Rough Sleepers Mental Health and Substances Specialist Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification. Please ensure your supporting information reflects how you meet the person specification.

Education / Qualification

Essential

• Relevant professional qualification e.g. RMN / DipSW
• Evidence of training (e.g. NVQ Level 3 Community Health or Drug and Alcohol Use Practitioner course) or relevant experience of working in the mental health and drug and alcohol fields
• Ability to use information technology systems
• Willingness to maintain / complete training in this specialist area

Desirable

• Evidence of a recognised substance misuse qualification and / or evidence of 10 DANOS competencieS

Experience

Essential

• o Experience of assessing clients health and social care needs in a mental health / drug and alcohol setting to post graduate diploma leve
• Experience of working with individuals who have mental health and drug / alcohol problems
• Experience of providing support to vulnerable / socially excluded individuals / groups.
• Experience of working as part of a team in order to achieve a shared vision / goal.
• Experience of managing a caseload under The Care Programme Approach and legislative frameworks.

Desirable

• Evidence of experience of working and supporting the cohort (Rough sleepers)

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of Mental Health issues and how to successfully work with them, including those with formal diagnosis but also with a wide range of presenting mental health and distress issues.
• Awareness of risk assessment and management processes as they relate to complex mental health / substance misuse clients
• An understanding of Mental Health law and broader criminal justice issues as they may be relevant to this client group
• Knowledge of the physical psychological and social effects of mental health/drug and alcohol use and appropriate interventions
• Knowledge of assessment, risk assessment and case management including direct delivery of interventions and working with clients on a one to one and / or group work
• Understanding of the recovery and apply this to practice
• Knowledge of harm minimisation
• Knowledge of substitute prescribing for substance use, management and treatment interventions
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working
• Ability to acknowledge diversity and promote anti-discriminatory practice / equal opportunities
• Knowledge and understanding of CPA, The Mental Health Act (1983 updated 2007), The Care Act (2014) and The Mental Capacity Act (2005)

Desirable

• Knowledge of relevant housing legislation
• Knowledge of national substance misuse strategy (i.e. Models of Care, DANOS)

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Assessment, risk assessment and case management skills
• Ability to assess and deliver appropriate packages of care to this challenging client group
• Ability to communicate mental health / drug and alcohol specific knowledge and expertise
• Client facing skills focussed on supporting individuals to achieve stability and recovery at the earliest safe and sustainable point in their treatment journey
• Awareness of own limitations and how to approach others
• Ability to work with policies and procedures relating to the organisation
• Effective time management skills
• Able to demonstrate full understanding of confidentiality issues and the ability to interpret policy into practice
• Ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
• IT skills in relation to data input and statistical monitoring

Desirable

• Ability to deliver training
• Experience of user involvement in service developmenT

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

• Ability to travel to different work locations
• Ability to work unsocial hours as required
• Ability to work in different locations
• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

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).