Band 6 Specialist Early Intervention Practitioner - Devizes

Job overview

This is an opportunity for a committed mental health professional to work in Early Intervention services working across Wiltshire. We have one permanent Band 6 post available.

The permanent post will be an opportunity for a clinician to work in an enthusiastic and experienced Early Intervention team.

Wiltshire Early Intervention Team is a multi-professional team working across CAMHS and Adult Mental Health Services. The post involves using psychosocial interventions and working with people experiencing a first episode psychosis. The role will involves working with carers and families. The service is part of an AWP Trust wide Early Intervention Service with Southwest and national networks following national guidance for Early Intervention in Psychosis Services.

We are seeking someone who is committed to team working. The approach with both service users and carers will be based around Psychosocial Interventions and a team approach. You must be an excellent communicator, have a flexible approach to your work with a good knowledge base of the principles of Early Intervention in Psychosis.

Please note that Wiltshire EI  is a county wide service and team members may be required to travel to any location in Wiltshire.

Main duties of the job

• To assess service users referred to the Wiltshire Early Intervention Service with suspected psychosis using the Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental state (CAARMS) assessment tool, across the Wiltshire wide catchment area.
• Within the role of care co-ordination, to plan and deliver specialist programmes of care following the NICE guidelines for first episode of psychosis.
• To work within the multi-disciplinary team, to attend and contribute to team discussions and to liaise with other professionals within the team to co-ordinate relevant interventions for service users.
• To liaise and work in collaboration with other AWP teams, local CAMHS services and non AWP agencies in planning and assessing programmes of care.
• To support and work alongside service users ranging from 14 to 65 years old, and their families in their experience of recovery from a first episode of psychosis.
• To support the delivery of carers education programmes and provide psychoeducation and advice to patients, carers and professionals.
• To identify and manage risks which can arise during someone’s recovery from a first episode of psychosis.
• To provide clinical supervision to junior staff, students and support workers.
• To support the undertaking of the National Clinical Audit of Psychosis (NCAP) by ensuring clinical documentation is up to date.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work within the Early Intervention for Psychosis Service delivering all components of the established Early Intervention model.
• To provide comprehensive and specialist assessment of people between the ages of 14 to 65 years referred to the Early Intervention Team with a first episode psychosis. This will include the use of formal psychiatric and psychological rating scales, as well as liaison with carers and staff from other agencies that may be involved with the  person.
• To provide advice and to assist other members of the Early Intervention for Psychosis Service with interventions which draw on own specialist professional knowledge (for example, an occupational therapist specialist would be expected to advice on and carry out specialist occupational and vocational assessments).
• To provide advice and support to carers/ relatives of service users, and to provide structured family work to families where a  person has a first episode psychosis.
• In line with Trust policy, to receive regular clinical supervision and to participate in clinical and caseload supervision arrangements provided by the Early Intervention for Psychosis Service.
• To participate in the development and delivery of teaching and training where appropriate. In particular to plan, develop and deliver training around psychosis and the importance of early intervention to partner agencies.
• To provide clinical supervision for students, support workers and junior staff.
• To be aware of and comply with all policies, procedures and directives of the Early Intervention for Psychosis Service as well as the Trust.
• To maintain and further develop high standards of professional practice through co-operative work with other mental health professionals and involvement in professional audit.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers.  In line with trust policy all newly qualified social workers will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding.  All NQSWs are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be agreed to extend this for a further 2 years.    On successful completion of the ASYE, for which you will be given full support of an experienced Social Worker as well as Divisional Social Work Lead, and peer support from other ASYE candidates, you will then be eligible to progress to a Band 6 position.    If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful completion.  If you have been appointed to a Band 5 you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy.