Job summary
Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Band 7, plus AMHP payment of £2000 per annum.
We are seeking to recruit a band 7 AMHP to join the Bedfordshire and Luton Countywide AMHP Service on a permanent position. It is an excellent opportunity for an experienced or newly qualified AMHP, who is ambitious about service development. AMHP Lead for the Service, you will be responsible for providing routine and urgent Mental Health Act assessments (MHA) under part 2 of the MHA (1983). You will be expected to provide triage support for the AMHP service, leading on day to day operational activities of the AMHP service on a rota basis and supporting the AMHP Operational manager to ensure the service delivers on its objectives. You will also provide and offer training, advice and consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues, regarding the use of mental health law and least restrictive options; to ensure the timely delivery of an appropriate, safe, effective, and responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people's statutory rights.
Flexible working arrangements can be considered in line with Trust flexible working policy.
Main duties of the job
Purpose of the Job:The post holder will be the Lead AMHP for the AMHP Service in Luton and Bedfordshire; providing operational management to a team of AMHPs and rota AMHPs. They will also offer expertise to multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure the timely delivery of a safe, effective, responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people's statutory rights.The AMHP Service in Bedfordshire and Luton is commissioned to carry out statutory assessments under the Mental Health Act, (1983 MHA, as amended 2007) for consideration of compulsory admission to hospital, Community Treatment Orders, Guardianship and related duties.
As AMHP Lead the post holder will be responsible for the operational management and leadership of your team, ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the Service. This will include professional responsibility and accountability for ensuring that all key professional/ quality standards and performance indicators for the AMHP Service are met in a timely manner. Leading on the professional support and development of others, you will provide professional supervision for other AMHPs and manage performance in order to ensure quality standards are maintained.As AMHP Lead the post holder will be responsible for a mixture of managerial and senior clinical duties including undertaking of MHA assessments. With an enhanced level of knowledge and expertise in relation to the use of the MHA (1983, as amended 2007).
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached AMHP Job Description and person specification for further information. .
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached AMHP Job Description and person specification for further information. .
Person Specification
Education, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Psychologist
- Current Professional Registration (HCPC, NMC etc)
- Practice Educator/ Registered mentor
- AMHP post graduate qualification Evidence of continual professional development
- Educated to degree level of equivalent experience
Desirable
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualification experience working as an AMHP
- Previous experience of supervising and managing others with proven leadership
- Previous experience at working as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Previous experience at working autonomously
- Previous experience of working within an NHS/ LSSA environment and an understanding of the strengths, challenges, polices and practices within these environment
- Extensive and demonstrable experience of assessing skills for service users with mental health needs and the ability to formulate correct plans of care and achieve correct outcomes, using best practice guidance
- Experience of teaching and assessing others in practice
- Experience of developing or contributing to the development of new services preferably in mental health
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the MHA (1983) and subsequent amendments, Code of Practice (2015) and other relevant pieces of mental health related case law
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of current legislation and policy pertaining to the provision of mental health services in all settings including the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act (2010), Care Act 2014 and relevant NICE Guidance
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorder and the treatment options.
- Demonstrate a thorough knowledge, understanding and practical experience of complex risk assessment and risk management
- Demonstrate a full understanding of the key issues and priorities relating to the provision of mental health services
- Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local and national standards and guidance relating to people detained under the MHA
- Sound report writing skills, ability to compile complex case recording, report presentation, including legal documents i.e. social circumstances reports, court reports etc.
Skills and values
Essential
- Assertiveness and engagement with other professionals, able to make reasoned arguments and represent own professional views and perspectives
- Decision-making and problem solving, able to adopt creative and flexible approaches to meet the needs of service users.
- Well-developed communication skills, able to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
- IT skills, experience of working with service user data systems
- Team player, able to negotiate and lead other professionals whilst considering competing views and agendas
- Able to work independently, with initiative, but to seek appropriate guidance and supervision when required.
- Committed to core social care values, able to recognise that protection is sometimes required and should be carried out in the least restrictive manner observing the human and civil rights of the individual
- A commitment to leadership & change management
- Able to travel between Trust sites throughout the county, with a full clean licence
- Understanding of the Trust structure, values, aims and objectives
Person Specification
Education, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Psychologist
- Current Professional Registration (HCPC, NMC etc)
- Practice Educator/ Registered mentor
- AMHP post graduate qualification Evidence of continual professional development
- Educated to degree level of equivalent experience
Desirable
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualification experience working as an AMHP
- Previous experience of supervising and managing others with proven leadership
- Previous experience at working as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Previous experience at working autonomously
- Previous experience of working within an NHS/ LSSA environment and an understanding of the strengths, challenges, polices and practices within these environment
- Extensive and demonstrable experience of assessing skills for service users with mental health needs and the ability to formulate correct plans of care and achieve correct outcomes, using best practice guidance
- Experience of teaching and assessing others in practice
- Experience of developing or contributing to the development of new services preferably in mental health
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the MHA (1983) and subsequent amendments, Code of Practice (2015) and other relevant pieces of mental health related case law
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of current legislation and policy pertaining to the provision of mental health services in all settings including the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act (2010), Care Act 2014 and relevant NICE Guidance
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorder and the treatment options.
- Demonstrate a thorough knowledge, understanding and practical experience of complex risk assessment and risk management
- Demonstrate a full understanding of the key issues and priorities relating to the provision of mental health services
- Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local and national standards and guidance relating to people detained under the MHA
- Sound report writing skills, ability to compile complex case recording, report presentation, including legal documents i.e. social circumstances reports, court reports etc.
Skills and values
Essential
- Assertiveness and engagement with other professionals, able to make reasoned arguments and represent own professional views and perspectives
- Decision-making and problem solving, able to adopt creative and flexible approaches to meet the needs of service users.
- Well-developed communication skills, able to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
- IT skills, experience of working with service user data systems
- Team player, able to negotiate and lead other professionals whilst considering competing views and agendas
- Able to work independently, with initiative, but to seek appropriate guidance and supervision when required.
- Committed to core social care values, able to recognise that protection is sometimes required and should be carried out in the least restrictive manner observing the human and civil rights of the individual
- A commitment to leadership & change management
- Able to travel between Trust sites throughout the county, with a full clean licence
- Understanding of the Trust structure, values, aims and objectives
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
