Job summary
Are you someone who thrives in high-pressure environments? Do you have a passion for being the first point of contact for those in need of mental health support when they need us the most? Can you provide a voice of reassurance and support? If so, we are looking for individuals like you to make a real difference!
For our Mental Health Practitioners, we're seeking applications from professionals with a mental health nursing, social work, LD or OT background.
Our First Point of Contact Centre (FPCC) is a priority one urgent response telephone service and is an integral part of our mental health services. We are continuing to evolve and build our team and the support we offer as part of the development of the National Mental Health 111 response model. Which involves 24/7 working, including night shifts.
Forget caseloads and case management. Your skills and expertise will be in triaging patients at the point of contact and identifying what service will best meet their needs. The spectrum of mental health needs varies significantly; you will have the ability to offer advice, guidance and support for mental health issues, with a routine, urgent or crisis response, and ways this can be managed and improved. Equally, you'll have the ability respond to urgent referrals with more acute needs and higher risks in the community.
Main duties of the job
Handling a wide range of calls and thriving amid the challenges this presents, requires an outstanding amount of resilience and emotional strength as you will be supporting unwell and upset patients at their time of need. Your support will make a difference to lives and requires people who can be there for those that need it, sometimes in the face of adversity and trauma.
You'll be part of the team that provides the first stage in the Trust's care navigation system receiving requests using contact methods, including letters, e-mail and telephone.
We provide a central resource for referrers and Trust staff to ensure the effective receipt and subsequent processing of referrals into our services. We further provide effective signposting to services external to the Trust.
We provide an effective first point of contact, a link with primary and secondary services, partner agencies and organisations outside of the trust.
The service focus is to ensure callers or requests are directed to the appropriate person/resource in the Trust. The intention will be to leave the person making the request, feeling valued and satisfied with the outcome. Where an immediate response for advice/specialist opinion is not available staff will work to an agreed response time.
You will have support from Senior Health Practitioners and the Operational Manager to help your development and you'll be able to share your knowledge and experience with our Call Handlers.
About us
We have in excess of 5000 staff working over 50 sites, providing a diverse range of services. We strive to support an organisational culture that is welcoming, builds and celebrates inclusivity and diversity and provides a sense of belonging and trust.
The annual NHS Staff Survey gives our people the opportunity to tell us about their experience working at the Trust. For the 2023 survey just over 2800 colleagues gave us their views (58.5%). It was great to see from the results that colleagues are saying that:
- 89.7%believe they are making a positive difference to patients/service users;
- 73.3%would recommend the organisation as a place to work;
- 82.4%agree that care of patients and service users is the organisations priority;
- 76.7%would be happy with the standard of care for a friend or relative
Our results put us as 5th nationally as a Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities NHS Employer of Choice and 1st equal amongst all NHS Provider Trusts in the South West. However, we know we have more to do and will continue to drive forward our commitment to making GHC a Great Place to Work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The post holder will be part of the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust First Point of Contact Centre (FPCC) and will manage and triage mental health referrals coming in to into the Trust.
- The service is a professional referral service accepting telephone, letter, or e-mail referrals from patients, carers, GPs, Health Care Professionals within mental health working, police, ambulance staff, and some external agencies this list is not exhaustive.
- The practitioners within the team are responsible for initial screening, triaging and the allocation of referrals to the appropriate service within the Trust or signposting to a relevant external service.
- The post holder will be responsible for triaging referrals, routine and urgent made to the Trust and directing them to the most appropriate service.
- The post holder will be involved in the triaging of crisis referrals under supervision of senior colleagues.
Full qualifications, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.
Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.
Were currently recruiting for a variety of shift patterns including:
Day Shifts -
- 7am to 8pm
- 9am 10pm
- 7am 3pm
- 2pm 10pm
Night shifts -
Flexible working options can be considered.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The post holder will be part of the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust First Point of Contact Centre (FPCC) and will manage and triage mental health referrals coming in to into the Trust.
- The service is a professional referral service accepting telephone, letter, or e-mail referrals from patients, carers, GPs, Health Care Professionals within mental health working, police, ambulance staff, and some external agencies this list is not exhaustive.
- The practitioners within the team are responsible for initial screening, triaging and the allocation of referrals to the appropriate service within the Trust or signposting to a relevant external service.
- The post holder will be responsible for triaging referrals, routine and urgent made to the Trust and directing them to the most appropriate service.
- The post holder will be involved in the triaging of crisis referrals under supervision of senior colleagues.
Full qualifications, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.
Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.
Were currently recruiting for a variety of shift patterns including:
Day Shifts -
- 7am to 8pm
- 9am 10pm
- 7am 3pm
- 2pm 10pm
Night shifts -
Flexible working options can be considered.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registration to a professional body, with post qualification experience in mental health for example: Nursing/ Social worker/ OT
- Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of formal post registration learning
Length and Nature of Experience
Essential
- Broad understanding of national policy and its implementation locally
- Good understanding of NICE guidelines relating to the treatment of a range of mental health conditions
- Broad understanding of the requirements of primary care and secondary care
- A good understanding of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and other associated legislation
Desirable
- Experience of collaborative working with other agencies including the voluntary sector.
Professional, Managerial, Specialist Knowledge
Essential
- Sound clinical ability to engage service users and carers
- A good understanding of the range of Services offered within GHC NHS Foundation Trust
Desirable
- A good understanding of other community facilities that may be of help to people with a mental health problem.
- Experience of using psychological treatments e.g. CBT
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registration to a professional body, with post qualification experience in mental health for example: Nursing/ Social worker/ OT
- Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of formal post registration learning
Length and Nature of Experience
Essential
- Broad understanding of national policy and its implementation locally
- Good understanding of NICE guidelines relating to the treatment of a range of mental health conditions
- Broad understanding of the requirements of primary care and secondary care
- A good understanding of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and other associated legislation
Desirable
- Experience of collaborative working with other agencies including the voluntary sector.
Professional, Managerial, Specialist Knowledge
Essential
- Sound clinical ability to engage service users and carers
- A good understanding of the range of Services offered within GHC NHS Foundation Trust
Desirable
- A good understanding of other community facilities that may be of help to people with a mental health problem.
- Experience of using psychological treatments e.g. CBT
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).
