Band 6 Specialist Practitioner - Bath

Job overview

BSW Mental Health Clinical Assessment Service (MH CAS).

The BSW 111-2 service operates in a partnership delivery model with BrisDoc.

BrisDoc provide the ‘front door’ call handling for the pathway, receiving calls from the public, gathering information and first line triage to identify the presenting need.

Those callers requiring additional mental health assessment and support will then be passed through to the BSW 111-2 Mental Health Clinical Assessment Service (MHCAS) provided by mental health practitioners employed by AWP.

The BSW MHCAS will work alongside the BNSSG MHCAS which operates under the Integrated Access Partnership (IAP), a multiagency partnership delivery approach across a range of urgent care services.

Main duties of the job

The main purpose of the role is to provide telephone-based triage and clinical assessment within the BSW 111 MHCAS service, determining appropriate care pathways and making onward referrals where clinically indicated.

You will also provide advice and guidance to service users, carers, and partner organisations. As the service operates 24/7, you will be expected to work shift across the 24/7 shift pattern (Early, Late, Night).

You will also work closely with Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) BSW services, including Intensive Support Teams, Acute Hospital Liaison, Care Home Liaison, Police Control Room Triage, and Health-Based Places of Safety.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Assessment:

Undertake a full range of activities required to deliver a comprehensive mental health assessment in an emergency situation, to those who may be distressed/ in crisis. This will include:

Advising the person in crisis of short-term coping strategies i.e. anger, anxiety, stress management, distraction, assertiveness or relaxation techniques.

Providing emotional support to the individual, focusing on motivation and encouragement.

Sharing information where relevant and appropriate to fellow professionals in line with trust (and wider Partnership) information governance protocols.

Providing defined interventions as detailed in existing care plans/ HIU plans.

Completing relevant documentation that is accurate and factual within the appropriate electronic record systems (RiO, CLEO etc- varies between services) as per relevant policies.

Working in partnership with Brisdoc colleagues across the 111-2 pathway, manage the delivery of high-quality effective health interventions which lead to positive outcomes for service users and carers.

Communicating and liaising with a wide range of people/professionals in order to build and sustain effective and positive relationships with individuals and carers, team members and other agencies.

Gathering information from additional sources to make informed decisions/ plans e.g. other record systems, from friends/family/others on scene etc.

Making referrals to other services/ agencies as appropriate as per their identified process (email, referral form, verbal referral etc).

Responds to the needs of the individual with sensitivity and dignity, taking into account their age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class or disability, modifying behaviour to optimise the therapeutic relationship.

Promoting the rights of the individual by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation and local policies and procedures, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour.

Promoting independence and increasing confidence by providing appropriate self- help materials and information about available resources/services where appropriate.

Contributing to the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures.

To participate in developing comprehensive plans for persons with mental health needs who frequently contact emergency services, including strategies to manage risk for service users with complex needs, bringing in other resources as required.

Clinical Support and Leadership:

To provide clinical advice/ support to colleagues and to encourage and promote development others. This will include:

Active clinical leadership and provide clinical supervision, assessment, feedback etc for unregistered staff within the team.

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.