Mental Health Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide highly specialist nursing assessment and deliver both 1 to 1 and group therapeutic sessions, as an autonomous practitioner working within NMC guidelines and Southern Health's policies and procedures. An emphasis on delivering and contributing to the group psychological therapy programme across Specialised Services will form the majority of this role.

Clinical advice, supervision, teaching, support and communication are integral to the role.

Participation in research, evaluation and audit is expected.

*To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a young person's mental health problems, offending behaviour (including sexual offending) and risk to self and others, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the young person's problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

*Psychological intervention will be offered mainly on a group basis according to the young person's needs, but will also include individual therapy. Delivery of group therapy and contribution to the development of the group programme will constitute the main emphasis for this post.

*To communicate with young people in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, including formulations of the young person's difficulties and the basis for treatment recommendations.

*To communicate with referrers and other clinical staff, a specialist psychological formulation of the young person's difficulties, in addition to making recommendations for their future care and treatment

*To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of young people whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans. Referral allocation and monitoring and caseload management are agreed within the service.

*To foster multidisciplinary and (where appropriate) multi-agency care of people with mental health needs, including the management and communication of complex information and concepts regarding the young people and their treatment.

*To conduct detailed risk assessments and to contribute to the collaborative and multidisciplinary assessment and management of risks posed by young people.

*To actively participate in all relevant meetings, such as multiagency reviews, care programme approach meetings, and case conferences, and to develop collaborative working within multidisciplinary teams.

*To contribute to psychological understanding and care for the benefit of all young people of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.

*To work as an autonomous, independent practitioner responsible for own work and interventions, their prioritising and planning and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies.

*Will be required to sit in a constrained position for client therapy and extended assessment.

*To tolerate and manage verbal abuse and occasional physical aggression. Training and critical awareness of physical intervention will be offered. At Swanwick Lodge they use Team Teach.

*To network with other mental health nurses in the secure network, to share learning and good practice.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Level 2 and 3 Training:

Competence:

*Demonstrates skills and knowledge to contribute too and lead effectively the safeguarding process

*Awareness and application of a range of local/national policy and procedural frameworks when undertaking Safeguarding activity

*Ensure service users/carers are supported appropriately to understand Safeguarding issues to maximise their decision making

*Understand when to use emergency systems to Safeguard adults and children, know when to call for ambulance and or police intervention / contact out of hours service/ describe when emergency plans may be required and use legislation where immediate action may be required e.g. Mental Health Act/Deprivation of Liberty/Child Protection

*Maintain accurate, complete and contemporaneous records

*Demonstrate the required level of skills and knowledge to undertake a Safeguarding Adults or Children investigation internally or as part of a multi-agency team

*Maintain and deliver safeguarding supervision

*Engage and participate in all safeguarding training appropriate to role

Policy and Service Development

*To participate in and contribute to relevant committees and meetings within the service, relating to service development and / or service quality, as agreed with the clinical lead.

*To contribute to the implementation and development of relevant policies.

Research and Development Activity

*To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members / service staff.

*To undertake a personal research and development programme and also develop and encourage a research culture within the service.

*To maintain continuing professional development and updating with regard to research in the field of nurse led psychological interventions.

Information Technology

*To have at least a basic level of competency in use of Trust IT equipment, software, intra- and extra-net, in order to facilitate clinical and service related work.

General

*To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder's professional and service manager(s). Registration with an appropriate regulatory body is required for this post, i.e. NMC and other relevant professional body dependant on interventions offered.

*To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.

*To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification as RMN, and extensive post registration experience at Band 6.
• Advanced post-registration training, continuing professional development and supervised practice in psychological therapies.
• Registration with NMC

Desirable

• Training in clinical supervision
• Eligibility for BABCP accreditation
• Post qualification training in CBT, DBT, DDP or NVR.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in working with children and adolescents with complex and severe mental disorder, in forensic or secure settings.
• Extensive experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and treatment, to individuals and groups.
• Experience in a range of multi-disciplinary teams and settings

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Experience of providing an evidence based psychological interventions within forensic or secure settings.
• Experience of working with a range of other psychotherapeutic models
• Experience of providing supervision and teaching to staff from a range of mental health disciplines

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Knowledge of the psychological theory and technique of treating people with complex and severe mental health problems, including personality disorder, within an appropriate evidence based framework.
• Good working knowledge of clinical governance within the NHS
• Comprehensive knowledge of the evidence base relating to psychological therapies.
• Working knowledge of the application of psychological and therapies within a secure setting.
• Skills in the application of psychological theory and technique to the assessment and treatment of people with complex and severe mental health problems in secure / forensic settings.
• Ability to contain and work with high levels of emotional distress and to 'hold' others' stress.
• Ability to prioritise work, focus and manage time effectively, including caseload management and organisation.
• Can demonstrate effective team work
• Flexible and adapting working style; working from home when required
• Calm under pressure
• Self-motivated and able to work as an autonomous practitioner within agreed frameworks, managing own caseload.
• Diplomatic and empathetic manner
• Able to maintain confidentiality
• Attention to detail
• Full driving licence with access to a car

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.

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

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Swanwick Lodge

Glen Road, off Swanwick Lane

Southampton

Hampshire

SO31 7HD

Employer's website

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