Crisis Function Team Community Mental Health Nurse

The Methodist Church in Britain; England; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5% high cost area allowance

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Community Mental Health Nurse within the Crisis Function Team. The role focuses on urgent assessments, delivering home treatment as an alternative to hospital admission, and acting as gatekeeper for admissions.

It is community-based, with supervision and teaching across a multi-disciplinary team. Requirements include RMN or Dip/BSc in Mental Health Nursing, ENB 998 Preceptorship and Mentorship, and at least two years

Qualifications

• Proven ability to assess care needs and develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care.
• Experience in crisis and emotionally demanding environments, and safeguarding processes.
• Ability to teach and train staff and students.

Responsibilities

• Provide urgent assessments for people with acute mental health concerns.
• Deliver robust home treatment as an alternative to hospital admission.
• Act as gatekeeper for hospital admission, providing safe and effective community treatment.
• Facilitate early discharges from acute inpatient units.
• Keep high standards of record keeping and documentation in line with Trust policy.

Skills

Clinical risk assessment

Community care planning

Teaching & training

Record keeping

Education

RMN or Dip/BSc in Mental Health Nursing

Job description

This Community Mental Health Nurse post sits within the Crisis Function Team at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. The core of the work is urgent assessment of people with acute mental health concerns, with home treatment as an alternative to hospital admission and early discharge from inpatient units. The role is community-based and varied, across several settings and a multi-disciplinary team, with staff supervision and teaching. Fit depends on a mental health nursing qualification and at least two years' post-registration experience.

What the job involves

• Provide urgent assessments for people with acute mental health concerns
• Deliver robust home treatment as an alternative to hospital admission
• Act as gatekeeper for hospital admission, providing safe and effective community treatment
• Facilitate early discharges from acute inpatient units
• Work with service users, carers, colleagues and agencies to manage risk in the acute care pathway and support recovery
• Take responsibility for assessing care needs and developing, implementing and evaluating programmes of care
• Manage a defined CFT caseload and ensure care plans are met and updated
• Work alongside the bed management and Mental Health liaison team to prevent ward admission
• Provide staff supervision, development and teaching of staff and students
• Keep high standards of record keeping and documentation in line with Trust policy
• Deliver person-centred care reflecting current best practice and challenge practice detrimental to older people
• Apply knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and wider legal and ethical issues, including its use outside mental health areas

What’s required

Qualifications

• RMN or Dip/BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
• ENB 998 Preceptorship and Mentorship

Registration & licences

• NMC registration as a mental health nurse, and adherence to the Professional Code of Conduct

Experience

• At least 2 years' post-registration experience, including one year at Band 5
• Acute mental health inpatient or day care experience across a range of settings
• Experience of crisis and emotionally demanding environments, and of safeguarding processes
• Experience of teaching and training, and of delivering evidence-based care

Skills & knowledge

• Up-to-date knowledge of legislation, ethics and guidance in adult mental health, and evidence of continuing professional development
• Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting
• Complex assessment and treatment of individuals, couples and families
• Clinical supervision skills, and applying theory to formulate community care plans
• Assessing and monitoring physical health care, and working with diverse communities

Other

• Communicating complex, sensitive information sensitively and respectfully with service users, carers and professionals
• Working autonomously and flexibly across service boundaries, using own initiative
• Coping with verbal abuse, stress and emotive material, and maintaining high standards of record keeping
• Able to travel independently across the Trust

Nice to have

• ENB 812 or BSc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health)
• Psychosocial interventions
• Experience of working with acute mental health problems in a community setting
• Knowledge of parenting literature and its application
• Ability to teach and train using multi-media materials
• Knowledge of current research developments with the service user group
• Substantial IT skills

What’s offered

• 5% high cost area supplement included in pay