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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health Practitioner
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Multiple permanent full time and fixed term posts available (12 months)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-BAY548-CL-F
Employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
The Bay IRS
Town
Lancaster
Salary
£35,392 - £42,618 pa pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/05/2024 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

Multiple Permanent Full Time and Fixed Term posts available

The Initial Response Service (IRS) launched in the Bay in 2023 and since then it has consistently demonstrated itself to be an integral part of secondary mental health services; we’ve improved access to mental health services for individuals who need it, whilst reducing demands on care and treatment delivery services. In the most recent CQC report, the IRS was identified as a source of positive change in how mental health services are delivered in Lancashire and South Cumbria

Forget caseloads and case management. In the IRS your skills and expertise will be in assessing patients at the point of referral and identifying what service will best meet their needs moving forwards. The spectrum of mental health needs vary significantly; you will have the ability to offer advice and guidance for mild to moderate mental health issues and ways this can be managed and improved. Equally, you’ll have the ability respond to urgent referrals with more acute needs and higher risks in the community.

If you require more details about the role or an informal chat please contact us on the details provided

Main duties of the job

  • Ability to use your skills to triage and assess individuals with varying degrees of mental health difficulties over the phone and/or face to face in the community.
  • Identify community services that are most appropriate for presenting need (third sector, CMHT, HBTT, and Talking Therapies).
  • Act as shift lead, screening referrals and prioritising them based on your clinical judgment of risk and need.
  • Working alongside the police to support patients and implement care when they are at risk of being held under s.136 of the MHA.
  • Fast paced environment and supportive developing team.

We want to hear from practitioners who are experienced in the field of mental health, and its care and treatment pathways (including third sector service). We need confident practitioners with an ability to assess risk and respond to it appropriately in a fast paced environment.

Fancy the challenge? IRS for the Bay have multiple roles available in the team so come along and join the team.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Core Mental Health Professional Qualification (e.g. RMN/Dip SW/OT)

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • In-depth knowledge of mental health problems
  • In-depth knowledge of issues that impact upon people with mental health problems
  • Detailed knowledge of the impact of risk and protective factors that affect people with mental health problems

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of post qualification clinical work with service users experiencing a range of mental health problems
  • Experience of delivering evidence based interventions in a time-limited framework
  • Evidence of assessment across a broad range of mental health problems

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to assess service users’ presenting problems and needs, quickly and accurately, under pressure.
  • Ability to determine the most appropriate course of action from a range of available options.
  • Ability to communicate clearly the outcomes of assessment, verbally and in writing.

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
Darren Wilkinson
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
08000130710
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