Job summary
Over the past couple of years, people in East and West Suffolk have been working together to improve NHS mental health & emotional wellbeing care, learning disability & autism services in the region and the #averydifferentconversation began.
We have used those discussions to plan changes that we think will make things better. We hope these proposed changes will mean that people in East and West Suffolk will be able to get the help and support in the right place for them, when they need it, to stay mentally and emotionally well. Our aim is to deliver an integrated community-based model of mental health care.
PCNs are groups of GP practices who work together in a local geographical area. In Suffolk there are 14 PCNs with a variety of different sizes, patient populations and mental health priorities. From 2021, each PCN will have at least one mental health practitioner working in its practices. Practitioners can include registered nurses, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Clinical Psychologists. On a day-to-day basis, PCN Practitioners will work as a member of GP practice extended teams and be based in practices. This role will also support secondary mental health services by acting as the interface from primary care to manage referrals into the correct services at the correct times. These roles have already been shown to reduce referrals into secondary care (data collected from practice pilot areas).
Main duties of the job
As a PCN practitioner, you will work across the interface between Primary Care and Secondary Mental Health Services as part of a multidisciplinary team providing advice, support, and treatment for members of our community experiencing problems with their mental health and wellbeing.
We are looking to recruit Mental Health Nurses, Registered Nurses Occupational Therapists and Social Workers with an interest or preferably experience in a mental health setting, to undertake the planning and delivery of direct patient care. We would welcome applications either as a permanent position (attracting the recruitment premium of £3k) or as a secondment opportunity for 12 months.
You will need to have good organizational skills as you will be managing a caseload and the provision of services to people with mental health care needs as well as offering support and advice to other health care professionals. You will be an autonomous practitioner, making clinical judgements, identifying alternative courses of action, managing and providing a high-quality care.
About us
We are working jointly with our primary care colleagues and as the PCN's evolve, we will be expected to think about the wider health of their communities, taking a proactive approach to managing population health. These roles, although new have been piloted for the past year in our Early Adopter sites, so the workload is defined, manageable and appropriate to allow for patient centred care and other activities.
Benefits included with these roles are: -
- Recruitment premiums: £3K Welcome Enhancement
- NHS pension
- a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
- career progression
- starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
- staff physio service
- NHS discounts and many more.
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing their experiences and learning from each other.
NSFT is committed to lifelong learning and continuous professional development (CPD) for its entire staff. There are a variety of definitions of CPD across the professions, but it is usually taken to mean learning activities which update existing skills.
CPD is determined through appraisal with a personal development plan agreed between an individual and their manager, with the commitment of the necessary time and resources.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The WGGL area covers the rural Babergh villages of Wickhambrook, Glemsford, Clare, Long Melford and Lavenham. Long Melford is a thriving and historic Suffolk village set in the Upper Stour valley. It is home to a National Trust hall and parkland and the high street has many antique shops, art galleries and cafes. Nearby Lavenham is known as Britains best preserved medieval village and is noted for its Guildhall and colourful timber-framed cottages. Clare is a historic market town and has a castle and an Augustine priory. All of the villages have friendly and active local communities.
The villages are set in the Upper Stour Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and are surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside and quintessential English villages and market towns. There are lots of good pubs, restaurants and cafes in the villages and surrounding area. The area has good road and rail links and is close to the larger towns of Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and Cambridge. The coast is only an hours drive away and there are good links to London.
**This post attracts a recruitment premium of £3,000 (pro-rata for part time roles). This is a one off payment with half paid on appointment and half paid after the completion of a satisfactory probation period (6 months). The premium is taxable. Please note that should you leave employment, or choose to move to an alternative post within the Trust that does not attract this recruitment premium, you will be required to reimburse all or some it, as follows: 100% of the value of the premium in the first 12 months; 50% of the value of the premium in the period 12 months to 2 years following appointment. Please note this recruitment premium is for external applicants only. Not applicable to newly qualified nurses**
Job description
Job responsibilities
The WGGL area covers the rural Babergh villages of Wickhambrook, Glemsford, Clare, Long Melford and Lavenham. Long Melford is a thriving and historic Suffolk village set in the Upper Stour valley. It is home to a National Trust hall and parkland and the high street has many antique shops, art galleries and cafes. Nearby Lavenham is known as Britains best preserved medieval village and is noted for its Guildhall and colourful timber-framed cottages. Clare is a historic market town and has a castle and an Augustine priory. All of the villages have friendly and active local communities.
