Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

The successful candidates will provide a key gatekeeping service for all inpatient admissions, will offer intensive home treatment as an alternative to inpatient care, facilitate early discharge / leave pathways to support discharge from inpatient services. You will also provide assessment, risk formulation/management and  assessment for all service users. In addition the candidate will provide Crisis  interventions and also be able to plan and deliver care for all service users and  provide supervision for junior colleagues. You will actively participate in the  development of your service and participate in the overall development of the service  ensuring that the principles of Clinical Governance underpin all developments.  It is expected that you will deliver care in accordance with all Pennine Care NHS  Foundation Trust policies and procedures, the Mental Health Act and community care legislation.

Main duties of the job

• To provide gatekeeping service for all inpatient admissions. • To carry out a thorough assessment of the service users’ current health problems and individual needs, including a risk assessment. • To develop individualised packages of care for service users with mental health problems, including signposting where necessary • To provide intensive home treatment in service users home/community settings. • To provide crisis management and short term psychotherapeutic interventions as appropriate. • To develop and provide a supported discharge/leave pathway for inpatients. • To identify the need for protection in line with safeguarding children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adult Policy, and to comply with statutory obligations. • To liaise and negotiate with other professions, statutory and independent agencies, to ensure the best possible service is provided to service users and carers. • To evaluate systematically and record, outcomes of mental health assessments, adapting care on the basis of these outcomes. • To involve family and carers in the assessment and care planning with service users consent. • To provide education and appropriate self-help, suicide and possible management strategies.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Team operates 7 days a week 24hrs a day

The Home Treatment Team works closely with both psychiatric wards at Stepping Hill, the Crisis Flats, Community Mental Heath Teams, adult and children social care, Early Intervention Team, Patient Flow, Hospital Liaison Team.

Staff are expected to participate in the overall development of the service, ensuring that the principles of Clinical Governance underpin all developments.

It is expected that you will deliver care in accordance with all Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust policies and procedures, the Mental Health Act and community care legislation.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• To participate in shift coordinator and Gatekeeping rotation
• To undertake Initial assessments of any new referrals to the service.
• To carry out thorough assessment of service users’ current mental health problems and individual needs, including a risk assessment, care plan and safety plans.
• To develop individualised packages of care for service users with mental health problems, including signposting where necessary.
• To identify the need for protection in line with safeguarding children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adult Policy and to comply with statutory obligations.
• To liaise and negotiate with other professions, statutory and independent agencies to ensure the best possible service is provided to service users and carers and to appropriately signpost to other agencies.
• To assist service users to effectively manage their emotional distress, using psychological evidence-based interventions.
• To promote medication concordance through medication follow-up, where appropriate.
• To evaluate systematically and record, outcomes of mental health interventions, adapting care on the basis of these evaluations.
• To provide education and appropriate self-help resources to patients specific to individual needs.
• To keep and store up to date written records and follow appropriate Pennine Care policies.
• To participate in audit of the primary care mental health service if requested.
• To provide supervision/mentorship to the support workers and students.
• To utilise managerial and clinical supervision to ensure that care and treatment are tailored to service users, family and community needs; that learning needs are identified and acted upon to ensure professional and personal development.
• To work with individuals from diverse backgrounds in a culturally sensitive manner.
• To make and sustain good working relationships with colleagues, peers across all services.
• To attend and participate in regular team meetings, clinical team meetings, reflective practice and MDT's

Please see attached job description and person specification to support your application for this post. Please refer to the essential criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.