Community Mental Health Practitioner

Livewell Southwest; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health service in Plymouth seeks a registered mental health practitioner to join their Home Treatment Team. The role involves conducting biopsychosocial assessments, triaging referrals, and providing urgent mental health support. Candidates need to demonstrate strong clinical skills and experience in crisis management. Flexible hours available, with an emphasis on supporting individuals at home during mental health crises.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Continuous professional development opportunities

Supportive organizational culture

Qualifications

• Registered mental health practitioner with experience in crisis support.
• Ability to conduct biopsychosocial assessments.
• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health legislation.

Responsibilities

• Triage referrals for the Home Treatment Team.
• Conduct urgent mental health assessments.
• Provide clinical decision-making and support.

Skills

Clinical Risk Assessment

Communication skills

Military Veterans experience

Mental health assessment

Education

RMN/Dip HE/BSc Mental Health Nursing NMC Registration

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

SystmOne

Job description

Up to 37.5 hours per week but part time hours also available. Plymouth Home Treatment team are seeking a registered mental health practitioner.

We will particularly welcome applications from people with older adult experience (including dementia), acute mental health experience, or from other health sectors where transferable skills can be demonstrated.

The postholder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team taking referrals, conducting biopsychosocial assessments and providing treatment interventions for patients 18 and over who are experiencing mental health crisis. This includes managing and administering medication and ensuring physical checks are routinely conducted. Good risk assessment and formulation are both vital. Some autonomous working may be required at times. High quality communication skills are essential. Home Treatment has been established in Plymouth for over 20 years and is a 24/7 service. The purpose is both to prevent unnecessary admissions and facilitate early or prompt discharges from Livewell\'s inpatient functional wards.

We are now looking to recruit an exceptional mental health practitioner (from any eligible professional background) to join our growing team. We are very interested in hearing from you if you have a commitment to supporting people to remain at home during their illness along with a positive can-do attitude.

Main duties of the job

• Typically 3 twelve hour shifts per week with an occasional shorter shift to make up hours. However different/part time working patterns and flexi-working arrangements are available. Please contact us and chat about it.
• To receive and triage referrals for those presenting in a mental health crisis
• To be part of a multi-disciplinary team approach responding to individuals requiring a same day response or signposting due to a mental health crisis
• To provide skilled telephone advice to referrers and patients and carers
• To provide skilled telephone-based support to help contain a crisis and avoid further escalation of an issue
• To offer an urgent mental health assessment in a location most convenient/appropriate for the patient; this may be in their home, GP surgery or Emergency Department.
• Identify the most appropriate intervention required for patient, with an emphasis on positive risk management, and refer as necessary.
• This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
• Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
• All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees\' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will be expected to be able to make clear clinical decisions based on the analysis of often complex presenting difficulties; this can include being the decision maker in terms of the onward care plan for patients experiencing crisis mental health needs.

To receive and triage referrals for the Home Treatment Team.

Undertake holistic and comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment of patients referred to the service.

Utilise a range of highly specialised clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical/ home setting in which they are seen

Ability to match patient need with available skills and resources.

Work closely with peer support workers and volunteers to enhance patient experience.

Provide a consultation-liaison service to clinicians and clinical teams referring to the home treatment team. This will include giving specialist advice on care, treatment and patients management issues.

To be part of a multi-disciplinary team approach responding to individuals requiring a same day response or signposting due to a mental health crisis

To provide skilled telephone advice to referrers, patients, and carers.

To provide skilled telephone-based support to help contain a crisis and avoid further escalation of an issue

To offer an urgent mental health assessment in a location most convenient/appropriate for the patient; this may be in their home, GP surgery or Emergency Department.

To provide MH assessment to patients deemed to be at risk of inpatient psychiatric admission, presenting with acute mental health disturbance of a functional nature.

Identify the most appropriate intervention required for patient, with an emphasis on positive risk management, and refer, as necessary.

Following assessments provide high quality assessment reports/letters to the relevant professionals. Monitor reports by junior staff to ensure they are of the same standards.

Maintain high standards of integrity when communicating with patients and others.

