Senior Mental Health Practitioner

NHS Jobs; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs in Plymouth seeks a clinician to lead and deliver complex mental health care for asylum seekers and refugees. You will manage a caseload, supervise staff, and coordinate treatment across a multi-disciplinary team to ensure high-quality, recovery-focused care.

The role requires registration as a nurse, OT, or social worker, and experience in community settings. You will work across outreach sites with strong collaboration to improve access and outcomes for vulnerable clients.

Qualifications

• Registered professional with current registration.
• Experience in a comparable community service or setting.
• Flexible working with initiative and teamwork.
• Understanding of Early Intervention Services principles in mental health.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Leadership and case management skills.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act 1983 and related legislation.
• Ability to lead, motivate and supervise others to high clinical standards.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and supervision skills.
• Creativity in changing service delivery to meet user needs.
• Post-basic qualifications/desirable teaching experience or specialist EI knowledge.
• Ability to visit clients in their homes and attend outreach meetings.
• Knowledge of Motivation, Recovery, Social Inclusion and Whole Life theories.
• Knowledge of Public Health in substance misuse and recovery-oriented models.
• Knowledge of safeguarding for adults and children.
• Knowledge of MEAM complex needs and comorbidities.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of complex individuals effectively.
• Provide line management and clinical supervision as per Livewell policies.
• Ensure compliance with Mental Health Act and care planning guidelines.
• Maintain relationships with GPs and external agencies for referrals and care.
• Offer clinical advice, education and training to colleagues and teams.
• Maintain safe standards of practice per policies and guidelines.
• Stay updated with developments in asylum seeker care through evidence-based practice.
• Promote good relationships with users, carers, and the public.
• Contribute to clinical governance to keep services user-focused and flexible.
• Develop links with similar services and outreach settings.
• Coordinate care safely and work autonomously within policy.
• Provide leadership when senior team members are absent.

Job description

Asylum Seeker & Refugee Mental Health Team

The post holder will be responsible for providing a service to asylum seekers and refugees with complex mental health needs and related issues. To participate in line management, appraisal, supervision, teaching, recruitment and day-to-day management tasks in relation to your role within team. To provide and coordinate complex packages of treatment which may include the administration of medicines. To provide a comprehensive healthcare assessment including risk assessment and be responsible for providing and coordinating a recovery orientated package of care alongside other key services and professional stakeholders. To liaise with colleagues in other health services to ensure fair access to other statutory and non-statutory health providers. To manage a caseload of asylum seekers and refugees with complex needs using evidence based/patient centered principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. To be responsible for implementing interventions, individually or as a group. This may include developing additional specialist intervention skills and developing opportunities in line with patients needs. To provide professional guidance for staff and students as appropriate. To have a sound working knowledge of and be able to implement evidence-based practice within this service area.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

1. 1.Registered Nurse, OT or Social Worker
2. 2.Previous experience within a comparable community service or setting.
3. 3.Flexible working with an ability to use own initiative as well as to be a team player.
4. 4.Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the principles and knowledge base underpinning Early Intervention Services, and other mental health provision including inpatient services.
5. 5.Evidence of continued professional development.
6. 6.Effective and well-developed leadership and case management skills.
7. 7.Sound working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and other Mental Health Legislation
8. 8.Proven ability to lead, motivate and supervise others within a team, demonstrating the highest clinical standards.
9. 9.Proven interpersonal, communication and supervision skills.
10. 10.Proven creativity in changing service delivery to meet the needs of the user and the ongoing development of the service.
11. 11.Post basic qualifications/experience -Teaching experience desirable -Post qualification clinical course -Specialist knowledge of Early Intervention Services and a range of other mental health service provision.
12. 12.Ability to visit clients in their own homes and to attend meetings in a variety of outreach community settings.
13. 13.A demonstrable knowledge of the principles and application of Motivation, Recovery, Social Inclusion and Whole Life systems Theory.
14. 14.Knowledge of the Public Health agenda within substance misuse provision and the recovery orientated systems model.
15. 15.Knowledge and understanding of adult and childrens safeguarding.
16. 16.Knowledge of Complex needs as defined within MEAM and comorbidities and best practice models with this client group.

KEY RESULT AREAS

1. 1.To effectively manage a caseload of complex individuals
2. 2.To ensure you receive and provide appropriate line management and clinical supervision, in line with Livewell policies and procedures.
3. 3. Ensure all obligations of the Mental Health Act and the Code of Practice are fulfilled and other mental health legislation and care planning is complied with in accordance with care co-ordination guidelines.
4. 4.Improve and maintain working relationships with GPs, other professionals and outside agencies working collaboratively to ensure effective referral, assessment, treatment and when appropriate discharge.
5. 5.To provide clinical advice, education, support and training to team colleagues, Inpatient units, Community Mental Health Teams, Primary Care Teams, other professionals and services provided by LIVEWELL SW. To advise the Manager of any operational issues, which require resolution?
6. 6.To maintain safe and acceptable standards of practice in accordance with policies, professional guidelines and relevant procedures.
7. 7.To keep professionally updated with ongoing developments in asylum seeker care services through evidence-based approaches to delivering high quality services by evaluating, updating, initiating and/or participating in training, audit, research and service planning.
8. 8.Promote and sustain good interpersonal relationships with users, carers and families, members of the multi-disciplinary team, other professionals, voluntary agencies, independent sectors and the general public.
9. 9.To contribute to clinical governance as applicable to the team and actively participate in ensuring that the service is user-focused, flexible and evolutionary.
10. 10.To develop links with other similar services, housing and agencies providing services for young people.
11. 11.To effectively care coordinate and have safe systems of work at the heart of practice.
12. 12.To have the ability to work autonomously and lone work within policy and procedure.
13. 13.To provide leadership and coordination in the absence of the band 7 Team manager, and cover for other team members in their absence.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Use trauma Informed and trauma sensitive style of communication in all written and verbal communications. Communication is via line management. Good working relationships need to be achieved with DCRS Interpreter services Commissioners LIVEWELL SW teams and staff, including mental health and learning disability teams LIVEWELL SW Directorates of Professional Practice and Contracting and Finance Social Services Local Education Authority Other non-statutory providers of health and social care General Practitioners and practice staff. Clinical staff in acute trusts Users, families and carers Police and Probation Housing services To be an ambassador at local and national events where required.

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR ROLE

To assist in changing the culture with regard to how statutory mental health services have traditionally been delivered and allow users to gain access to the service which is delivered in the least restrictive way and in a style that engages people on their own terms. To contribute to the development of a service that is ambitious, ever changing, innovative and aspiration which impacts beyond ones own team and service promoting excellence. To work with ambiguity and uncertainty in respect of the interpretation of policy and how this is applied to ones own clinical practice. To be an active and dynamic member of the asylum seekers team, whilst ensuring that best clinical practice is adhered to. Maintaining contact with the employing organisation whilst working within a voluntary sector service and team. Making recovery visible in all aspects of service delivery. Foster a culture of optimism and belief in recovery when interacting with service users, parents, carers and other staff/ organisations.

Please see attached Job description for full JD.