Mental Health Practitioner

Trustwide; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization is seeking a mental health practitioner to provide therapeutic support to patients in an acute hospital. The role involves delivering compassionate care and collaborating with clinical staff, ensuring safety and promoting patient independence. Opportunities for professional development are available.

Benefits

Career development

Flexible working arrangements

Wellbeing programs

Staff recognition

Optional Cycle to Work scheme

Lease car schemes

Season ticket loans

Onsite leisure memberships

Qualifications

• Nursing Associate qualification or equivalent required.
• Experience in mental health care and risk assessment.
• Proficiency in English communication, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, patient-centered care under supervision.
• Provide enhanced care for patients with mental health conditions.
• Serve as a resource for mental health care to other professionals.

Skills

Communication

Mental health care planning

Risk assessment

Teamwork

Education

Nursing Associate qualification or QCF Level 3 in Health

Mental health risk assessment training

Job description

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As a mental health practitioner, you will play a key part in providing flexible therapeutic support to patients who require mental health care in an acute hospital. You will be required to demonstrate excellent communication skills with a range of stakeholders including, patients, other clinicians, relatives and carers.

You will also be expected to demonstrate an understanding of mental health diagnosis and a well-informed understanding of psychosocial interventions. You will also act as a resource and source of expertise around mental health care to other clinicians across the hospital.

The senior mental health leadership team will support you to build on your own practice, progress your career, and enhance your expertise through robust supervision, and access to training and development opportunities.

Main duties of the job

You will maintain a high standard of practice when carrying out this varied and dynamic role, including:

• To deliver high quality, patient centred, compassionate care under the direction of a senior RMN in the Mental Health Team, with a focus on promoting health and independence
• To provide enhanced care and continuous observations to patients with mental health conditions or patients experiencing psychological distress.
• To act as a resource in caring for mental health patients providing enhanced care, support and advice to other professionals.
• To ensure the safety and wellbeing of service users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person cantered care principles.
• To work closely with the psychiatric liaison team, mental health matron and other clinical staff.
• Be able to work without direct supervision within the parameters of the mental health practitioner role, at times delivering care independently in line with an evidence based care plan implementing clinical and care advice as needed.
• To work flexibly between clinical environments on one hospital site depending on the needs of the service.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview. .

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviewsplease view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Nursing Associate qualification OR QCF Level 3 in Health (or equivalent) with relevant years’ experience working with patients who have mental health needs.
• Able to speak and write English to an appropriate standard to fulfil the job requirements
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Formal training in mental health risk assessment and management/ prevention and management of violence and aggression/ breakaway training/therapeutic de-escalation skills.

Experience

• Up to date experience of providing direct care to patients with mental health needs.
• Previous experience of working with patients that present a risk to themselves or others
• Experience of working within a biopsychosocial model
• Experience working with a recovery-focused approach
• Experience of the application of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act in healthcare settings.
• Experience of working with patients in an inpatient mental health setting
• Experience working in an acute Trust
• Experience working with children and young people who have mental health needs
• Experience working with children and young people who have mental health needs
• Experience of working in a challenging mental health setting such as a forensic MH unit or Psychiatric Intensive Care
• Experience working with patients who have Dementia
• Experience of contributing to the delivery of biopsychosocial interventions (e.g. psychology interventions, occupational therapy groups)

Skills/Knowledge/ Abilities

• An understanding of the impact of adverse childhood experiences and psychological trauma on mental health
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions to: reduce distress caused by mental health symptoms (such as hallucinations and mania); reduce the risk of self harm; reduce anxiety; reduce self neglect
• Knowledge of planning mental health care delivery
• Knowledge of risk assessment procedures and an ability to demonstrate clinical skills required to contribute to a risk assessment and management plan for a patient with mental health needs.
• Understanding of requirements of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
• Understanding of the requirements of patient confidentiality
• Proven ability to work as part of a team and accept direction and leadership in carrying out duties.
• Knowledge of when to seek advice and escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice.
• Proven ability to maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records in line with trust guidance and policy
• Basic IT skills
• Knowledge of common comorbid physical illnesses in relation to patients mental health needs
• Experience of contributing to quality improvement initiatives
• Proven ability to teach other staff (clinical and non-clinical) and students.

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).

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