Acute Referral Centre (ARC) Practitioner

Transformationunitgm; London; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in London seeks an ARC Practitioner to join their Acute Referral Centre. The role involves triaging mental health referrals, providing clinical supervision, and working collaboratively with multi-professional teams to ensure effective patient care. Candidates should be registered mental health professionals with experience in acute services.

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, or Occupational Health Therapist.
• Experience in acute services and reflective practice.
• Knowledge of relevant Professional and Clinical legislation.

Responsibilities

• Triage and evaluate referrals with mental health diagnoses.
• Ensure thorough risk assessment of all service users.
• Provide clinical supervision and leadership within the referral centre.

Skills

Triage

Communication

Problem Solving

Advocacy

Resilience

Education

Registered Mental Health Nurse

Master’s Degree or Post-Graduate study

Job description

Main area Southwark Directorate Grade NHS AfC:: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Long Day: 08:00-21:15, night shift: 21:00-08:30) Job ref 334-NUR-7079108-LF

Employer South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Maudsley Hospital Town London Salary £44,806 - £53,134 per annum inclusive of HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 03/06/2025 23:59 Interview date 13/06/2025

NHS AfC:: Band 6

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role.We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

The Acute Referral Centre (ARC) operates 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. It is the Trusts central point of contact for crisis referrals. All referrals are triaged in ARC to ensure robust gatekeeping. ARC works closely with the borough-based Home Treatment Teams (HTT), Assessment and Liaison services, Community Treatment Teams, acute trusts, Crisis Assessment Team (CAT), London Ambulance Service (LAS) and the Police.

ARC Practitioners are experienced mental health professional (Nurse, OT or Social Worker) who will undertake triage assessments and when required face to face rapid assessments alongside London Ambulance and the Metropolitan Police.

The post holder will be able to demonstrate critical thinking in the clinical decision-making process. They will work with the multi-professional team to meet the needs of the service users and provide clinical professional supervision and leadership to the clinical team working within the referral centre.

The post holder must be able to work shift pattern which are, Early’s, Lates, long days and nights.

Main duties of the job

Clinical

· To triage, evaluate and identify the most effective intervention for referrals which present with mental health diagnoses and any co morbid conditions.

· To ensure thorough risk assessment of all service users in line with policy standards

· To be available to advise on the most complex and high-risk cases and be available to assess patients face to face where required.

· Making the right decision including referring patients for Home Treatment Assessments as required.

· To operate within the legal requirements of the Mental Health Act.

· Assess and escalate the need to refer service users presenting with physical health conditions to borough Matrons to ensure safe admission with appropriate support required.

· Communicates the patient’s health status using appropriate terminology, format, and technology.

· Use expert communication skills to provide accurate information to professionals, service users and their families and carers in a sensitive and professional manner.

· Use and demonstrate sensitive communication strategies to ensure that service users are fully informed and consent to care/ treatment.

· Act as an advocate for service users.

· Responsible for clear handover of referrals to the wards.

· Have a good understanding of the Trusted Assessor Framework.

· Have a good understanding of the NHS Who Pays’ Guidance, and COMPACT agreement.

Working for our organisation

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

ARC Practitioners are responsible for triaging all referrals and identfying the most effective intervention for referrals which present with mental health diagnoses and any co morbid conditions.

The post holder will be able to demonstrate critical thinking in the clinical decision-making process. They will work with the multi-professional team to meet the needs of the service users and provide clinical professional supervision and leadership to the clinical team working within the referral centre

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered Mental Health Nurse and/Social Worker/ Occupational Health Therapist
• Master’s Degree or Post-Graduate study

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of research-based/reflective practice, e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence based practice
• Experience in working in acute services, Home Treatment team, Bed management, or Psych Liaisonence.
• Experience as a preceptor / mentor
• Knowledge of relevant Professional and Clinical legislation
• To be knowledgeable around Safeguarding.
• Monitoring of safe practice and take a lead on fact-finding investigations
• Experience of engaging / supporting clinical research projects
• Experience in working with students and knowledge of preceptorship.

Skills

• Triage and evaluate the most effective intervention for referrals which present with mental health diagnoses and any co morbid conditions
• Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations and advise on most complex high risk referrals.
• Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
• Advocates for all individuals, particularly those with protected characteristics; promotes equality and diversity
• Good communication skills, provide accurate information to professionals, service users and their families and carers in a sensitive and professional manner.
• Problem solving, ability to identify problems, review options and take appropriate action without a predetermined framework

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe’

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.