Demonstrate ability to use IT systems effectively including email and clinical systems used by the team.

Possess a good working knowledge of mental health legislation including Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and use this in relation to advising and planning care, independently or with other professionals.

The post holder will provide nursing care and other interventions in the setting most appropriate to meet the patients needs.

Emergency judgments and clinical decision-making.

Maintain high standards of clinical care to patients.

Formulate care plans, implement, and evaluate them alongside patients and carers ensuring informed consent is obtained.

Demonstrates safe clinical skills when providing care for patients receiving specialist treatments e.g., commencement of Clozaril in the community or supporting a patient through ECT treatment.

To work within their professional registration NMC, HCPC only.

For full details please see the enclosed

Person Specification

Additional requirements and attributes

• To participate in on- call structure. Ability to work flexible hours.
• Able to work alone and unsupervised following induction period
• Reflective, curious and creative in approach to patient care
• Responsible and self-motivated, tact, diplomacy and self-confident.
• Able to manage difficult and distressing situations effectively.
• Flexible and adaptable, ability to learn new skills and develop role.
• Display values of being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. commitment to the aims and values of the NHS combined with high personal integrity.
• Committed to developing and improving mental health services.
• Driver license suitable for use in the United kingdom

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Evidence of post registration development.
• Clinical Risk Assessment.
• Safeguarding Adults and Children
• Clinical Governance
• Care program approach & person-centered framework
• Psychological models of care and treatment
• Sound working knowledge of Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2005).
• Understanding of National guidelines and initiatives related to provision of mental health services
• Understanding of the provision of mental health care and recovery services in the community.
• Specialist knowledge of mental disorders and their impact on physical health.
• Solution focused therapy skills.
• Physical healthcare skills.
• Motivational interviewing skills.
• Microsoft Outlook.
• Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills
• SystmOne, Care First or other electronic records system also eCPA

Specific Skills

• Ability to prioritise workload
• Risk assessment and formulation skills, including safety planning.
• Robust and positive approach towards risk assessment
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Ability to prioritise and reprioritise work to meet clinical demand.
• Ability to identify and refer on for unmet need. Working effectively with patients who may have a variety of communication difficulties.
• Triaging referrals based on clinical urgency.
• Ability to manage environmental stress.
• Ability to work in a changing team.
• Articulate with a high level of communication skills.
• Ability to deal with high levels of emotional stress.
• Ability to sustain high levels of concentration.
• Staff appraisal skills
• Committed to developing new ideas and improving patient care.
• Physical healthcare skills.

Experience

• Significant post-registration experience of working with people with complex mental ill health within the community, including those who may abuse drugs and/or alcohol
• Significant experience as a care coordinator/ or Home Treatment/Crisis worker
• Experience of working collaboratively with patients and their families/carers
• Previous experience of working at a level relevant to the role, post registration experience in acute mental health.
• Completing complex mental health assessments in a variety of different settings in the community andsignposting to relevant services
• Relapse prevention and Recovery Principles
• Experience of working with people in high levels of distress.
• Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring, and teaching to students and other health professionals
• Experience of working in an acute inpatient unit
• Experience of working with older adults
• Experience of working with people with an offending background
• Experience of conducting basic physical health screening
• Previous experience of working in a community mental health setting.
• Evidence of developing and contributing to service development.
• Experience of change in health care.
• Collaborative working with peer support organisations
• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
• Experience working with a psychologist or MH professional
• Experience of managing or supervising junior staff.
• Managing a caseload of clients with a range of mental health presentation.

Qualifications

• One of the following:
• RMN/Dip HE/BSc Mental Health Nursing NMC Registration
• RGN/Dip HE/BSc Registered Nurse NMC Registration
• Occupational Therapy Degree HCPC Registration
• Social Work Degree HCPC Registration
• Paramedic Science Degree/BSc/Dip HE HCPC Registration Registered
• Post qualification experience/training in mental health and related issues.
• Clinical Supervision training
• Evidence of completion of statutory and mandatory training
• Mentorship qualification or equivalent experience.
• Non-medical prescriber or willingness to work towards this where appropriate.
• (Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Mental health nurse)

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.

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working