Band 7 Senior Practitioner - BNSSG Integrated Access Partnership

Job overview

Imagine a role where every day brings new challenges and the opportunity to make a real difference. As a Senior Practitioner with the Mental Health Integrated Access Partnership (IAP), you'll be at the heart of an innovative, multi-agency approach to mental health crisis care. This isn't just a job, it's a chance to pioneer the future of emergency mental health services.

Our award-winning, nationally-recognized initiative brings together BrisDoc Healthcare Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Foundation Trust, and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust to provide an integrated front door service for people in mental health crisis across both 999 and 111.

We are seeking a dedicated Senior Practitioner to join our dynamic IAP team. The primary purpose of this role is to deliver high-quality mental health triage, assessment, and care coordination across various settings. You will play a crucial part in our multidisciplinary team, working to ensure patients receive timely, appropriate care that addresses both their mental and physical health needs.

This rotational post offers diverse experiences across multiple bases. You'll be at the heart of our efforts to reduce inappropriate A&E attendances, decrease S136 detentions, and improve outcomes for individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Main duties of the job

You would be primarily working clinically in the role demonstrating senior practice and leading by example. You will also supervise staff and support the team managers in working towards shared objectives.

• Provide specialist mental health triage and assessment across various settings.
• Offer clinical support and advice to emergency service professionals.
• Coordinate seamless, integrated responses addressing both mental and physical health needs.
• Participate in service development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Supervise and support team members, promoting a culture of continuous learning and excellence.
• Contribute to our 24/7 service delivery, including shift work covering days, nights, and weekends.

If you are considering relocating to the region, we can offer up to £8,000 relocation expenses (subject to terms and conditions).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Result Areas 1. Under the direction of the Team Manager to be responsible for developing and leading an efficient mental health service for a defined population in accordance with commissioned services.

2. To develop and support a service that delivers high quality effective health and social care interventions which lead to positive outcomes for service users and carers.

3. To lead by example, motivating and empowering others and promoting positive attitudes, mutual understanding and collaboration between all services involved in the care process.

4. To support the team manager to ensure staff within the team ensuring effective processes where this is delegated.

5. To proactively work towards continuous service improvement by positively assisting in the planning and development of services. This could include participating in the design and introduction of a new service, communicating effectively with staff about proposed changes and gaining commitment for change.

6. To support the team manager to supervise and authorise decision making on issues requiring statutory intervention including all aspects of initial investigations and necessary follow-up action.

7. To maintain an awareness of complex cases and projects for which allocated staff are responsible and ensure the team manager is appropriately informed regarding cases of particular risk or concern. This role does not include carrying a caseload.

8. To be responsible for the effective management of workload.

9. To support the team manager to manage the performance of all designated specialist practitioners and mental health workers within the team in line with the requirements of care co-ordination so as to ensure that consistent clinical and quality standards are maintained.

10. To ensure close working relationships and protocols with other internal and external services, encouraging their involvement in the planning and provision of the care plan, through effective liaison roles between Trust services and the commissioners.

11. To ensure appropriate compliance with Trust and Local Authority policies in relation to people management activities. These include recruitment and selection activity, effective sickness and attendance management and the application of standards in relation to conduct and performance at work as well as undertaking regular practice and management supervision.

12. Where indicated, to be responsible for ensuring ongoing completion of staff appraisals and that all team members have a development plan linked to the KSF.

13. To provide and ensure an effective learning environment for student placements across all professions.

14. To maintain a skill mix within the team which provides effective agreed services which can respond to statutory requirements, in line with relevant professional guidance and norms established by the Trust.

15. To support the team manager to manage the performance of the team as measured by key performance indicators defined nationally and locally, and set out in the SBU Balanced Scorecard covering both health and social care parameters.

16. To undertake investigations into complaints from service users and carers, untoward incidents and staffing matters, preparing reports as needed and working in partnership with others to meet required deadlines.

17. To be responsible for ensuring health and safety and other relevant risk assessments are undertaken, delegating responsibility as appropriate. This includes infection control.

18. To ensure appropriate systems are in place at team level to engage in integrated governance activity.

19. To engage with and contribute to relevant SBU and corporate management and governance forums.

20. To ensure the complete and accurate recording of all clinical and performance data on relevant paper and electronic systems (eg Rio, MHIS, CAST, CAD).

21. To ensure that case records and data are collected within approved policies and that data held on computer systems are accurate, so as to enable planning and monitoring of services.

22. To support the team manager to be responsible for ensuring compliance with defined quality standards such as CQC, CNST and Standards for Better Health, identifying responsibility within the team for key roles including infection control and emergency planning.

23. To support the team manager to be responsible for maintaining up to date evidence of quality and safety outcomes and providing these as required for inspection.

24. Dependant on the team location, to ensure relevant contributions are made by the team to the effective management of Trust estate and facilities.

25. Demonstrate responsibility for developing own practice in line with professional qualifications and for the development of others, both practitioners, and those in training by making use of and providing, effective feedback, coaching and appraisal.