Band 7 Advance Mental Health Practitioner

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an established healthcare organization dedicated to delivering exceptional mental health services. As an Advance Mental Health Practitioner, you'll play a vital role in addressing the mental health crisis for young individuals in North Central London. This position involves conducting thorough assessments, providing crisis intervention, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the best care for patients. With a commitment to diversity and equality, this role offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in a supportive and innovative environment. If you're passionate about mental health and eager to contribute to a vital service, this position is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Degree in psychology, nursing, or social work with relevant registration.
• Experience in clinical risk assessment with children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments and manage care plans.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for effective care delivery.

Skills

Clinical risk assessment

Therapeutic modalities

Teaching skills

Knowledge of CAMHS policies

Education

Degree-level qualification

Specialist training in child and adolescent mental health

Tools

Patient management systems

Job description

If you want to be part of the Royal Free London team, search our current vacancies below to find the job for you.

Band 7 Advance Mental Health Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Allied Health Professions Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (12:00-24:00) Job ref 391-RFL-6859314-C

Site Royal Free Hospital Town London Salary £54,320 - £60,981 per annum inclusive of HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 23/05/2025 23:59

Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an opportunity for pioneering work, especially in improving patient care.

Our mission is to deliver world-class care and expertise, supported by teaching and research. We measure our progress against objectives like excellent outcomes, patient and staff experience, value for money, safety, and organizational strength.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We promote diversity and equality initiatives for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers, and those with disabilities or lived experiences.

This position addresses the mental health crisis needs of the North Central London (NCL) population, focusing on those under 18 presenting to A&E, pediatric wards, Crisis Hubs, and CAMHS clinicians.

The post involves contributing to a 7-day crisis service for children and young people with mental health issues, operating from 12:00 noon to midnight, with potential extension to 24 hours, including weekends and bank holidays.

Working autonomously within professional guidelines and the CAMHS framework, the post holder will undertake therapeutic tasks individually and with the multidisciplinary NCL CAMHS Crisis Team, including:

• Assessing self-harm cases in A&E or pediatric wards, providing crisis support and consultation.
• Triage in A&E to identify mental health concerns requiring assessment.
• Providing training to A&E and pediatric ward staff.
• Offering operational management and clinical supervision to band 6 practitioners as needed.

Main duties of the job

Crisis and Liaison Intervention Service

• Initial mental health and risk assessments for young people post-self-harm, mainly in A&E, Crisis Hubs, and wards, using biopsychosocial assessments.
• Assessing risky behaviors and urgent mental health presentations in A&E and hubs.
• Consulting with Tier 3 CAMHS teams for specialist assessments.
• Following assessment protocols and documenting in electronic patient records.
• Responding to child protection issues per safeguarding guidelines.
• Training mental health leads and staff in relevant settings.

Working for our organization

Our trust employs around 10,000 staff serving 1.6 million patients across multiple hospitals and community services. We aim to deliver outstanding care, supported by research and teaching, aligned with our core objectives.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to equality for all staff groups and individuals with lived experiences.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Crisis and Liaison Intervention Service

• Conduct comprehensive mental health and risk assessments, informing care plans.
• Manage assessments for urgent presentations, following protocols and documentation standards.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external agencies for care planning.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and ensure confidentiality.

Administration

• Maintain clinical notes, prepare reports, and complete documentation on the electronic system.
• Record contact statistics and attend team meetings and supervision sessions.

Training and Development

• Participate in mandatory and ongoing professional development.
• Engage in annual appraisals and personal development planning.

Service Development

• Contribute to developing and evaluating the crisis service, including activity analysis and service planning.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification and registration with a relevant professional body (e.g., psychology, nursing, social work).
• Specialist training in child and adolescent mental health and safeguarding.
• Training in therapeutic modalities.

Experience

• Clinical risk assessment and treatment experience with children and young people across care settings.
• Experience working in CAMHS, including high-risk assessments and multidisciplinary teamwork.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of therapeutic models (e.g., CBT, systemic).
• Teaching skills and ability to handle emotive situations.
• Awareness of current CAMHS policies and guidelines.
• Good computer skills and knowledge of patient management systems.

Getting vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 is encouraged. We support staff vaccination efforts.