Senior Liaison Psychiatry Practitioner

West London NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A health service provider in Greater London seeks a qualified mental health professional to manage crisis interventions and oversee junior staff. Candidates must hold a relevant professional qualification and possess experience in mental health crisis pathways. The role requires a strong understanding of mental health disorders and excellent communication skills. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to a vital community service in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Must have a Professional Qualification in mental health.
• Experience in mental health crisis pathways at Band 6 level is essential.

Responsibilities

• Engaging with challenging patients and using de-escalation techniques.
• Supervising junior staff and mentoring students.

Skills

Specialist knowledge of mental health disorders

Crisis intervention skills

Management and organisation skills

Ability to work under pressure

Communication skills

Education

Professional Qualification as RMN/RN (Mental Health)

Mentorship In Practice

Job description

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Specialist knowledge of mental health disorders as well as their relationship to physical disorders
• Assessment and treatment of self-harm
• Risk assessment/management and crisis intervention skills
• Use of psychosocial assessment methods
• Knowledge of counselling skills / cognitive behavioural skills, psychosocial interventions
• Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and use initiative
• Knowledge of Mental Capacity Act (2005)
• Clear understanding of the Mental Health Act (1983), and National Policy
• Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de‑escalation techniques effectively
• Sufficient clinical knowledge to be able to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems and judgement about available options
• Management and organisation skills that enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
• Clear understanding of the process of supervision

Desirable criteria

• Ability to interpret research and apply to practice
• Computer literate
• Skills in CBT or family work
• Report writing skills

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria

• Professional Qualification as RMN/RN (Mental Health) or Registered Occupational Therapist or Registered Social Worker with professional registration (HCPC)
• Mentorship In Practice (Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice) or equivalent teaching qualification
• Assisted Year In Practice (ASYE) if social work qualified

Desirable criteria

• Educated to degree or diploma level nursing
• Other courses/training relevant to Liaison Psychiatry e.g. CBT, Brief Solution Focused Therapy etc
• RGN qualified
• Other qualification in practice teaching or supervision of staff.
• Evidence of recent professional development

Experience

Essential criteria

• Post‑qualifying experience working within the mental health crisis pathway, such as Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams, Liaison Psychiatry, or other acute care settings., with evidence of relevant experience at Band 6 level
• Experience of supervising junior staff within own and/or other disciplines
• Experience of mentoring students through placements
• Experience of working with people who have experienced serious ongoing mental health problems
• Experience of assessing and managing crisis with those with a severe mental illness
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of teaching/ training in a formal or informal setting

Desirable criteria

• Clinical experience of working in Liaison Psychiatry Service(s)
• Experience of implementing and monitoring standards of care
• Other relevant post registration experience
• Audit and research skills
• Experience of managing outpatient clinics for mental health

Personal qualities

Essential criteria

• Ability to manage own time effectively through robust prioritising of own and others workloads
• Ability to frequently work under pressure and maintain intense concentration, particularly in unpredictable situations where there will be exposure to highly distressed and/or disturbed patients, often exhibiting challenging behaviours and the risk of physical violence
• Self‑motivated, able to work autonomously and independently with confidence
• Exercise initiative, flexibility, tact and self‑ awareness
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Team/self‑management and organisation skills that enable a complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
• Be aware of the limitations in own competencies and seek appropriate senior advice and leadership
• Act as a positive role model, dynamic, motivated caring and supportive
• Ability to work closely and form excellent working relationships with a wide range of people

Other

Essential criteria

• Higher level communication skills, both written and oral
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities
• Ability to be reflective and accept constructive criticism to further develop oneself
• Be able to work flexibly if required
• Sickness (or attendance) record that is acceptable to the Trust

Desirable criteria

• Lived experience of mental health
• Willing to use peer and group supervision creatively

As an employee of West London NHS Trust, you have a responsibility to maintain a sound understanding of, and a commitment to uphold the National Health Service values and principles set out in the NHS Constitution.

We reserve the right to close adverts prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to West London NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, you will be required to undergo a pre‑employment checks which can take between 4‑8 weeks . After which your information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR ).

Please ensure you include email addresses for your referees which MUST be at supervisory or managerial capacity covering the last 3 years of employment to date to avoid delay in the recruitment process.

West London NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We encourage the thoughtful use of technology as a demonstration of strong time management and a commitment to innovation. However, we encourage applicants to personalise their recruitment application to showcase their unique skills and experiences.

While AI‑generated content can be a helpful tool, relying solely on generic responses instead of highlighting your own strengths and achievements may impact the success of your application. The success of an application will always be assessed against the essential and desirable criteria for the role, so it is important to ensure that your application and any supporting information clearly demonstrate how you meet these requirements.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• JDPS (PDF, 968.2KB)
• Occupational Health Requirements (PDF, 376.0KB)