Community Practitioner

Job overview

The Assessment & Liaison Team provides a service for people aged 18-65 who live in the Borough of Croydon.  We are a short-term service who provides mental health assessment to service users who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties within the community.  We also provide advice on the best treatment and care options available on mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, or personality disorder.

We work with a team of health and social care professionals including nurses, doctors, social workers and psychologists. We also work closely with service users, their carers, local organisations and GPs.

The Croydon Assessment and Liaison team is made up of three teams (North, South, and Central) and is situated at Jeanette Wallace House, Croydon. The team generally works with individuals for up to 12 weeks providing a holistic package of care in collaboration with local care networks.

Main duties of the job

To provide assessment and planning of care to a group of service users within Croydon Assessment and Liaison team. Ensuring records associated with this process are maintained.

To work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and across other agencies.

To provide a high quality of care to individuals with complex bio psychosocial needs.

The post holder will carry out procedures to a standard that ensures safe and effective care, and complies with their relevant professional code of conduct.

To provide supervision to junior staff and students

To support the team leader and act up as team leader in their absence

We are looking for a motivated and dynamic Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Occupational Therapist or Social Worker to be part of our front-line team.  You will work with senior nurse practitioners within a GP clustered team delivering an enhanced liaison approach using an engagement and stabilisation model.

This involves liaising with primary care, completing baseline mental health assessments, crisis management supporting individuals to identify and understand their mental health difficulties and working out a joint treatment plan that will support them through the 12 weeks process, getting them the right treatment and care as soon as possible.

Excellent assessment skills are essential including an interest in working with mood anxiety and personality service users within a highly skilled team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please attached JD and person specification

*Please note that professional registration (either RMN, Social work or Occupational Therapy) is one of the essential requirements for this post.

Applicants who do not hold the relevant professional registration will not be shortlisted.