Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Qualified Band 6 Practitioner to join the Mental Health Access Line on a 6 month Secondment basis

The service provides a 24/7 service to the Police and Paramedics, as well as callers to the 999 ambulance service with a mental health crisis in the Lancashire and South Cumbria area.

As a MHAL Senior Mental Health Practitioner the post holder will have particular responsibility for providing consultation, advice, assessments and referral to other appropriate services for anyone accessing the service. The post holder will work autonomously and collaboratively with team members providing a service which is delivered over the telephone.

You will use evidence-based practice through the provision of clinical advice and support, to contribute to the use of the Police National Decision Model in managing risk.

The focus is on supporting the right care, to the right person, at the right time, and in utilising least restrictive practices to facilitate this. This requires the initiative to use autonomous and collaborative decision making, to avert service users from unnecessary use of A&E and Sec 136, where it is safe to do so.

This is a full-time position, and shifts are 7am-7pm and 7pm-7am over a 7 day period.

Due to the length of the secondment we are looking for a staff member who already has extensive experience in working with clients in crisis. Current line manager permission is essential

Main duties of the job

To act as a Senior Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) providing triage, brief telephone assessment and coordination of signposting and onward transfers, or the dispatch of the appropriate services for calls that come in via the Mental Health Access Line (MHAL), Police, On Scene Paramedics and 111.

The MHAL provides a phone line for police and paramedics to call when they need information, support and advice relating to the people they come into contact with who are showing symptoms of mental illness, and who need a time critical intervention. The main focus is to consider least restrictive options to implementing Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

999 ambulance calls that come in via the 999 call takers, and are identified as being related to an intentional overdose (code 23), or psychiatric issue (code 25) will be passed via C3 to the MHAL practitioner to triage and briefly assess the most appropriate pathway for advice, further assessment and treatment, and will facilitate the transfer of the case as appropriate.

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Mental Health Access Line

Garstang Road

Preston

PR3 5LN

Employer's website

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

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Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Mental Health Access Line

Garstang Road

Preston

PR3 5LN

Employer's website

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

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