Mental Health Practitioner - HMP Downview

Job overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.

In our quest to deliver patient-focused quality care we are looking to recruit highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Mental Health Practitioner to join our forward thinking, friendly and expanding Health & Justice team at HMP Downview. By joining our Prisons Health Care Team, you will not only look after the healthcare needs of our patients residing in secure environments, but who also have the opportunity to have a real impact on promoting health and well-being.

Our motto is “Caring NOT Judging” so by working in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable and high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended and those at risk of offending in the communities we serve, to improve their health status and to encourage social inclusion.

Why not see what our staff say about working within our award winning teams: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/health-and-justice/find-out-what-its-work-health-and-justice

Main duties of the job

• To function fully within the Mental Health In-reach Team, assessing and treating patients through their journey in prison.
• To accept referrals and triage patients with the team.
• To undertake Early Days In Custody (EDIC) assessments. To ensure all new arrivals to receive a brief assessment of individual presentation and need, referring patients on to other services (GP, SMS, chaplaincy, psychology etc) and book further assessment if indicated.
• To participant in Care and Separation (Segregation) Unit (CSU) rounds with a GP and primary care nurse.
• To undertake comprehensive assessments alone or with colleagues and feedback to the Multi-disciplinary Team, ensuring that planned care is individual and appropriate to the needs of the patient.
• To provide effective case management to a defined caseload in accordance with the Care Programme Approach, in conjunction with the team, appropriate prison departments and external health, social care and probation services.
• To ensure effective pre-release care planning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Quality of Care

• Promote the health and well-being of patients and maintain a safe, caring and therapeutic environment based on an individualised approach.
• Working with the Team Leader to provide an environment that promotes training and development among the workforce.
• To work under the direction of the Team Manager and staff in the service to ensure that clinical priorities are clearly understood and met to an agreed standard.
• To assess health and social care needs and negotiate care plans with Patients and staff teams.
• To undertake risk assessments including the formulation of a comprehensive plans developed jointly with the Patients and staff teams.
• To work within the Prison Service safer custody framework for managing Suicide and self harm (ACCT procedures) to support Patients requiring this.
• To provide a service sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity and gender, sexuality and disability.
• To contribute to the effective multi-disciplinary team working within the team and the rest of the Prison.
• To carry out duties in accordance with Prison / NOMS policies.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of individuals: to include all areas of need and information gathering from all relevant Prison Departments and external agencies.
• To case manage an identified caseload of clients, in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team and relevant agencies and carers. To include the planning and implementation of effective care plans, regular review meetings, timely referral to external agencies, within the framework of the CPA, to ensure effective pre-release and discharge planning.
• To communicate effectively with all relevant internal departments and external agencies regarding clients, within the restrictions of a prison environment.
• To work closely with the MDT and identify and facilitate an effective range of therapeutic interventions for this particular client group.
• To respond to urgent referrals and to assess whether input from the team is indicated/appropriate.
• To offer a range of evidence based interventions and proactive risk management approaches to help the service user and their family to reduce and manage symptoms, high risk behaviour and other disabling effects of their conditions and enable, as far as possible, full and sustained recovery.
• To ensure that safeguarding procedures are followed.
• To monitor treatment, support concordance and ensure prompt action is taken to alleviate unwanted effects.
• To provide advice and information to Patients about their care.
• To provide access to and ongoing psycho-education regarding the various mental health conditions to Patients.
• To provide interventions and work with other disciplines/agencies/teams in the care of service users experiencing co-morbid problems with substance use/misuse.
• Provide written reports and discharge summaries as required.
• Co-ordinate CPA Review meetings and produce written care plans and circulate care plan to relevant people and agencies in accordance with the Trust policies and guidelines.
• To have a working knowledge of the MHA 1983 (Amendment 2007) as used within criminal justice settings.
• To safely plan Patient care back out into the community from Prison, or transferring to alternative prison establishments ensuring continuity of care is provided.
• The post holder where possible will, under the direction of the Team Manager and the MDT, ensure that the service is delivered to patients inclusively and effectively.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.