Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced health visitor to be part of an expanding Specialist Perinatal Service (SPS) working collaboratively to deliver the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan in Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M). The post holder will be a key part of the Mid-Mersey division SPS MDT supporting communities across Warrington, Halton, Knowsley, Runcorn and St Helens.
The Specialist Health Visitor for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health will take a key role in advocating for, developing family and relationship focussed care within Specialist Perinatal Services. Supporting the team leaders to develop the core offer to provide care up to 2 years post natal, and by providing both direct therapeutic and educational interventions tofamilies and a training & consultation role with health visiting services more widely.
We have an opportunity for an experienced health visitor to provide clinical leadership and support the development of the health visitor role across SPS within C&M. The post holder will have the ability to establish responsive, relationships and collaborate with colleagues is key. We are seeking people who have a robust understanding of the impact of social inequalities on maternal mental health, and are passionate about improving outcomes for black, brown and minority ethnic women and families.
This post is subject to an enhanced with children's and adult's barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check
Main duties of the job
Providing a strong link between SPS, other key universal and statutory health and social care service provision, and also taking a development and strategic role within locally delivered health visiting services.
The Specialist Health Visitor will be responsible for proactively leading and developing on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health based projects and developments across the identified locality. Ultimately, this person will develop and build on existing collaborations to provide gold standard early support services for women and families from universal to specialist level care and be proactive in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary screening pathways, policies and procedures to further address the mental health needs of women and their families in the perinatal period, extending up to 2 years postnatally.
This is a key role in the wider service development in line with long term plan, ambitions of family focussed support and in development of maternal mental health services in maternity settings.
This will include auditing of service provision against local pathways, providing relevant consultation, training and support to many varying partners in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
The emphasis will be on early intervention, prevention of mental health difficulties, and the promotion of positive relationships between parents and their infants. The Specialist Health will adhere to local policies, data protection and health and safety
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 11 million people.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Specialist Health Visitor will work with colleagues to:Ensure evidence based clinical assessments are made in a timely and appropriate manner when either or both parents are suffering from mental health difficulties or are at risk of developing them. This includes assessing potential difficulties within the parent-infant relationship.Ensure all family members receive appropriate information about mental health and child health and development in a sensitive way.Identify areas for research, audit and development relevant to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. Initiate and participate in research and clinical audit programmes.Ensure that all local health policies and procedural guidelines relating to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health are evidence based, appropriate and that they are adhered to.Support and assure the implementation of guidelines by statutory and professional bodies as they relate to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.Support and participate in the collection of information on the quality and effectiveness of the service in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health locally.Provide specialist advice to strategic groups and guidance on the policies and practices that impact on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
Leadership and Management:To participate in team evaluations, team reviews and risk assessments.To participate in audit meetings as set down by team, to contribute to team projects such as audit, evidence-based practice and research.To assist in ensuring that all own practice is both clinically safe and can show evidence of evidence-based practice.To assist in any research projects running or set up within local team, directorate or Trust.
Training/Education:The Specialist Health Visitor will:Provide professional leadership for the universal childrens services in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.Act as a resource for health visiting and community services, including students and support staff.Provide evidence-based consultation and support to colleagues to develop their skills in critical thinking, reflective practice and knowledge about Perinatal and Infant Mental Health and the importance of whole family engagement.Offer Perinatal and Infant Mental Health consultation, advice and IHV Accredited training to practitioners from all partner agencies, building up a network of Perinatal champions to support practice.Work collaboratively with partner agencies to ensure appropriate mental health risk assessments are developed and implemented in accordance with the latest national guidelines.Provide consultation, information and advice to referrers as to the appropriateness of a referral and/or signpost to other services with sufficient safety net and planning.Give a professional opinion in safeguarding arenas where the Specialist Health Visitor for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health is a participant in the decision-making process.Provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence, acting as a professional role model by providing leadership, support and training within multi-disciplinary Specialist Perinatal Services.
