Job summary
Would you like the opportunity to join an established supportive team where your opinion is valued and matters? You will join the team at an exciting time as we develop our service in line with NHS England standards according to the CORE 24 Model for Mental Health Liaison Services. We have been awarded additional funding to create new posts for a further five Band 6 clinicians. We are actively recruiting other disciplines to join our team in line with CORE 24 standards, including medical and psychology colleagues. In line with CORE 24 standards, we will work towards an ageless service working with adults aged 18 plus.
This is a challenging but rewarding post that suits well-motivated individuals who want to develop their knowledge and skills in the speciality of mental health and comorbid physical illness. Professional development and learning opportunities are available within and external to the team. A strong understanding of liaison and commitment to teamwork is vital.
Main duties of the job
The Mental Health Liaison Service provides a 24-hour service to Walsall Manor Hospital 7 days a week. The team provides high-quality mental health nursing and psychiatric care an urgent assessment service to people attending the Emergency Department in times of mental health crisis, and an assessment and liaison service to the medical wards within the leading hospital site. The liaison team experiences many referrals, which can be complex and challenging. This provides an excellent opportunity to enhance your practice and nursing skills. To be considered for these posts - you will have already gained experience in mental health nursing within an acute setting (in-patient, crisis team) and have robust and sound clinical assessment and decision-making skills, including the ability to prioritise your workload whilst maintaining a degree of flexibility to accommodate competing demands of the service when they arise. You will have an up-to-date knowledge of national and local policies.
Furthermore, the ability to meet local Trust targets in a timely response is essential. The post requires excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work in a dynamic and busy environment. As always, we expect decision-making to be made in collaboration with our service users and carers to facilitate treatment in the least restrictive environment.
About us
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020 after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
Combining resources, strategies, and a talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services based on best practices and continually improving.
We currently employ over 3,000 staff members, and like the population we serve, we are made up of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Employees, workers, and / or contractors will be expected to uphold the values of the Trust and exhibit the expected Trust behaviours aligned to the Trust's values. Individuals have a responsibility to ensure that they display the Trust values and behaviours in carrying out their job and that individuals feel able to challenge (or raise a challenge) when other colleagues' behaviours breach the spirit of Trust values.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of patients referred into the service
- Following assessment the post holder will devise and deliver interim risk management and clinical intervention plans and for patients requiring mental health input, in collaboration with the medical teams and patient and where appropriate their carer.
- Demonstrate the ability to arrive at a formulation of risk following assessment which incorporates the principles of positive risk taking
- Formulate a comprehensive risk management plan to address areas of identified risk and oversee this until clinical responsibility is passed to another clinician or clinical team
- Demonstrate the necessary clinical skills to contain and manage patients exhibiting challenging behaviours
- Accurately and comprehensively document the assessment, formulation, risk assessment and agreed management plan based on the assessed needs of the patient. Documentation should take various forms to accommodate the communication needs of the patient, carers and the wider clinical team. This includes inputting the assessment on the Common Assessment Tool, and hand written, relevant documentation in the medical notes.
- Responsible for evaluating the outcomes of prescribed care
- Accurately record all referrals and contacts on the trusts IT system within 24 hours.
- Complete a Care Cluster Allocation tool for each patient.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the legislation and guidance involved in determining a persons capacity
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the psychosocial risk factors for mental health issues in older adults
- Demonstrate a knowledge of dementia, delirium and depression/anxiety in older adults.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of mental health issues
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the impact of aging on risk and its assessment &management, e.g. suicide and falls
- Communicate effectively with patients with physical psychological co
morbidities, including cognitive and sensory impairment, their carers and members of the care team.
- liaise effectively with, other services involved in the patients care including physical care team, social services and primary care services and to discuss and assist in the implementation of effective care programmes for older adults
- Act upon concerns about safeguarding issues.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of The Mental Health Act and The Mental Capacity Act as they apply to patient care in the acute hospital.
- Request Mental Health Acts when clinically indicted,
- Support patients in participating in all aspects of their health care.
- To be aware of the need to avoid inappropriate admission to hospital, reduce the length of stay in hospital and support appropriate, timely discharge from acute hospital wards.
- Responsible for working with Walsall Manor Hospital and BCHFT teams, other mental health trusts, Primary care teams, social services and other agencies to identify and introduce appropriate care pathways.
- Required to work closely with the Crisis Recovery and Home treatment teams. This includes supporting referral and assessment of patients to the Adult and Older Adult home treatment teams as required.
- To effectively and efficiently provide psychological support to patients with mental health needs who are temporarily in crisis, or who have mental health needs as a result of their physical illness or as a result of being hospitalised.
- To provide time limited liaison reviews when needed for those patients with more complex and enduring mental health needs whilst inpatient in Walsall Manor Hospital
- Contribute to the development and quality of clinical practice of liaison work with this client group at local and national levels.
- Undertake relevant data collection, analysis and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the post.
- Develop knowledge and networks with local community resources and cascade this into the team.
- Promote effective communication between the Acute Trust and Mental Health Service, identifying and reporting difficulties to appropriate service managers
- To work alongside acute staff and raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and how to deal with patients who suffer with mental health illness, who also have comorbid medical conditions on order to enhance the current level of care offered.
- To reduce the number of re-attenders into Emergency Departments by signposting to more appropriate service.
- To contribute to student training programmes
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of patients referred into the service
- Following assessment the post holder will devise and deliver interim risk management and clinical intervention plans and for patients requiring mental health input, in collaboration with the medical teams and patient and where appropriate their carer.
- Demonstrate the ability to arrive at a formulation of risk following assessment which incorporates the principles of positive risk taking
- Formulate a comprehensive risk management plan to address areas of identified risk and oversee this until clinical responsibility is passed to another clinician or clinical team
- Demonstrate the necessary clinical skills to contain and manage patients exhibiting challenging behaviours
- Accurately and comprehensively document the assessment, formulation, risk assessment and agreed management plan based on the assessed needs of the patient. Documentation should take various forms to accommodate the communication needs of the patient, carers and the wider clinical team. This includes inputting the assessment on the Common Assessment Tool, and hand written, relevant documentation in the medical notes.
- Responsible for evaluating the outcomes of prescribed care
- Accurately record all referrals and contacts on the trusts IT system within 24 hours.
- Complete a Care Cluster Allocation tool for each patient.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the legislation and guidance involved in determining a persons capacity
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the psychosocial risk factors for mental health issues in older adults
- Demonstrate a knowledge of dementia, delirium and depression/anxiety in older adults.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of mental health issues
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the impact of aging on risk and its assessment &management, e.g. suicide and falls
- Communicate effectively with patients with physical psychological co
morbidities, including cognitive and sensory impairment, their carers and members of the care team.
- liaise effectively with, other services involved in the patients care including physical care team, social services and primary care services and to discuss and assist in the implementation of effective care programmes for older adults
- Act upon concerns about safeguarding issues.
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of The Mental Health Act and The Mental Capacity Act as they apply to patient care in the acute hospital.
- Request Mental Health Acts when clinically indicted,
- Support patients in participating in all aspects of their health care.
- To be aware of the need to avoid inappropriate admission to hospital, reduce the length of stay in hospital and support appropriate, timely discharge from acute hospital wards.
- Responsible for working with Walsall Manor Hospital and BCHFT teams, other mental health trusts, Primary care teams, social services and other agencies to identify and introduce appropriate care pathways.
- Required to work closely with the Crisis Recovery and Home treatment teams. This includes supporting referral and assessment of patients to the Adult and Older Adult home treatment teams as required.
- To effectively and efficiently provide psychological support to patients with mental health needs who are temporarily in crisis, or who have mental health needs as a result of their physical illness or as a result of being hospitalised.
- To provide time limited liaison reviews when needed for those patients with more complex and enduring mental health needs whilst inpatient in Walsall Manor Hospital
- Contribute to the development and quality of clinical practice of liaison work with this client group at local and national levels.
- Undertake relevant data collection, analysis and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the post.
- Develop knowledge and networks with local community resources and cascade this into the team.
- Promote effective communication between the Acute Trust and Mental Health Service, identifying and reporting difficulties to appropriate service managers
- To work alongside acute staff and raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and how to deal with patients who suffer with mental health illness, who also have comorbid medical conditions on order to enhance the current level of care offered.
- To reduce the number of re-attenders into Emergency Departments by signposting to more appropriate service.
- To contribute to student training programmes
Person Specification
Education / Training
Essential
- Qualified RMN
- Experience of undertaking assessments and planning care for patient's in mental health crisis
- Extensive post registration experience
Knowledge / experience
Essential
- Experience of working with individuals who have self harmed
- Able to demonstrate extensive experience of working autonomously with adults with complex mental health issues
- Experience of working in a variety of settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in a Mental Health Liaison service
- Experience of leading on clinical service developments
- Experience in quality initiatives / audits / research
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Effective communication skills both verbal and written
Desirable
- Ability to manage time under pressure
- Experience of working with Older Adults who are experiencing Mental Illness
Person Specification
Education / Training
Essential
- Qualified RMN
- Experience of undertaking assessments and planning care for patient's in mental health crisis
- Extensive post registration experience
Knowledge / experience
Essential
- Experience of working with individuals who have self harmed
- Able to demonstrate extensive experience of working autonomously with adults with complex mental health issues
- Experience of working in a variety of settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in a Mental Health Liaison service
- Experience of leading on clinical service developments
- Experience in quality initiatives / audits / research
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Effective communication skills both verbal and written
Desirable
- Ability to manage time under pressure
- Experience of working with Older Adults who are experiencing Mental Illness
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
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).
