Primary Care Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Littlehampton; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health care provider in Littlehampton is seeking a qualified Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner. This role focuses on providing 6-10 sessions of psychological interventions to clients with moderate mental health issues while liaising with GP surgeries. Responsibilities include managing a defined caseload, conducting assessments, and supporting collaboration between primary and secondary healthcare services. Candidates must hold a registered mental health qualification and have relevant clinical experience. Flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Friendly supportive team

Regular managerial and clinical supervision

Opportunities for further training

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health qualification required with up-to-date registration.
• Experience in managing a clinical caseload and prioritising work.
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments and providing various mental health interventions.

Responsibilities

• Support people living with severe and enduring mental illness.
• Liaison between primary and secondary care services.
• Conduct initial assessments and manage a defined caseload.

Skills

Psycho-education

CBT informed sessions

Clinical assessments

Risk assessments

Partnership working

Education

Registered Mental Health qualification or equivalent

Job description

We're looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we're proud to make a difference every day. At SPFT we put people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You'll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development. We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it's part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we'll explore what works for you and the role. We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you. We're shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve.

The Arun Neighbourhood Mental Health Team is transforming. An exciting opportunity to join a community mental health team supporting people living with a severe and enduring mental illness as a Mental Health Liaison Practitioner where your skills can contribute to the development of services. The Arun Neighbourhood Mental Health Team is growing to focus on local provision and need. The MHLP will focus on liaison between the Primary and Secondary care services, as well as GP Surgeries. We are looking for an experienced and Qualified Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner (Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist and Social Worker) to work within GP Surgeries to provide 6‑10 sessions of psychologically informed interventions to people with moderate mental health problems. The successful applicant will also be responsible for completing initial assessments and liaising with local partnerships within the neighbourhood, such as GP's, IAPT services, local agencies and third sector services.

Responsibilities

• Working autonomously to a defined caseload of clients diagnosed with mild to moderate mental health problems. This will include offering specific interventions such as psycho‑education, CBT informed sessions and short term recovery focused interventions.
• You will complete initial assessments and work closely with our referrals coordinators, GP's and other agencies.
• Your interventions will be a pre‑defined offer of 6‑10 sessions.
• You are welcome to co‑facilitate groups if you have an interest in this area.

Benefits

• We are a friendly and supportive team that meets regularly to ensure you feel safe and supported.
• We offer several MDT meetings per week to ensure support is available for complex case discussions.
• You will receive regular managerial supervision and be offered the opportunity to supervise junior staff.
• You will also have access to regular clinical supervision and support from our Community Leads.
• We actively encourage people to think about their development and career goals, and will support you to complete further training.

Job description

To work as part of the secondary care mental health service, acting as a link clinician to primary care teams. Clinical work will be carried out within primary care settings. To work with GPs and primary care teams, specifically colleagues in IAPT (West Sussex Talking Therapies), providing support, advice, consultation and shared care for adults, regardless of age and diagnosis, presenting with a functional mental illness, to enable safe management of clients within primary care. To work in partnership with GPs and other primary care colleagues around individual patients and to work jointly with them to develop care plans for the client. To assess individuals with complex presentations, prior to referral to secondary care and if required, directing them into the appropriate specialist service within secondary care ensuring they are not passed between services. To maintain a close working relationship with local secondary care teams, keeping them informed of developments within primary care. To build up professional relationships within Primary Care to allow effective development of care pathways within localities. To work closely with secondary care colleagues, using their expertise where necessary, to ensure an appropriate response, particularly, but not exclusively from medical colleagues. To ensure and keep updated a comprehensive knowledge of local resources and services available and how to access these and provide this information to practices and specialist teams as requested. To provide comprehensive and accurate information on the role of the Primary Care Mental Health Liaison Practitioner, local resources and services to GPs, primary care teams, secondary care teams, service users and third sector agencies. To work to early intervention principles and provide assessments for service users with more complex presentations identified in consultation with GPs. To organise, provide and coordinate formal and informal training to GPs and primary care teams on topics relating to mental health as agreed with GPs and PBCs, in order to further enhance the skills of the staff in the diagnosis and management of mental health disorders.

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health qualification or equivalent
• Up to date Registration
• Post Basic Courses / relevant Study Days
• Evidence of CPD, post‑qualifying experience of clinical work with people with a range of mental health problems
• Experience of partnership working within and across various different statutory and non‑statutory teams and agencies
• Experience of successfully managing a caseload and prioritising clinical work
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people with a variety of mental health problems
• Experience of working consultatively with professionals
• Experienced in conducting clinical assessments, including risk assessments.

Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.