resources
• Discounted gym membership from £10 per month at our gym on the St Bernards site
• Staff discounts at high street retailers
• Paid DBS application upon offer
• Free parking on site

Clinical:

As a member of the team the post-holder will:

• Provide specialist bio-psycho-social assessment (usually working alone) of patients mental state (including the assessment of deliberate self-harm) and initial risk assessment and from this develop an appropriate immediate plan for care.
• Carry out robust risk assessments and care planning in a non-psychiatric environment.
• Utilise a wide variety of clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical setting in which they are required to be seen.
• Provide a broad range of specialist psychosocial interventions for individual patients and a specialist consultation-liaison service to referring clinicians and clinical teams, assisting them in decision making in difficult and complex cases.
• Provide expert advice regarding the pharmacological management of mental health patients to non-mental health professionals, seeking clinical guidance from medical members of the team in relation to any specific prescribing advice.
• Provide advice, support and signposting to telephone callers regarding mental health issues, documenting as required.
• Be required to make clear autonomous decisions, with close support and supervision from more senior clinical staff, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems and judgement about available options. This will include decisions related to discharge of patients.
• Work alongside other Liaison Psychiatry team members and attend/contribute to ward round and team meetings, presenting complex cases for discussion within the team.
• Demonstrate a high standard of record keeping and documentation with adherence to Trust policy and an understanding of professional guidelines and application of confidentiality.
• Work with colleagues to develop and promote the services philosophy, framework of care delivery and strategic objectives, taking responsibility for specific areas of policy and strategy delivery.
• Work with colleagues to develop clinical expertise and high standards of practice, as defined by the relevant Professional Codes of Conduct.
• Deliver care that is evidence based, reflecting current best practice and research, demonstrating clinical excellence and high standards of practice to other staff.
• Participate in structured clinical supervision in accordance with Trust policies and procedures. You will also be expected to take responsibility for the supervision of other clinicians and others in non-mental health settings working with patients with mental health problems.
• Demonstrate sound understanding of the legal and ethical issues in caring for the mentally ill. In particular, demonstrating sound understanding of the Mental Health Act (1983) and Mental Capacity Act and its use in a non-mental health setting.

Communication:

• Be able to employ higher level written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to receive and give complex clinical details clearly, with patients, carers and colleagues.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in situations that are contentious and/or hostile.
• Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy in all communications.
• Demonstrate an ability to negotiate and problem solve in contentious and/or antagonistic situations where agreement is required or communicate clear decisions and rationale when agreement cannot be reached
• Demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the team and Liaison Psychiatry Service, and both the Mental Health and Acute Trusts.
• To be responsible for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work on the Trusts electronic health record systems.
• Provide accurate and timely clinical information as required
• Input into Trust/health system electronic record systems which include Electronic Patient Record Systems, Electronic Staff Record systems (e.g. Appraisal and supervision records) and other Assurance systems such as Incident recording.
• Use information technology in line with Trust and NHS information governance requirements, and maintain up to date knowledge of systems.
• Collate and report on information across service area using information systems to a high standard.
• Prepare and present teaching materials and presentations to a professional level including the use of video conferencing, audio visual packages and data visualisation.
• To contribute to audit/research/QI within the Trust using qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Use skills in undertaking research, audit and evaluation
• To provide training to staff by delivering formal courses or demonstrating by use of skills as directed.
• To participate in continual professional development as directed including attending training courses, conferences and workshops as directed.
• To give support to other apprentices and new staff of the department.
• To report to manager concerns about areas of training need.
• To participate in regular departmental case reviews and teaching sessions

Management:

• Represent the Trust in the general hospital setting and will play a vital role in communicating and maintaining a good working relationship between each Trust.
• Take responsibility for agreed clinical, managerial and strategic projects associated with the provision of the Liaison Psychiatric Service. This will include planning, implementing, reviewing and revising these projects as necessary, especially in relation to the service development.
• Regularly undertake audit/research into client/service related areas and contribute to the application and evaluation of current research findings.
• Ensure the promotion of the health and safety, well-being and interests of the patients, staff and all visitors who come into contact with the team and its service environs.
• Supervise, monitor and appraise the performance of qualified and unqualified staff within the sphere of responsibility, and report to the clinical lead when required.
• In the absence of the senior clinicians, take responsibility, on a day to day basis for the coordination of all activities within the clinical areas.
• Act as change agent to promote innovation and high standards of practice.
• Contribute to the development and collaborative working between WLNHST and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
• Develop methods at service level to monitor standards of care in liaison with the clinical audit department (quality assurance/research).
• Use current evidence based practice in the expansion of current knowledge base.

Research:

• Use current evidence based practice in the expansion of current knowledge base.
• Demonstrate a commitment to developing research skills in themselves and any junior staff.
• Regularly undertake audit/research into client/service related areas and contribute to the application and evaluation of current research findings.
• Identify areas of study/research in the service, develop proposals and seek advice on funding to support such activities in collaboration with Senior colleagues.
• Participate in developing methods at service level to monitor standards of care in Liaison with the clinical audit department (quality assurance/research).

Education:

• Under the guidance of the Team Manager, identify own professional development needs and demonstrate achievements against personal development plans.
• Provide mentorship for students and other non-mental health professionals, offering teaching, supervised clinical experience and support.
• Facilitate a learning environment conducive to the acquisition of further knowledge and skills for self and others.
• Undertake training when required.

Training and Development:

• To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy.
• Take an active part in team supervision/reflective practice.
• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Personal Development Review /appraisal, as part of the process of working towards an individualised personal development plan.
• Develop and participate in facilitating teaching/assessment programmes and learning resources for staff, students, patients and carers. To include allied agencies and stake holders where practicable.
• Provide teaching to other members of the Liaison Psychiatry team on a rolling basis (internal team seminar slots).

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Professional Qualification as RMN/RN (Mental Health) or Registered Occupational Therapist or Registered Social Worker with professional registration (HCPC)
• Mentorship In Practice (Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice) or equivalent teaching qualification
• Assisted Year In Practice (ASYE) if social work qualified

Desirable

• Educated to degree or diploma level nursing
• Other courses/training relevant to Liaison Psychiatry e.g. CBT, Brief Solution Focused Therapy etc
• RGN qualified
• Other qualification in practice teaching or supervision of staff.
• Evidence of recent professional development

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable substantive post qualifying experience in psychiatry, with evidence of relevant experience at Band 6
• Experience of supervising junior staff within own and/or other disciplines
• Experience of mentoring students through placements
• Experience of working with people who have experienced serious ongoing mental health problems
• Experience of assessing and managing crisis with those with a severe mental illness
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of teaching/ training in a formal or informal setting

Desirable

• Clinical experience of working in Liaison Psychiatry Service(s)
• Experience of implementing and monitoring standards of care
• Other relevant post registration experience
• Audit and research skills
• Experience of managing outpatient clinics for mental health

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Specialist knowledge of mental health disorders as well as their relationship to physical disorders
• Assessment and treatment of self-harm
• Risk assessment/management and crisis intervention skills
• Use of psychosocial assessment methods
• Knowledge of counselling skills / cognitive behavioural skills, psychosocial interventions
• Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and using initiative
• Knowledge of Mental Capacity Act (2005)
• Clear understanding of the Mental Health Act (1983), and National Policy
• Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de-escalation techniques effectively
• Ability to work as an active member of the multidisciplinary team
• Sufficient clinical knowledge to be able to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems and judgement about available options
• Management and organisation skills that enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
• Clear understanding of the process of supervision

Desirable

• Ability to interpret research and apply to practice
• Computer literate
• Skills in CBT or family work
• Report writing skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).