Senior Community Practitioner

Job overview

This post is open to experienced RMNs, mental health social workers or OTs who wish to broaden their work experience and further develop their skills and knowledge in the Croydon Assessment and Liaison team.

We provide a service for people aged 18-65, who live in the London Borough of Croydon. We provide advice on the best treatment and care options available to people who have moderate to severe mental illness, such as anxiety, depression or personality disorder. We work with a team of health and social care professionals including nurses, doctors, and social workers. We also work closely with the patients, their carers and GPs.

Main duties of the job

To work as a highly experienced autonomous practitioner carrying out specialist needs assessments, care planning, implementation and evaluation to a significant number of adults referred to the Croydon Assessment and Liaison Team. The Senior Practitioner will assess and formulate a care plan and offer brief interventions (up to 12 weeks) with mental health service users, signpost to other services and discharge to primary care where appropriate/possible and supervise community practitioners. Communications and Working Relationships: Multidisciplinary Team, other borough teams, external agencies and primary care - daily.

The senior practitioner will support the team leader to ensure service delivery (i.e. meeting target measures, managing staff absences, supervision of junior staff) and provide management cover in the team leaders absence.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1) Offering comprehensive, specialist, initial assessments and formulations to service users. To manage the provision of appropriate interventions/treatments to a small case load of service users experiencing transitional mental health problems. To exercise autonomous professional judgement for the assessment, coordination and transfer to the relevant team of a designated caseload. To provide comprehensive ongoing assessment and outcome monitoring of all allocated clients. To participate in the team assessment and duty rota. To liaise closely with crisis services and emergency out of hours services. To provide evidence based care as outlined in NICE guidance.

2) To attend regular clinical and management supervision and appraisal. To provide specialist the teaching and training of mental health professionals and other staff working in the service. To undertake the mentorship of students working in the service.

3) To ensure the maintenance of standards of practice/Codes of Conduct according to the employer and regulating and professional bodies (NMC/HCPC). To ensure client confidentiality is maintained at all times. To attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with manager. To participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives. To maintain accurate and timely written records.

4) To form and maintain effective working relationships with all services in the borough, including Home Treatment, Promoting Recovery, inpatient units and psychiatric liaison teams. Maintain and develop effective primary care liaison/link working with aligned GP practices. To ensure that the views of users and carers are sought and incorporated into all care delivered. To ensure that care is sensitive to a diverse population.

5) To contribute to the development of best practice within the service. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services. To take responsibility for their own health and safety and the health and safety of colleagues, patient and the general public. To deputise in the absence of the clinical lead. To undertake the role of duty senior on a regular basis. To undertake any other duties as appropriate to grade as requested by the Clinical service Lead.

6) All employees are expected to comply with statutory requirements and the Trust's employment policies while carrying out their work. All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the data Protection act (1998) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.

7) This post is one of continual development and the post holder will be encouraged to develop skills and capabilities, including participation in projects and training events. Accordingly, the range of duties and responsibilities outlined above may change from time to time to reflect the changing needs of the organisation.