Job overview

The Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended in 2007) is an Act of Parliament which covers the reception, care and treatment of people who suffer from mental disorders, the management of their property and other related matters. In particular, it provides the legislation by which people diagnosed with a mental disorder can be detained to hospital and have their disorder assessed or treated.  

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and flexible clerk to join the Trust Mental Health Law Team based in the Cambridge locality (Fulbourn Hospital).

The Mental Health Act Clerk will work as part of the wider Mental Health Law Team and support the Mental Health Act Administrator to ensure that the administrative processes of the Act are adhered to by all staff in compliance with the requirements of the law and in line with Trust policies and procedures. 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to assist in providing the day-to-day administration of the Mental Health Act (MHA) and to ensure that the Trust’s MHA administration procedures are adhered to.

Under the supervision of the Mental Health Act Administrator, the post holder will be required to assist in processing patient section papers from receipt to admission and discharge, liaising with a diverse group of important contacts in a sensitive and professional manner, book and coordinate the arrangements for MHA Tribunals and internal Appeal Hearings, assisting in auditing and monitoring the use of the Act and dealing with highly confidential information.

 To post holder must be good team player with excellent time management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities to meet the Act’s legislative and procedural requirement whilst showing excellent attention to detail.

 You will also have excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate effectively at all levels and escalate concerns when required. The post holder will be required to have excellent keyboard skills, proven good working knowledge of all Microsoft packages (Word, Excel and Outlook) and have a good standard of education. Previous experience of working in a similar administrative/customer-orientated environment is essential.

Knowledge and understanding of the MHA would be advantageous, applications from suitable candidates who are willing to undergo training is welcomed.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process. 

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk