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Job summary

Main area
Home Treatment Team
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-BAY589-LW-B
Employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Garburn House
Town
Kendal
Salary
£35,392 - £42,618 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/05/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust logo

Mental Health Practitioner

Band 6

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trust, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:

  • Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
  • Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
  • Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, Psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.

For more information about  Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 6 mental health practitioner to work in the Home Treatment Team in Kendal.

The Home Treatment Team cares for people who are experiencing acute episodes of mental illness or emotional distress. The service is an alternative to admission and offers intensive support to service users and their families in the community.

The service works closely with the in-patient wards to support early discharges and with other parts of the mental health services as well as third sector providers, so great communication skills are essential.

The post is a full-time, permanent post covering the service over 7 days per week working long days and nights. The team covers Kendal and surrounding areas.

As a member of the team you would be working with a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Mental Health Nurses; Support Workers; Occupational Therapist; Psychologist and Consultant Psychiatrist. 

Main duties of the job

You will provide a comprehensive assessment and triage service and, where necessary signposting or clear onward facilitation to a mental health pathway. Your referrers will include GPs, Police and Acute Hospital colleagues, self-referrals and referrals from carers. Service users will be triaged collaboratively and a decision will be made in consultation with the referrer and with the use of a clinical tool, the response time required.

This comprehensive, collaborative triage system will lead to comprehensive assessment clear onward facilitation of service users to the most appropriate care following assessment.

The post holder will provide evidence based mental health assessments and/or signposting to alternative service provision for people who present requiring a specialist urgent mental health assessment. The post holder may offer follow-up appointments within the agreed timescale for intervention as part of the on-going assessment process.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Social worker / Occupational therapist

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Able to understand the difference between crisis planning and contingency planning and able to formulate explicit planning in these areas
  • Knowledge, understanding and experience of the care pathways for psychosis and non psychosis and relevant interventions
  • Understanding of how physical illness and substance misuse can affect the mental health of individuals •Knowledge of Safeguarding procedures, Criminal Justice procedures, Mental Health legislation, guidance and processes,
  • Knowledge of recovery models and promoting independence

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Assertiveness skills in relation to bed management
  • Able to work autonomously within the community
  • Ability and skills in undertaking robust psycho social urgent assessments of mental health service user needs
  • Complete risk assessments which reflect the risk a service user may pose. Transfer the risk assessment into robust risk management planning.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Victoria Byram
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01539 715013
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