Job responsibilities
The North London Partners Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service
is a community mental health service for pregnant and postnatal women with
severe and complex mental illness. The aim of the team is to detect, prevent
and treat perinatal mental health problems to improve the experience of
pregnancy and the first year postpartum for women and their families.
Camden & Islington Mental Health Foundation Trust jointly with
Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust secured investment to
develop perinatal mental health services across five boroughs in the North
Central London area (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey &Islington). The team works closely with the five
maternity hospitals within these boroughs University College London
Hospital, Whittington Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, Barnet Hospital and North
Middlesex University Hospital.
The service provides assessment, treatment interventions and
well-co-ordinated care pathways for parents and their babies experiencing
moderate to severe mental ill health during the perinatal period (from
pre-conception up to 24 months after delivery).
There are now 3 sub-teams structured and arranged around the borough
where the service user resides. Each team will consist of core members of the
multidisciplinary team including Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists,
Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Nursery Nurses, Administrators and Peer
Support Workers.
Sub teams will be divided as follows;
1. West Team (Barnet)
2. East Team (Enfield
& Haringey)
3. South Team (Camden
& Islington)
The post is with the West team (North Finchley N12 ), covering Barnet
The post holder will be supported and supervised by the service
manager and other senior perinatal clinicians in the Perinatal Service to
carry out, a high number of comprehensive new patient assessments and manage a caseload of patients in line with
the requirements of the service line operational policy and service line strategy
and that safe, evidence based, effective, culturally competent care is
delivered in a timely manner to service users.
In carrying out this role the post holder will make best use of the
resources available to them; ensuring that at all times best use is made of
health and social care resources to assist recovery and re-enablement.
The post holder will support governance and audit within the team,
ensuring that service delivery focuses on the quality agenda and that
dignity, privacy and respect is afforded at all times to service users.
This job description is written as an indication of the nature and
scope of duties and responsibilities. Additional competencies may be
required. It is not intended as a fully descriptive list and does not include
specific skills or therapeutic interventions that may be required of the
specialist service area. The job- holder will be expected to carry out other
duties assigned by the Operational Service Manager, which are appropriate to
the grade.
Clinical
i) To undertake
specialist initial clinical assessment and formulation using a range of both
specialist and generic tools
ii) Making an
autonomous judgement about own caseload
iii) To assess, plan,
implement and evaluate care in negotiation with service users, carers and
other services, considering the needs of a diverse community
iv) Intervening using a
range of therapeutic modalities e.g. CBT, Systemic Family Therapy etc.
v) Assisting in and
determining the point of discharge / transfer of the service user
vi) To communicate
clinical assessment or presentation to others within the team and appropriate
external agencies including GPs
vii) To maintain
contemporaneous records to the standard required by the trust and the
relevant professional body
viii) To assess and manage
risk
ix) Encouraging service
users to accept an optimum level of responsibility for their programme of
care and with their consent, where appropriate, seek the cooperation of
friends / relatives / carers.
3.2 Knowledge
i) To recognise and
respond appropriately to challenging behaviour in line with Trust policies.
ii) To undertake
safeguarding investigations when called upon to do so.
iii) To have detailed
knowledge, understanding and experience of Mental Health Law including the
Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007), the Community treatment legislation,
the Care Programme Approach (1995) and the Mental Capacity Act (2005)
iv) To follow all Trust
Policy relevant to service user care and conduct of own role
ix) To be able to work
and travel across a geographical area or across integrated teams.
v) To follow trust
policy in promptly reporting all accidents and incidents. To undertake
investigations when called upon to do so or nominating / supervising relevant
others in this role.
ix) To ensure that all
duties within the role are delivered in accordance with trust policy and
professional registration. Ensuring that professional registration
requirements are maintained for themselves and relevant team members.
