Mental Health Practitioner - Perinatal Team

Job overview

Mental Health Practitioner

Dudley and Sandwell Perinatal Mental Health Team

Base: Bushey Fields Hospital, Dudley

2 x WTE posts

1 x 0.4 WTE post

The Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner will work as a member of the wider Perinatal Mental Health Service, providing specialist support to women during the antenatal period and up to two years postnatally. The practitioner will manage a defined caseload of women experiencing moderate to severe perinatal mental health difficulties, including those with pre-existing severe mental health disorders, with the aim of promoting maternal wellbeing, strengthening the parent-infant relationship, and reducing risk during this significant period.

The post holder will undertake comprehensive, holistic community-based assessments across a range of settings, developing and delivering person-centred care plans with a strong emphasis on the parent-infant relationship, safeguarding, and collaborative multidisciplinary working.

The post holder must hold a full driving licence and have permanent access to own transport and have appropriate insurance.

Main duties of the job

Acting as a key member of the multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will provide assessment, psychosocial, evidence based interventions using a collaborative, recovery approach and will be skilled at proactive and positive risk management. In addition the practitioner will be expected to offer both support and advice to partners and relatives and to work in an integrated manner with key partner organisations and professionals.  The post holder will be required to provide consultative advice to other agencies and to participate in delivering training and development for other professionals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder:

• To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality perinatal service.

• Will act as an independent practitioner within the community setting, while liaising with other professionals as necessary.
• Will ensure that each assessment is conducted collaboratively in consultation with the woman and her partner/carer, where available, and the assessment will be informed by the wider MDT involved, including midwifery and health visiting.
• Will take on the role of care coordinator and manage  a defined caseload of women
• Will provide supervision to others as appropriate and provide cross cover for colleagues as required.
• Will be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care within agreed parameters, and have a working knowledge of local, national policies and legislation, which govern current service provision and audit.
• Will be responsible for ensuring effective communication pathways exist.
• Will be responsible for ensuring the promotion of equality, diversity and rights in accordance with good practice and legislation.
• Will be responsible for identifying and contributing to the training needs necessary in providing quality evidence based care as appropriate.
• In response to capacity and demand issues, covering of clinical areas and meeting contractual requirements, post holders will be expected to work flexibly across all Black Country Locality areas as required. This will be to support service delivery and safety as directed by senior service managers.

CLINICAL

• To be responsible for clinical triage of women who access the service during pregnancy and in the first year postnatal and decide on the most appropriate care required.
• To be responsible for the assessment, planning implementation and evaluation of the evidence based care required, including health promotion for women and their infants.
• Responsible for the appropriate clinical risk assessment of women, their infants and unborn children, providing an effective advice, guidance and decision-making process culminating in the coordination of any reviewed plan of care.
• Responsible for the case conference/reviews and discharge planning in collaboration with members of the multi-disciplinary team and wider/partner organisations.
• Responsible for coordinating the care and assessment under the Care Programme Approach or Care Support of a designated caseload
• Responsible for participating in the development of the service, setting of quality standards, including the auditing, monitoring and reviewing in line with current clinical guidance practice and policy.
• Responsible for ensuring the post holder understands and meets their professional responsibilities under the child protection legislation.
• Responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Mental Health Act 1983 are observed, adhered to and implemented.
• Responsible for the promotion of the involvement of experts by experience within the service and for its provision.
• Responsible for establishing therapeutic relationships with women, and the implementation of evidence-based therapeutic interventions with appropriate boundaries in accordance with post-holders’ professional code of conduct
• Responsible for deputising and providing appropriate support and caseload coverage for colleagues/team members.
• Ensuring that the principles for continuity of care are maintained and that appropriate plans are made for a woman’s transfer/discharge from the clinical team in line with Trust Policy requirements and CPA.

PROFESSIONAL

• Responsible for participation in the Trust appraisal process, and take a lead in identifying own mandatory professional, supervisory, personal development and training needs.
• Responsible for ensuring that the post holder accesses and participates in clinical supervision.
• Responsible for the safe custody and administration of medicines, where applicable.
• To participate and contribute appropriately in research, service modernisation, clinical governance and the National Service Framework.
• To ensure that the agreed philosophy approach is adopted and followed, whilst respecting and valuing the different therapeutic approaches available within the multi-disciplinary team
• Responsible for ensuring confidentiality is maintained at all times in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (2018), Trust policy and good practice.
• Responsible for maintaining and conducting oneself in a professional manner towards women, their infants and family, carers, colleagues and other agencies.
• Participate in joint working with appropriate experts/agencies.

EDUCATION

• Responsible for the provision of formal and informal training of pre/post registration students, staff members and women accessing the service.
• Responsible for developing and providing formal and informal training on Perinatal Mental Health to statutory and non-statutory services.
• Responsible for the provision of staff induction, mentorship and clinical supervision to professional colleagues as appropriate.

ORGANISATIONAL

• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they contribute and work towards the service/organisational aims and objectives.
• The post holder as an individual is required to understand their responsibility for respecting and promoting issues of equality diversity and rights in accordance with good practice and legislation.
• Responsible for reading, understanding and complying with all relevant trust and statutory policies and procedures.

COMMUNICATION

• The post holder is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely written records are kept which comply with the Trust policy and relevant professional bodies’ guidance, reporting on any issues as appropriate.
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring they comply with current good practice in informing/updating all members of the multi-disciplinary team, their colleagues, women and appropriate others of changes involving current nursing care plans, progress, mental state and psychosocial factors in line with best practice.
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they clearly communicate with women, actively listen to establish an understanding of the needs of the service user.

MANAGERIAL

• Responsible for the effective utilisation of nursing/financial resources to ensure adequate clinical care is provided with a requirement that all incidents, which may compromise care, are reported immediately to a senior manager, and clinicians involved in their care as appropriate.
• To make decisions and work within a framework commensurate with their level of knowledge and competence and to act accordingly within their sphere of responsibility.
• Responsible for ensuring that appropriate safeguards and practices are adopted when working autonomously with clients independently.
• Responsible for direct line management and supervision of junior colleagues where required
• Responsible for delegated managerial and administrative duties, to ensure business continuity in the absence of the team manager.