Associate Hospital Manager

Job overview

An exciting opportunity to join a panel of Associate Hospital Managers, whose delegated role is to review people who are detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA)1983 on behalf of the Trust.  Recent amendments to the MHA will impact on this role in the coming years following implementation. The panel, known as the Independent Review Panel (IRP) have, under Section 23 of the Mental Health Act (MHA), the power to discharge a patient from detention in hospital or the community in specific circumstances. You will be part of a trustwide pool of associate managers who are not employees of the trust, but may be Foundation Trust members. You receive remuneration on a sessional basis and may claim travel expenses where appropriate. You will be a member of a panel of three people, consisting of a chair and two lay members. There will be the opportunity, if you wish, to chair (subject to suitable competency assessment). As part of a Panel, you will undertake a review following the renewal of detention in hospital, an extension of a Community Treatment Order or following a patient’s appeal against their section. The Panel, under Section 23 of the MHA, has the power to discharge detention if there is a unanimous decision that the criteria for detention is no longer met. As a panel member you will be sent reports from relevant professionals to read prior to the hearing as part of your preparation.

Main duties of the job

Panel hearings are held between the hours of 9.30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. A sessional rota is agreed in advance but hearings may also be arranged on an ad hoc basis, sometimes at short notice. Hearings are currently held via Microsoft Teams, with a hybrid approach of virtual or face-to-face hearings being planned. The trust has many locations across Cheshire and Wirral where hearings may be held in person. As a panel member you will be expected to attend the twice yearly meetings/training events and any other ad hocs sessions to ensure you are updated on relevant legislation/caselaw. The Independent Review Panel are appointed by Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as a safeguard to protect those detained under the Mental Health Act. CWP has services across Cheshire and Wirral, providing integrated care in the community and within inpatient settings.

We are keen to ensure our Independent Review Panels are inclusive, ensuring our local communities are represented. The Mental Health Law Team support Panels to ensure an effective and efficient process to safeguard our patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [email protected] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!