Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a staff member to work in the Warrington area, covering several different GP surgeries within the working hours.

Core working hours are 9am-5pm.

This position is for an experienced registered mental health nurse to work in an exciting, innovative post that supports patients to access mental health support via Primary Care. It is vital that candidates have community experience and understand the role.

*This job is only suitable for a NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse.

The core working hours of this role are 9am - 5pm excluding bank holidays.

Applicants will need to confirm they are able to complete these hours and have the means to be able to travel between the different GP surgeries.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will work in the Primary Care setting, offering specialist Mental health assessment to those patients who have moderate to severe mental health conditions. This role allows the practitioner to work across the interface between Primary Care setting and Secondary Care Mental Health Services to provide advice, support, and assessment to patients. This will allow timelier access to services and ensure that the patient gets the right treatment at the right time and will offer the practitioner the environment to work in an autonomous way.

The role aims to improve the experience for our patients with mental health needs to ensure they can transition between services with the best support in place.

The post holder will be an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team, effectively triaging and signposting patients into the right team or service to support them in their needs

The post holder will be supported in their role by a variety of other professionals. This includes Pharmacists, GP’s, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Leads, Non Medical Prescribers and Psychologists – as well as the management team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a safe and effective day to day operation of the service, including the handling of clinical enquiries. The role holder may be required to undertake telephone triage screening assessments to assess the level of risk/priority with that patient, so they can be treated, signposted, or referred on to agencies as appropriate as well as face to face appointments within the GP surgery.

To undertake assessments of individual patient’s difficulties, establishing risk and determining the appropriate course of action, taking into consideration all possible options. The relationship should adopt a ‘partnership approach’, engaging service users in the positive management of their health and wellbeing.

Work with patients to support adherence to prescribed treatments, monitoring mental health medication, taking into consideration any physical health interactions.

To providing short term interventions and support, under the guidance of the GP and ensure that monitoring is well managed, and care and treatment is provided in line with practice standards.

Provide and receive information, some of which may be contentious, sensitive, and complex to and from individuals and their families/carers and actively support as appropriate.

To collate and organise contemporaneous information about opportunities and resources in the local area which may be of benefit to patients referred to the service (e.g., voluntary and community organisations, educational and recreational opportunities). Facilitate ‘sign posting’ to other appropriate services and occasionally undertake very short-term interventions for patients with moderate to severe mental health difficulties.

To evaluate outcomes and maintain accurate clinical data.

Have an awareness of your own clinical competencies, knowledge base and experience and ensure that you practice within this and seek support as required.

Utilise clinical curiosity in assessing and developing treatment plans with patients. Obtaining and focussing on goal based outcomes with patients, using a holistic approach to their care and social circumstances.

To understand and process Quality Outcome Framework data.

Undertake joint assessment work (as required) with PCN colleagues.

Offer advice to or obtain advice for the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going Service User care management.

Ensure systems/ pathways are in place to enable smooth transition between primary care and secondary mental health services.

Regularly be involved in quality improvement activity/audit/significant event review and clinical meetings.

Clinical Partnership

Support the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCN/ secondary mental health care system.

Develop links and foster a culture of ‘partnership’ between Primary Care Teams and Secondary Mental Health Services.

Facilitate joint work with PCN, Secondary Care providers and Voluntary Care Sector (VCS) to increase range of services / interventions available to the communities.

Attend PCN meetings and work with PCN members to develop and implement joint governance and clinical forums.

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.