Advanced Practitioner

Job overview

Lewisham Early Intervention Service (LEIS) is seeking an experienced Nurse, Social Worker, or Occupational Therapist to help lead our vibrant and diverse multidisciplinary team.

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated professional who is committed to the Early Intervention (EI) ethos of hope, recovery, and high‑quality person‑centred care.

LEIS provides specialist Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) support to people aged 18–65 who are experiencing or recovering from a first episode of psychosis (FEP). Our service works collaboratively to support recovery, promote independence, and improve long‑term outcomes for service users within the borough of Lewisham.

The Advanced Practitioner, works closely with the Team Leader, Service Manager, and other senior colleagues to support the effective and timely delivery of high‑quality EI interventions.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to service development, provide clinical leadership, and make a meaningful difference to people at a crucial stage in their recovery journey.

Main duties of the job

The role includes:

• Providing managerial and clinical support to the Team Leader
• Supervising a defined number of Care Coordinators
• Taking a lead role in clinical decision‑making within the team
• Undertaking complex initial assessments
• Managing the referrals pathway in and out of LEIS, ensuring access and waiting‑time standards are consistently met and that service users are discharged in a timely manner.
• Managing small caseload of complex cases

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Care coordination

• Assessment: Undertaking complex initial assessments for first episode psychosis  – e.g. where there is diagnostic uncertainty, mixed presentations, complicated history, dual diagnosis. To work with diagnostic uncertainty, providing ongoing comprehensive assessment and outcome monitoring of all caseload service users. To formulate integrated needs assessments for service users requiring commissioned services and to monitor care packages as directed. To undertake risk assessments regularly, in liaison with all other health professionals and agencies involved. To ensure that risk assessments are regularly updated, are meaningful and are reflected in care plans. Care coordination: To assertively outreach difficult to engage service users. To provide on-going care co-ordination within the CPA framework of a designated caseload of service users. To ensure access to evidenced based interventions relevant to a first episode psychosis client group. To ensure all interventions are age appropriate and that care is sensitive to the needs of black and minority ethnic service users. To adopt a client centred approach embodied with the principles of the recovery model. To involve families and carers in treatment plans where appropriate. The size of the caseload will be dependant on the needs of the service, but the approximate maximum for an advanced practitioner is 10.

Key Management Responsibilities

Supervision and support: The post-holder will line manage approx. 6 members of staff, which will mainly consist of Care Coordinators. The post holder will ensure that each member of staff receives regular supervision and appraisal, and are offered essential and developmental training in accordance with their personal development plans and the needs of the service. The post holder will also follow the Trust policy as and when sickness or performance issues arise with supervisees.

• a)       The post holder will provide support and guidance to care coordinators, who are having difficulty with complex cases. This includes meeting clients with care coordinators. b)      The post holder will ensure that they are able to prioritise their tasks so that they can support care coordinators to meet with high risk and/or complex clients.

Referral pathway: To oversee the referral pathway within LEIS, this includes: helping to ensure that the team consistently meet the Waiting Time Standard, having oversight of referrals coming into the team, and helping to ensure that clients are discharged from the service according to the 3 year maximum period of support.

• a)       It is essential that the post holder develops a robust and competent understanding of the service’s eligibility criteria and supports clinicians in the service to develop their own understanding of the criteria. b)      The post holder will also assist the Team Leader in the allocation of cases to care coordinators.

Recruitment: To support the Team Leader in undertaking the full recruitment process when vacancies occur.

Deputising: To deputise on behalf of the Team Leader when the Team Leader is not present in the team. This includes undertaking tasks pertinent to the Team Leader role.

Clinical Lead: to act as a clinical lead in the team, both informally when providing guidance to colleagues, and also in Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings when crucial clinical decisions are being made.

To participate and contribute to team senior management meetings with Consultants, Lead Psychologists and Team Leader.

To attend meetings and forums, representing the team at various levels both within the Trust and with external agencies, ensuring that all staff are kept fully briefed on any new developments etc. The post-holder may be required to participate in specific inter-agency work relevant to the service.

Finances: To support the Team Leader to ensure team finances are managed within allocated budget, including recruitment of staff. To support the Team Leader in communicating to all staff how they can contribute to the efficient management of financial and material resources.

To develop and maintain good communication between the multidisciplinary team and other agencies, in particular those referring to the team such as GPs, other community teams, ward services and home treatment teams.  Ensure that all communication (verbal or written) between the team and other departments or agencies is of a high standard both in its content and presentation.

Management of the Environment: To support the Team Leader to ensure that the Health and Safety at Work Act is adhered to by all staff and that all staff receive any training necessary in order to meet the requirements of the Act. (eg. fire safety training, first aid, etc.).  This also includes supporting the Team Leader in ensuring the safety of the working environment.

Personal Development and Responsibilities: To ensure that they are fully aware of current developments and practice in their clinical area. The post holder will also make effective use of supervision with their line manager on a regular and agreed basis in being aware of the need to reflect on their practice both as clinician and manager.

To be aware of and adhere to all Trust Policies and act as a role model to other staff and meet the required professional standards for ongoing registration.

Other Duties: To be undertaken as delegated by the Head of Nursing and/or Team leader.