Community Mental Health Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

1) Engagement: Post holder will be responsible for a large caseload of low intensity service users who will require minimal input and should be seen every 3 months. However, those service users may require injectable medication and the post holder should ensure that this is dispensed when required.

2) Support: To provide ongoing care coordination of a designated caseload of service users. To work collaboratively with service-users and carers using a recovery approach. To provide information to help clients make an informed choice about opportunities and services available to them and to then assist clients to obtain the required services, support and entitlement.

3) Interventions: To provide and facilitate health and social care interventions tailored to individual service-user needs. To ensure all interventions are appropriate and that care is sensitive to the needs of black and minority ethnic service users. To provide psychoeducation to services-users if required. To have a client-centred approach with a focus on recovery and social inclusion. To assist in the administration of injectable medication, and adherence for those attending the Clozapine Clinic.

4) Clozapine Clinic: To participate in the running of Lewisham Clozapine Clinic on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Training will be provided on how to use Point of care equipment.

5) Families and Carers: To involve families and carers in treatment plans where appropriate. This may require direct family interventions. To ensure that the needs of carers are assessed and that care services are provided as necessary. To provide families and carers with psychoeducation.

5) MDT Working: To work in co-operation with members of the multi-disciplinary team and all other relevant health professionals to assess, develop, implement and evaluate high quality packages of client centred care. To participate in the team duty system. To provide cover for colleagues in their absence. To form effective relationships with inpatient services to facilitate early effective discharge. To participate in Mental Health Act assessments of service users that you are responsible for as appropriate. To take part in all clinical meetings.

7) Communication: To maintain accurate clinical documentation on designated caseload ensuring case notes are updates in line with guidance. To ensure effective verbal and written communication with all involved with delivery of care. To liaise with other disciplines and organisations to ensure that all issues affecting service user care are managed and communicated to a high standard. 8) Personal Development: To remain up to date with current/emerging good practice guidelines and relevant research relating to community mental health services. To abide by the policies of SLaM NHS foundation Trust and Local Authority. To contribute to effective MDT working. To meet regularly with Team Leader. To remain up to date with all mandatory training requirements. To undertake CPD as agreed with Team Leader. To provide supervision to other junior members of staff. 9) Miscellaneous: To participate in research as requested. To undertake audit/clinical governance as required. To undertake other duties as requested by Service Manager and the Team Leader and to be willing to work from any location in the borough.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant professional qualification - nursing
• Up to date professional registration
• Evidence of significant continuing professional development

Desirable

• Degree level qualification

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working with service users when acutely mentally ill in the community
• Significant experience of the assessment and management of risk relating to adults with serious mental illness
• Significant experience of clinical assessment of adults with mental health issues
• Experience of working with carers and support networks
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary setting using the Care Programme Approach

Desirable

• Experience of working as a Care Coordinator

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of a wide range of mental disorders, their symptoms and effects
• Knowledge of evidence-based interventions to minimise the impact of serious mental illness
• Knowledge of the Recovery Approach and its application in practice
• Knowledge of CPA, Care Act, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and other relevant legislation as application to practice
• Knowledge of issues facing service users with dual diagnosis

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory of psychological models, such as CBT, DBT, or MBT.

Skills

Essential

• Skills in crisis management and the ability to respond flexibly
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• IT/data input skills
• Ability to provide psycho education to service users and their carers
• Ability to provide care that is sensitive to the needs of minority groups
• Ability to manage a complex caseload and prioritise workload effectively
• Ability to engage creatively with difficult-to-reach service-users

Desirable

• Accredited practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy.
• Accredited nurse prescriber
• Ability to contribute to, monitor and implement changes and improvements to services.
• Specialised clinical skills, e.g. group work, anxiety/anger management, family work 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).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ladywell Unit, Lewisham Hospital

Lewisham

SE13 6LW

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)