The villages are set in the Upper Stour Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and are surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside and quintessential English villages and market towns. There are lots of good pubs, restaurants and cafes in the villages and surrounding area. The area has good road and rail links and is close to the larger towns of Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and Cambridge. The coast is only an hours drive away and there are good links to London.
**This post attracts a recruitment premium of £3,000 (pro-rata for part time roles). This is a one off payment with half paid on appointment and half paid after the completion of a satisfactory probation period (6 months). The premium is taxable. Please note that should you leave employment, or choose to move to an alternative post within the Trust that does not attract this recruitment premium, you will be required to reimburse all or some it, as follows: 100% of the value of the premium in the first 12 months; 50% of the value of the premium in the period 12 months to 2 years following appointment. Please note this recruitment premium is for external applicants only. Not applicable to newly qualified nurses**
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Nursing degree or equivalent or Dip OT Dip OT, Dip SW, RN, Clinical Psychology Grade A, or equivalent.
- Ongoing professional development working towards degree level.
- Higher degree or post graduate certificate in area of clinical / therapeutic practice Post basic teaching qualification
Desirable
- Further qualification in mental health work. ILM certificate in management or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience.
- Experience in the delivery of short term, focussed evidence-based interventions.
- Experience of working with mental health service users in a statuary or voluntary capacity.
- Experience in providing leadership in a mental health care environment.
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
- Evidence of leading service development within a mental health care setting.
- Experience with risk assessment and ongoing management.
Desirable
- Understanding of mental health issues in a primary care setting
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills Competent assessment skills
- Effective analytical and decision-making skills Care planning skills.
- Competent and effective treatment skills. Able to effectively prioritise own workload.
- Competent ICT skills. Satisfactory verbal and written language skills.
- Safeguarding training.
Desirable
- Prevention and Management of Suicide training
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of medication and the monitoring of its effects
- Build on / develop further knowledge of psychosocial interventions and their appropriate
- Build on / develop further specialist knowledge of health promotion
- An understanding of the policies and guidelines both local and national e.g. National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines
Desirable
- Knowledge of research methods and audit relevant to the job.
- Interest in developing knowledge base and skills relating to the provision of high quality primary mental health care.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel independently.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Nursing degree or equivalent or Dip OT Dip OT, Dip SW, RN, Clinical Psychology Grade A, or equivalent.
- Ongoing professional development working towards degree level.
- Higher degree or post graduate certificate in area of clinical / therapeutic practice Post basic teaching qualification
Desirable
- Further qualification in mental health work. ILM certificate in management or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience.
- Experience in the delivery of short term, focussed evidence-based interventions.
- Experience of working with mental health service users in a statuary or voluntary capacity.
- Experience in providing leadership in a mental health care environment.
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
- Evidence of leading service development within a mental health care setting.
- Experience with risk assessment and ongoing management.
Desirable
- Understanding of mental health issues in a primary care setting
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills Competent assessment skills
- Effective analytical and decision-making skills Care planning skills.
- Competent and effective treatment skills. Able to effectively prioritise own workload.
- Competent ICT skills. Satisfactory verbal and written language skills.
- Safeguarding training.
Desirable
- Prevention and Management of Suicide training
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of medication and the monitoring of its effects
- Build on / develop further knowledge of psychosocial interventions and their appropriate
- Build on / develop further specialist knowledge of health promotion
- An understanding of the policies and guidelines both local and national e.g. National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines
Desirable
- Knowledge of research methods and audit relevant to the job.
- Interest in developing knowledge base and skills relating to the provision of high quality primary mental health care.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel independently.
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
