Band 6 Specialist Practitioner - Bristol

Job overview

The Mental Health Integrated Access Partnership (IAP) is an award-winning and nationally-recognised endeavour, which is transforming urgent and emergency care services for people in mental health crisis.

In an innovative collaboration between BrisDoc Healthcare Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Foundation Trust and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust – as well as Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Fire and Rescue, and voluntary sector organisations – the IAP provides a truly integrated front door service for urgent and emergency mental health care for people in crisis, across both 999 and 111.

We work tirelessly to ensure the patient receives the right care at the right time, providing a seamless, coordinated response that addresses both mental and physical health needs. Working alongside emergency service, urgent care and voluntary sector colleagues, the IAP provides a range of 24/7 services within the South-West, from our sites across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Main duties of the job

You will provide a specialist and timely response for people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis, facilitating improved patient outcomes and experience. You will identify a person’s needs, enabling appropriate signposting and onward referrals to services, with the aim of reducing inappropriate access to Accident and Emergency departments and detention under S136 of the Mental Health Act. This will be via telephone triage and also via face-to-face assessments in the community, with support and supervision of the wider team, including oversight from the Clinical Coordinator on shift.

This role will necessitate working rotational shift patterns and unsociable hours across a number of bases. The service runs 24/7 and so this position includes a range of day, evening and weekend working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see job description. 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.