Mental Health Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities: An outline of the key duties and responsibilities of the post holder including key relationships and outcomes required.

Clinical and Client Care

1. Assess, plan and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.2. Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties.

3. Support children, young people, their parents/carers and families to make informed choices about the interventions being offered.

4. Work in partnership with children, young people, their families and educators in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes. Encourage collaboration and co-production when agreeing plans of care.

5. Undertake risk assessments and develop clear risk management plans in line with Trust policy and locally agreed procedures including safeguarding protocols of Education settings. Ensure accurate recording of risk and risk management plans.6. Through locally agreed pathways escalate cases in which level of risk is beyond the scope of practice of the post holder.7. Engage along with more senior staff in the signposting of referrals for children and young people with more complex needs to the relevant practitioner or service.

8. Practice, evidence, reflect on and demonstrate an ability to manage ones own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team.

9. Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate, both for personal educational benefit in discussion with senior leaders, or to provide direct assistance.

10. Keep coherent records of all clinical and whole school approach activity in line with both health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.

11. Complete all requirements relating to data collection.

12. Show evidence of working within a collaborative approach, involving a range of relevant others when indicated.

13. Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials and go on to develop further such materials as falls within own degree of competence.

Training & Supervision

1. Engage in robust managerial and clinical supervision, identifying the scope of practice of the individual post holder within the role, and working safely within that scope.

2. Prepare and present caseload information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis, to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the post holder, supervisor and service are delivered.

3. Respond to and evidence the implementation of improved practice because of supervisor feedback.

4. Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competencies and practice.

5. Disseminate research, audit and service evaluation findings through presentations and supervisory discussions.

6. Undertake continued professional development and maintain clinical standards through ongoing training as identified through CPD and PDR processes

Professional

1. Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice according to both the post holder's employer and professional body if applicable. Ensure appropriate adherence to any new recommendations or guidelines set by the relevant departments.

2. Ensure that confidentiality is always protected.

3. Ensure that any risks or issues related to the safety and wellbeing of anyone the postholder comes into contact with during their professional duties are communicated and shared with appropriate parties in order to maintain individual safety and the public interest.

4. Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with supervisor and senior colleagues on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.

5. Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.

6. Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and the requirements of the post and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.

7. Attend relevant educational opportunities in line with identified professional objectives.

This post is subject to Agenda for Change. The wording of this job description and accompanying service specification may change; the key tasks and responsibilities will not.

Person Specification

Education, training and experience.

Essential

• Degree level qualification and/or equivalent experience in a child and family related field e.g. social work, youth and community work, nursing1.Qualified in core profession such as Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Mental Health Practitioner, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or creative therapies e.g. Art Therapy.
• OR - Recognised degree level broad based health & social care qualification which will require completion of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Knowledge Skills and Attributes (KSA) http://www.babcp.com/Accreditation/CBP/KSA.aspx
• OR - Successful completion of a relevant HEE-commissioned course (for example children and young people's wellbeing practitioner, education mental health practitioner, psychological wellbeing practitioner)
• Experience of working with children and young people and their families in either Health, Social or Education settings.
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties
• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Experience of working with cultural diverse populations and adapting services to improve access.

Desirable

• Experience of liaising and working effectively with the wider network around the child including educational, social care, family and health.
• Experience of delivering group interventions.

Knowledge, Skills & Professional

Essential

• Understanding of how to work with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues and relevant legislation.
• Knowledge of child development
• Ability to carry out therapeutic mental health interventions with children, their families or parent/carers.
• Assessment and management of children and young people who present with risk.
• Awareness of cultural diversity and ability to incorporate this into care planning and delivery.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative, with reference to policies and procedures.

Desirable

• Knowledge of audit processes
• Skilled at engaging and building relationships with children young people and their families
• Skilled at undertaking holistic assessments of emotional and mental health needs alongside coexisting physical and environmental factors that impact on wellbeing.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Liverpool Fresh CAMHS - Alder Hey

Babbage House, Liverpool Innovation Park, Edge Lane

Liverpool

L7 9NJ

Employer's website

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