Administrative/Clerical:To record and submit statistical information as required by the services. Statistical information will be to both local for team information, or to the Trust data collection system.To ensure administrative tasks are completed within the time scales set down in service protocols, including clinical record keeping within appropriate Care Records as per team and trust requirementsTo attend and participate in team referral meetings, business meetings, multi-disciplinary case discussion, caseload and safeguarding supervision and support meetings.To contribute to the development, formulation and evaluation of policies and the development of ideas for changing policies as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Specialist Health Visitor will work with colleagues to:Ensure evidence based clinical assessments are made in a timely and appropriate manner when either or both parents are suffering from mental health difficulties or are at risk of developing them. This includes assessing potential difficulties within the parent-infant relationship.Ensure all family members receive appropriate information about mental health and child health and development in a sensitive way.Identify areas for research, audit and development relevant to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. Initiate and participate in research and clinical audit programmes.Ensure that all local health policies and procedural guidelines relating to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health are evidence based, appropriate and that they are adhered to.Support and assure the implementation of guidelines by statutory and professional bodies as they relate to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.Support and participate in the collection of information on the quality and effectiveness of the service in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health locally.Provide specialist advice to strategic groups and guidance on the policies and practices that impact on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
Leadership and Management:To participate in team evaluations, team reviews and risk assessments.To participate in audit meetings as set down by team, to contribute to team projects such as audit, evidence-based practice and research.To assist in ensuring that all own practice is both clinically safe and can show evidence of evidence-based practice.To assist in any research projects running or set up within local team, directorate or Trust.
Training/Education:The Specialist Health Visitor will:Provide professional leadership for the universal childrens services in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.Act as a resource for health visiting and community services, including students and support staff.Provide evidence-based consultation and support to colleagues to develop their skills in critical thinking, reflective practice and knowledge about Perinatal and Infant Mental Health and the importance of whole family engagement.Offer Perinatal and Infant Mental Health consultation, advice and IHV Accredited training to practitioners from all partner agencies, building up a network of Perinatal champions to support practice.Work collaboratively with partner agencies to ensure appropriate mental health risk assessments are developed and implemented in accordance with the latest national guidelines.Provide consultation, information and advice to referrers as to the appropriateness of a referral and/or signpost to other services with sufficient safety net and planning.Give a professional opinion in safeguarding arenas where the Specialist Health Visitor for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health is a participant in the decision-making process.Provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence, acting as a professional role model by providing leadership, support and training within multi-disciplinary Specialist Perinatal Services.
Administrative/Clerical:To record and submit statistical information as required by the services. Statistical information will be to both local for team information, or to the Trust data collection system.To ensure administrative tasks are completed within the time scales set down in service protocols, including clinical record keeping within appropriate Care Records as per team and trust requirementsTo attend and participate in team referral meetings, business meetings, multi-disciplinary case discussion, caseload and safeguarding supervision and support meetings.To contribute to the development, formulation and evaluation of policies and the development of ideas for changing policies as appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse/Midwife/RMN
- Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting).
- Documented evidence of continuous professional development.
- Recent Study in Parent/Infant MH.
Desirable
- Mentoring/Coaching/ Teaching/Supervision qualification.
- NBAS/NBO Trained.
- Nurse Prescribing V100.
- IHV Perinatal Mental Health Training.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Understanding of attachment theory and its relevance to parent/infant mental health.
- Ability to develop and maintain up-to-date research based professional knowledge about Perinatal and Infant MH.
- Understanding of the impact of poor parental mental health on infants and other family members, and the role that the health visiting services can play in mitigating this.
- An amount of current Health Visitor experience.
- Experience supporting mothers with their perinatal mental health, including children and families.
- Experience of delivering training to a range of health and social care professionals.
Desirable
- Have good up to date knowledge of local services available to pregnant and postnatal women in relation to their mental health needs.
- Management, Leadership and Supervision Experience.
Values
Essential
- o Continuous Improvement o Accountability o Respectfulness o Enthusiasm o Support o High professional standards o Responsive to service users o Engaging leadership style o Strong customer service belief o Transparency and honesty o Discreet o Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent teaching, training and presentation skills.
