Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

Contribute to the teams engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including staff, women and their families, their careers and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies.

Liaise with a wide range of other professionals and agencies.

Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service including the handling of clinical enquires.

Present information some of which may be contentious to women and their families/carers.

Ensure equality of access to services for all women paying particular attention to diversity issues and women from hard to reach groups.

Attend management and professional meetings as directed by their line manager and professional lead.

Responsible for planning and co-ordinating own day to day work load in collaboration with the needs of women and their families and the wider needs of the service.

Plan and organise case conferences liaising with other agencies as required to meet the needs of women and their families

Ensure that interventions are planned in an integrated and co-ordinated manner particularly where dependent on other external agencies.

Maintain a caseload of appropriate clients.

Responsible for developing care packages including assessing, planning, intervention and evaluation. Ensuring active involvement of women and their families

Triage referrals by assessing and advising on eligibility criteria.

Provide specialist advice to referrers/other multi-disciplinary staff in relation to the care of the client.

Participate in all aspects of safeguarding including safeguarding children to level 3 as set out in safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff.

Participate in the development of a programme of education for other professional groups working in perinatal/maternity services

Participate in programmes of audit and research within the team and implement the findings.

Contribute to professional clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided.

Participate in the development of Mental Health Responsible for care of own equipment.

Where appropriate handles or processes cash or patients valuables

Provide clinical supervision for a number of qualified staff.

Periodically co-ordinate the activity of the team and facilitate handover meetings.

Mentor students allocated to the team.

Maintain up to date client records in a timely and accurate manner.

Ensure that statutory training associated with the post is undertaken.

Participate in own clinical supervision and PDR.

MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable for women and their families, working to the principles of the functions policy implementation guidelines and practice in line with the standards and values set out in them.

Contribute to the development of standards for the perinatal mental health service

Aim to uphold the principles and approach of CPA, whether people are formally in CPA or not.

Work co-operatively with staff colleagues including accepting staff recent assessment of the client, if the client is transferred to them, in order to minimise the disruption to the client.

Ensure a duty of care to your patients and clients, who are entitled to receive safe and competent care. The womans wishes, feelings, values and beliefs should be taken into consideration as well as the views of the people close to them.

Take personal accountability for your own practice. This means that you are answerable for your actions and omissions, regardless of advice or directions from another professional.

Ensure that you remain professionally competent by participating in your own and others clinical supervision.

COMMUNICATION

Women and their families/carers re assessment, care planning, treatment and review Primary care teams regarding womens care

Multi-disciplinary teams within the RCHT maternity services and CFT, (including, liaison psychiatry, CMHTs and special parenting services) to ensure the provision of consistent well-coordinated care

External agencies also involved in the provision of care e.g: voluntary and private sector, police, social services, housing, employment etc.

Relevant community groups

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to diploma/degree level and registered with an appropriate professional body ( Registered Mental Health Nurse )
• Training to level 3 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff or willingness to undertake training.

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health problems.
• Computer literacy including analysis of data or willingness to train in such.
• Excellent clinical assessment skills
• Ability to manage change in a positive manner

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Skills and experience in delivering mental health training and education to non-mental health professionals.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment
• Substantial experience of managing a busy caseload of clients with a range of mental health problems
• Working within a community mental health setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
• Specialist knowledge in perinatal mental health or willingness to undertake training.
• Specialist knowledge in attachment and infant mental health or willingness to undertake training.
• An understanding of the NSF and Mental Health Act/ Mental Health Capacity Act requirements.
• CPA Process
• Able to produce well written reports.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings.
• Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions
• Ability to manage risk.
• Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to manage own time and that of the team's.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area

Values

Essential

• Continuous Improvement
• Accountability
• Respectfulness
• Enthusiasm
• Support
• High professional standards
• Responsive to service users
• Engaging leadership style
• Strong customer service belief
• Transparency and honesty
• Discreet
• Change oriented

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).