Senior Liaison Mental Health Practitioner

The Methodist Church in Britain; North Waterhouse Farm; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexibility for work-life balance

Learning and development support

Staff wellbeing focus

Job summary

The Methodist Church in Britain is seeking a Senior Mental Health Liaison to join the Oldham team. You will assess people in crisis, coordinate care planning for admission or discharge, and arrange onward referrals across a 24/7 rotating shift pattern.

You will conduct holistic assessments, manage risks, support hospital staff, and coordinate care for both older and younger patients under a multidisciplinary framework.

Qualifications

• Registration in health or social care with up-to-date accreditation.
• Experience using holistic assessment approaches and managing complex risk.
• Ability to work across a division and manage rotating shifts.

Responsibilities

• Receive and assess referrals from A&E, hospital wards and police section 136 cases, then plan care for admission, discharge or signposting.
• Complete comprehensive mental health and risk assessments for people with severe and enduring illness or risks to self or others, ensuring risks are managed and ongoing support is provided.
• Work within the multidisciplinary liaison team to deliver clinical assessments and interventions focused on relapse prevention, early discharge and quality of life.
• Assess people attending the Emergency Department, producing holistic clinical risk assessments and management plans.
• Provide liaison service to general hospital wards, assessing complex physical and mental health needs including functional and organic illness in later life and in younger people.
• Provide support and training to acute hospital staff on recognising mental health conditions, appropriate management and onward referral pathways.
• Give information and clinical support to police and ambulance staff to help them make pathway decisions.
• Support and care for people brought to a Place of Safety under section 136 and co-ordinate their assessment.
• In the absence of the clinical lead, act as shift co-ordinator, triaging referrals and planning and allocating workload day to day.
• Prioritise workload within available time and raise concerns about own limitations with senior staff.
• Take part in service planning, evaluation and development.
• Deal with clinical incidents and complaints from patients, relatives and the public via line manager, in line with Trust policy.

Skills

Holistic assessment

Risk assessment

Organisational skills

Problem-solving

Shift coordination

Job description

This senior role sits in the Oldham Liaison Mental Health team, which assesses people in mental health crisis who attend A&E, are admitted to wards or are detained under section 136. The post involves mental health and risk assessments, care planning for admission and discharge, and onward referral for people of all ages. It stands out for its rotating 24/7 shift pattern and the shift co-ordinator role when the clinical lead is absent. Professional registration in health or social care is required, with current accreditation.

What the job involves

• Receive and assess referrals from A&E, hospital wards and police section 136 cases, then plan care for admission, discharge or signposting
• Complete comprehensive mental health and risk assessments for people with severe and enduring illness or risks to self or others, ensuring risks are managed and ongoing support is provided
• Work within the multidisciplinary liaison team to deliver clinical assessments and interventions focused on relapse prevention, early discharge and quality of life
• Assess people attending the Emergency Department, producing holistic clinical risk assessments and management plans
• Provide liaison service to general hospital wards, assessing complex physical and mental health needs including functional and organic illness in later life and in younger people
• Provide support and training to acute hospital staff on recognising mental health conditions, appropriate management and onward referral pathways
• Give information and clinical support to police and ambulance staff to help them make pathway decisions
• Support and care for people brought to a Place of Safety under section 136 and co-ordinate their assessment
• In the absence of the clinical lead, act as shift co-ordinator, triaging referrals and planning and allocating workload day to day
• Prioritise workload within available time and raise concerns about own limitations with senior staff
• Take part in service planning, evaluation and development
• Deal with clinical incidents and complaints from patients, relatives and the public via line manager, in line with Trust policy

Registration & licences

• Current professional registration in health or social care, with up to date accreditation

Experience

• Experience using holistic assessment approaches and managing complex risk

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of national legislation including the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act, guidelines and evidence-based practice
• Knowledge of risk assessment and holistic assessment practice
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills, with prioritisation under time pressure

Other

• Flexibility to work across the division if necessary
• Ability to work a range of shifts over 24 hours, 7 days a week, on a rotation basis
• Compliance with Trust uniform policy, including bare below the elbows

Nice to have

• Additional training relevant to the role
• Experience in risk assessment
• Knowledge of the liaison role with A&E and medical wards, and common issues and presentations
• Leadership skills

What’s offered

• Flexibility to support work-life balance
• Support for learning and development needs
• Strong focus on staff wellbeing