Out of Hours Bed Manager

The Methodist Church in Britain; Newsham; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust is seeking an experienced night-based bed management professional to lead overnight admissions to acute psychiatric beds across Kent and Medway. You will take referrals, handle escalation calls, and run multi-professional conferences to unblock admission plans.

The role requires a clinical qualification and mentorship or practice educator experience, and operates on a seven-day rota from 8pm to 8:30am, with day team cover as needed.

Qualifications

• Clinical qualification required (RMN, OT or MH social work).
• Mentorship or practice educator experience or equivalent role.

Responsibilities

• Lead the urgent and emergency admission process overnight to acute psychiatric beds across Kent and Medway.
• Take referrals and escalation calls from other trusts and run multi-professional conference calls.
• Ensure safe, timely admissions under the Purposeful Admission Protocol.
• Follow discharges and support admission planning as needed.
• Coordinate with on-call consultant for advice out of hours.
• Mentor and develop staff to maintain high-quality patient flow.
• Collaborate with community colleagues to streamline pathways.
• Collect admission data as required and advise on least restrictive options.
• Participate in team meetings and patient flow conferences.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Bed management

IT skills

Education

RMN or allied clinical qualification (e.g., Occupational Therapist or MH Social Worker)

Mentorship or practice educator role

Job description

Night-based bed management role in the urgent and emergency care coordination centre (UECCC) at Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, arranging admissions to acute psychiatric beds across the two areas. Core work is taking the lead on overnight urgent admissions, taking referrals and escalation calls from other trusts, and running multi-professional conference calls to unblock admission plans. Set on a seven-day rota, mostly nights from 8pm to 8.30am, with cover for the day team when needed. Clinical qualification and mentorship or practice education experience are required.

What the job involves

• Lead the urgent and emergency admission process overnight, ensuring safe, appropriate and timely admissions to acute psychiatric beds across Kent and Medway under the Purposeful Admission Protocol
• Follow discharges out as agreed and take referrals of those needing admission
• Take escalation calls from other trusts and act accordingly
• Ensure an on-call consultant has been contacted for advice out of hours
• Participate in, and lead where necessary, patient flow conference calls and multi-professional meetings to plan admissions
• Work collaboratively with community colleagues and external healthcare providers to streamline patient pathways
• Support the General Manager/Service Manager to deliver agreed key performance outcomes
• Collect and verify accurate admission data as required by the General Manager
• Act as a resource and give expert advice to staff on admission and least restrictive options
• Mentor, educate and develop staff to ensure a consistent, high-quality approach to patient flow
• Work as a key member of the UECCC team
• Take part in the needs-led approach to admission, taking account of local and national priorities and pressures

Qualifications

• Clinical qualification, e.g. RMN, occupational therapist or mental health social worker
• Mentorship or practice educator role, or experience of one

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years as a Band 5 (or equivalent social work grade) with mental health experience, including functional and organic disorders
• Inpatient experience

Skills & knowledge

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including influencing, negotiation and a sensitive communication style to build working relationships
• Bed management knowledge
• IT skills