CEN Practitioner

Job overview

As part of Community Transformation, a Complex Emotional Needs Pathway (CEN) is being developed and aims to improve experiences and outcomes for service users who primarily attract a diagnosis of personality disorder. They present with histories of severe trauma, and secondary diagnoses which add to their complexity and risk.  This is a new and exciting Psychology lead Pathway, and the virtual CEN Team will be fully integrated into the CMHTs, offering ‘WRAP’ around care, boosting the provision to targeted service users. We are looking to recruit 2 new Band 6 CEN Practitioners, to cover the four localities in the Black Country. This is a fantastic opportunity for a registered mental health professional (CPN, OT or Social Worker) who wants to develop their skills and focus their work. The intensity and frequency of contacts will be high and therefore caseloads will be low.  Therefore, you will have the opportunity to really focus on individuals on your caseload and work creatively. In the future you may be asked to contribute to out of hours working to meet the needs of clients, but this would be realistic and done with agreement, but currently working hours are Mon – Friday 9am to 5pm. Ideally we are looking for individuals who have knowledge and experience of working with CENs and whom understand that developing strong trusting relationships with boundaries is very important as well as maintaining and projecting positive and non-stigmatising approaches and attitudes.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for developing high quality, detailed and formulation driven risk management and care plans that have a strong psychological element. Your work will be a combination of engaging with service users themselves and leading and supporting the CEN Recovery Workers. You will liaise tightly with CMHT and medical colleagues to ensure that positive risk management strategies and care plans are carried out. You will be expected to engage in regular supervision and reflective practice of your own and be able to tolerate and work with feedback. You will be supported daily by CEN specific psychologists and CEN Clinical Leads. There will likely be training opportunities in relevant approaches such as Structured Clinical Management, CBT or DBT that are relevant to working with CENs and you would be expected to partake in if required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Work - you will hold a smaller caseload so that you can work more intensively and see your clients more frequently. You will be involved in assessing and clinically supporting your caseload, being as responsive as possible to daily needs that arise. You will develop CEN bespoke and formulation driven care and risk plans under the supervision of your local CEN Clinical Lead. You will ensure plans are carried out through tight liaison and agreement with the wider CMHT.

Team Work - you will be part of a 'virtual' CEN Team, alongside psychologists, CEN Clinical Leads and Recovery Workers whilst also being integrated in two of the CMHTs in your designated locality. You will be required to attend MDTs, in-reach into the hospitals, professionals meetings and case conferences as required.

Training, Reflective Practice and Supervision - you will be required to receive regular supervision and be part of reflective practice within the CEN Pathway. You will also be expected to undertake any training necessary to increase your skills and knowledge base to work more effectively with these clients. You will also have the opportunity to become involved in offering supervision and reflective practice to CMHT colleagues and CEN Recovery Workers.

Professional - You will promote  and work in accordance to the appropriate professional code of conduct and maintain high standards of care for self and other. You will ensure record keeping is in line with required standards for record keeping, in line with professional code of conduct and work in accordance to Trust values.

Please see Job Description for further information