Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

Integrated Care System; Halifax; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An Integrated Care System in Halifax is seeking a Mental Health Liaison Practitioner to provide comprehensive mental health assessments and interventions in hospital settings. The ideal candidate will work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team, ensuring high-quality patient care while collaborating with other healthcare professionals. We welcome applications from individuals with an RMN qualification or equivalent experience, who have strong communication skills and a passion for improving patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience at Band 5/equivalent or above.
• Management of resources and experience in both inpatient and community settings.
• Good written/oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Complete biopsychosocial assessments of service users presenting with a mental health need.
• Provide regular clinical advice and support to acute hospital staff.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings and supervision.

Skills

Communication Skills

Risk Assessment

Autonomy

Teamwork

Education

RMN current registration

Dip. Social Work or OT

Job description

Go back South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

The closing date is 05 August 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Band 6Practitioner (RMN, OT, Social worker) into the Mental Health Liaison Team.

The Mental Health Liaison Team provides assessment andintervention to service users within the general hospital setting includingA&E. We cover both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield RoyalInfirmary.

We are an all-age, 24/7 service therefore it isessential that candidates are able to work shifts including nights, weekendsand bank holidays.

You will be expected to complete skilled comprehensivemental health assessments of individuals and develop and formulate appropriateplans for discharge and further care.

The role of the Mental Health Liaison Practitioner isdynamic and we are looking for someone who is adaptable and able to work wellunder pressure within a busy environment.

There is an expectation that you will be able to workautonomously as well as part of the wider MDT.

Candidates should possess excellent communication skillsand have prior experience in risk assessment.

You will be working within a well-established team thathas an ongoing commitment to providing high quality patient care. We are alsocommitted to the ongoing professional development of staff and you will haveaccess to regular supervision and opportunities for further learning.

Informal enquires are welcome.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for completing biopsychosocial assessments ofservice users who are presenting with a mental health need within the generalhospital. This may be in A&E or on an inpatient ward. You will be expectedto complete an accurate and detailed risk assessment and formulate a plan fordischarge or further intervention. This will all then be documented on theappropriate systems.

You will provide regular clinical advice, support and guidance to thestaff within the acute hospital on the management of patients with mentalhealth needs.

You will regularly attend and contribute to MDT meetings.

You will regularly support students within the team and act as practicesupervisor/assessor.

You will contribute to a high standard of clinical care being delivered,ensuring that we are compliant with our response times.

You will liaise regularly with other agencies regarding patient care andoutcomes. This includes services within the trust and also externalagencies.

You will have access to regular supervision and further learning anddevelopment opportunities.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to befully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet theminimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates towork in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

About us

Weare a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental healthand learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale,Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and arethe lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission isto help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do thisby providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employstaff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make adifference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourageand welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we valuediversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Beinga foundation Trust means were accountable to ourmembers, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people(including staff) are members of our Trust.

Joinus and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improvingthe mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet andhelp each year.

Weare committedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people andvulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share thiscommitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

For full job description, please see attached supportingdocuments.

JOB SUMMARY

To provide a psychiatric liaison service into Calderdale andHuddersfield Foundation Trust sites which will provide assessment, support,advice and training. To provide highly developed and skilled assessment,screening and interventions for a wide variety of Service Users in Acute Trustsettings and to signpost and broker Service Users toward relevant andappropriate resources to meet their needs.To be a part of the 24 hour staff rota in order to ensure the service isaccessible at all times, referrals are received and screened promptly and faceto face assessment are undertaken within1 hour of referral where urgent. To participate in the provision of staffsupervision and professional development.

Thisjob description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertakeother duties commensurate with the grade as directed.

The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with thepostholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Professional

Maintaina continuing knowledge of current good practice and other professional matters.

Maintain personal NMC registration orequivalent and ensure adherence to statutory codes of practice.

To undertake assessments in Acute Trustsettings both independently or within a multi-interdisciplinary framework inrespect of service users presenting with mental health problems and/orself-harming behaviours.

Together with the Team Manager haveinvolvement in initiatives related to further development of the RAID team.

To be actively involved in the clinicalsupervision and professional development review process.

Contribute to the provision ofinformation and involvement in changes to working practices in respect of suchinformation.

Interpreting complex facts in order topromote a range of options for service users at the point of referral andassessment by the team.

Provideprofessional advice to team members and others as appropriate.

Ensure that policies, guidelines andpractices in the safe custody, administration and recording of drugs areimplemented to comply with all legal requirements and are of a high standard.

To be involved in clinical team meetingsand multi-disciplinary care plan reviews in order to develop and implementindividual care pathways.

Involvementin quality circle groups where appropriate.

Act as an advisor to outside agenciessuch as police, probation, housing etc. and provide specialist advice aroundthe RAID service and mental health issues.

Ensure that an evidence based practiceapproach is utilised in order to meet service user and service needs.

Provide, along with other team members,24 hour cover for the RAID service.

To dispense, where appropriate,prescribed medications via agreed routes.

Maintain own personal safety and thesafety of others within the acute care settings inclusive of lone workingpolicies and initiatives.

Toparticipate in the ethos of a family friendly, flexible working environment.

Whererequired to participate in the selection and recruitment process.

Involvementin the induction and orientation of students and new staff members.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicantsare using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job applicationforms.Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms isstrongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process beforeselecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI toenhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs applicationform.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience at Band 5/equivalent or above. Management of resources.
• High degree of experience with service users, relatives, carers and other statutory and non-statutory organisations. Current or recent experience in either an acute inpatient or community setting. Involvement with staff supervision and professional development process.
• Audit.
• Research awareness/training.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Special Knowledge & Skills

• High degree of understanding in respect of modern mental health issues and developments.
• Fully conversant with local, national and trust wide polices, procedures and protocols.
• Knowledge of medications and medication management in respect of modern therapeutic management. Knowledge of the criminal justice system pertaining to mental health.
• Conversant with the MHA, child protection and other related acts. To have been involved in the supervision of others.
• Skilled in therapeutic assessment related to risk and risk management.
• Good written/oral communication skills. Formulation of complex care plans.
• Multi-disciplinary working, working within a team and ability to work independently.
• Management of junior staff.
• Audit.
• Research awareness/training.
• Crisis services experience.
• Brief focuses solution based therapy.

Personal Attributes

• Fit to perform as outlined in the job description.
• Reliability, enthusiasm, motivation, flexible resourcefulness, adaptable.
• A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
• Autonomy.
• Diplomacy.
• Good team worker.

Qualifications

• RMN current registration, Dip. Social Work, OT.
• ASW.
• PSI Post Graduated Counselling.
• Post Graduate Counselling.

Training

• Crisis Intervention Skills.
• PSI.
• Brief Focused Therapies.
• Leadership.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust