Mental Health Liaison Nurse

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Mental Health Liaison Nurse for its Crisis Assessment Unit. The role involves performing biopsychosocial assessments for adults in crisis and formulating care plans. The ideal candidate should be adaptable, skilled in crisis assessments, and able to work unsocial hours. This position offers excellent career development opportunities, a supportive team environment, and a commitment to diversity and equality.

Benefits

Generous pay

Flexible working options

Career development opportunities

NHS discounts

Wellbeing events

Qualifications

• Must have a Nursing degree.
• Experience in mental health and crisis care is essential.
• Knowledge of substance misuse and physical health interface.

Responsibilities

• Complete biopsychosocial assessments for adults in crisis.
• Formulate robust risk-management and care plans.
• Collaborate with hospital colleagues and partner agencies.

Skills

Crisis assessment

Biopsychosocial assessment

Mental health advocacy

Risk management

Education

Nursing degree

Job description

Role Overview

We are looking to recruit a Mental Health Liaison Nurse to join the Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) which works alongside the well‑established Mental Health Liaison Team (MHLT) at St Thomas' Hospital. The post holder will be expected to be an advocate for mental health within the hospital and support all staff in providing care for people presenting with complex and multifaceted difficulties. The CAU is a bespoke mental‑health assessment unit firmly embedded within the emergency department (ED) of STH and operates as a safe, therapeutic space for those experiencing an acute crisis.

We are keen to employ adaptable and motivated individuals who are willing to become actively involved in this fast‑paced and progressive service. The role offers an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to further their experience of liaison psychiatry and develop their skills in crisis assessments and physical healthcare.

The team works alongside Mental Health for Older Adults, Perinatal Mental Health, and Neuropsychiatry; the post holder will provide assessment and care to patients presenting from these specialist areas, out of hours. The team operates on a 24‑hour, 7‑day a week basis and it is essential that the post holder is able to work unsocial hours, including night shifts and weekends on a pro‑rated basis.

Key Responsibilities

The role of the mental health liaison nurse within the CAU will be to complete biopsychosocial assessments of adults in crisis, formulate robust and holistic risk‑management and care plans, and work alongside acute hospital colleagues and partner agencies to develop plans of care alongside the patient and their carers, relatives or friends. A sound, existing knowledge of the interface between physical and mental health is essential, as well as experience of working with those who use illicit substances and/or misuse alcohol.

Diversity and Equality

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics, 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.

• 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

Application Process

• All applications must be made online.
• You must read and understand the Job Description and Person Specification attached to the role; your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria.
• The closing date listed is a guide only and the vacancy may close earlier should a sufficient number of applicants have been received; we advise you submit your application as early as possible.
• By submitting your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd‑party e‑recruitment system.
• If you have not heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful.
• Priority consideration for applications may be given to at‑risk NHS employees.
• 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.
• 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.

About the Trust

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 providing high‑quality, specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment; 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.

We 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 an asset to the Trust.

Trust 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.

Benefits

• Generous pay, pensions and leave, a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work–life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as part‑time working and job sharing.
• Career development: plenty of opportunities to progress your career and support through mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
• Car lease: our staff benefit from competitive deals to lease cars.
• Accommodation: key‑worker housing available on selected sites.
• NHS discounts: up to 10% off a variety of well‑known retail brands through the Health Service Discounts website.
• Counselling services, wellbeing events, long service awards, cycle‑to‑work scheme, season ticket loan, childcare vouchers, and staff restaurants.

We look forward to receiving your application.