- Posses a variety of multimedia materials suitable for presentations with clients and/or professionals.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to form strong and professional working relationships across organisational boundaries.
- Strong Leadership Skills including chairing meetings.
- Flexible and adaptable and able to work autonomously as well as in a team.
- Demonstrates motivation, reliability and commitment to team working and the development of others.
- Excellent organisation skills and time management.
- Flexible, and responsive to change.
- Confident and Professional.
- Demonstrates an ability to value the opinions of others.
- Strong interpersonal, motivational, communication o Interest and ability to contribute to service development. o Skills in the use of up to date IT packages, online platforms, Apps and NHS platforms. 30/3/22 and organisational skills, qualities and behaviours.
- Flexibility to respond to urgent client needs or the needs of the Service.
- Willingness to undergo education and training for both service and professional development needs.
- Positive role model.
- To demonstrate how to provide and receive routine information requiring tact or persuasive skills; barriers to understanding.
- Travel is integral to this post therefore a full driving license and means of transport is essential.
- Able to work flexible hours as required.
- Evidence of ongoing personal development.
- Willingness to undertake further training.
- Have respect for different disciplines and therapeutic approaches.
- Holds a full UK driving licence.
Desirable
- Interest and ability to contribute to service development.
- Skills in the use of up to date IT packages, online platforms, Apps and NHS platforms.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse/Midwife/RMN
- Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting).
- Documented evidence of continuous professional development.
- Recent Study in Parent/Infant MH.
Desirable
- Mentoring/Coaching/ Teaching/Supervision qualification.
- NBAS/NBO Trained.
- Nurse Prescribing V100.
- IHV Perinatal Mental Health Training.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Understanding of attachment theory and its relevance to parent/infant mental health.
- Ability to develop and maintain up-to-date research based professional knowledge about Perinatal and Infant MH.
- Understanding of the impact of poor parental mental health on infants and other family members, and the role that the health visiting services can play in mitigating this.
- An amount of current Health Visitor experience.
- Experience supporting mothers with their perinatal mental health, including children and families.
- Experience of delivering training to a range of health and social care professionals.
Desirable
- Have good up to date knowledge of local services available to pregnant and postnatal women in relation to their mental health needs.
- Management, Leadership and Supervision Experience.
Values
Essential
- o Continuous Improvement o Accountability o Respectfulness o Enthusiasm o Support o High professional standards o Responsive to service users o Engaging leadership style o Strong customer service belief o Transparency and honesty o Discreet o Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent teaching, training and presentation skills.
- Posses a variety of multimedia materials suitable for presentations with clients and/or professionals.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to form strong and professional working relationships across organisational boundaries.
- Strong Leadership Skills including chairing meetings.
- Flexible and adaptable and able to work autonomously as well as in a team.
- Demonstrates motivation, reliability and commitment to team working and the development of others.
- Excellent organisation skills and time management.
- Flexible, and responsive to change.
- Confident and Professional.
- Demonstrates an ability to value the opinions of others.
- Strong interpersonal, motivational, communication o Interest and ability to contribute to service development. o Skills in the use of up to date IT packages, online platforms, Apps and NHS platforms. 30/3/22 and organisational skills, qualities and behaviours.
- Flexibility to respond to urgent client needs or the needs of the Service.
- Willingness to undergo education and training for both service and professional development needs.
- Positive role model.
- To demonstrate how to provide and receive routine information requiring tact or persuasive skills; barriers to understanding.
- Travel is integral to this post therefore a full driving license and means of transport is essential.
- Able to work flexible hours as required.
- Evidence of ongoing personal development.
- Willingness to undertake further training.
- Have respect for different disciplines and therapeutic approaches.
- Holds a full UK driving licence.
Desirable
- Interest and ability to contribute to service development.
- Skills in the use of up to date IT packages, online platforms, Apps and NHS platforms.
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).
Additional information
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
