Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust; Worthing; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

An inspiring and expanding service within CAMHS is seeking experienced mental health practitioners to join their dedicated team. This role offers the chance to make a significant difference in the lives of young people facing mental health crises. With a focus on providing high-quality care, you will engage in crisis intervention, risk assessment, and care planning. The position allows for career progression and the opportunity to work in a supportive environment that values your skills and contributions. Join a team committed to improving the quality of life for the communities we serve and explore lifelong learning opportunities to enhance your career.

Benefits

Fully funded lifelong learning opportunities

Supportive work environment

Career development programs

Qualifications

• Experience in mental health crisis management and care planning.
• Registered with HPC, NMC, or Social Work England.

Responsibilities

• Support young people in mental health crises across various settings.
• Conduct mental health assessments and safety planning.

Skills

Mental Health Assessment

Crisis Intervention

Risk Assessment

Care Planning

Communication Skills

Education

Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy

Degree/Diploma in Nursing

Degree/Diploma in Social Work

Tools

Standardized Assessment Tools

Job description

Main area: Mental Health

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 7

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (The role covers the hours of 09:00-20:00 Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm weekends and public holidays working across a seven-day shift pattern.)

Job ref: 354-CS-21644

Site: Worthing, Chichester & Horsham

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 pa

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 04/02/2025 23:59

Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills, and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, and enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers, and families across our communities.

As a Trust, we are committed to making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during the interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Based across West Sussex

Do you want to work for an inspiring and expanding service within CAMHS? If so, then we would love to hear from you. The West Sussex Duty and Liaison Team offers an exciting opportunity for experienced RMNs, Social Workers, or OTs keen to apply their skills across a range of settings to help young people in crisis. This role offers the opportunity for career progression due to the skills that you will learn through this type of work but would also be perfect for those considering moving to CAMHS from other services. The role will be variable and exciting, sometimes challenging, and there is a need for flexibility, but it is always very interesting and rewarding. You will need to be motivated, forward-thinking, and have a strong commitment to providing high-quality care to provide the best outcomes for young people. Excellent risk assessment and safety planning skills are essential to this role.

As a DLT Senior Mental Health Practitioner, you will work a shift pattern covering the hours of 9.00am - 8.00pm Monday to Friday and 10.00am to 6.00pm weekends and public holidays.

Previous candidates need not reapply.

Main duties of the job

• You will be supporting young people and their carers who are presenting with a mental health crisis across a range of settings; in General Hospitals, CAMHS Offices, online/via phone, and occasionally at home.
• This is a developing service and there will be an opportunity in this role to deliver therapeutic interventions alongside crisis care planning and management. You will be supporting young people who are waiting for interventions from tier 3 CAMHS as part of the duty role as well as those presenting to General Hospitals in crisis.

Working for our organisation

We are looking for an experienced mental health practitioner with excellent risk assessment and care planning skills. Previous experience of duty and/or A&E Liaison work within a community-based mental health team would be ideal but not essential for the right candidate. You should be willing to work autonomously as well as part of a team. The team thrives through being supportive to each other in an environment that can be changeable due to service capacity and demand. You will need to be flexible, able to participate in the shift pattern of the team, and have excellent communication skills. In return, you will be well supported by experienced clinicians who will help you to develop and flourish in this environment. All your skills and training will be fully utilized and developed through clinical supervision and training opportunities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To contribute to the day-to-day leadership of a clinical team providing a high-quality service within the resources available in a defined area, and specifically to deliver on the following key areas.
• To offer specialist mental health assessments to Young People who present in crisis during the hours of the service.
• This role includes both Community CAMHS Duty and A&E Liaison work on a rotating shift basis covering a 7-day rota.
• Assessment includes care and safety planning, risk assessment and management, and facilitating safe discharge. In line with COVID safe practice and service developments, these assessments may be offered using remote platforms for appropriate referrals as well as some face-to-face work. Where clinically indicated, provide a single intervention model to CYP not currently open to CAMHS.
• You will also be expected to offer 7-day follow-up appointments where indicated and act as Lead Practitioner as part of the duty team if required.
• This role involves liaising with other agencies and professionals and developing ongoing positive working relationships with them to support young people who present in crisis.
• The role aims to reduce the number of presentations and admissions to acute hospitals and to reduce length of stay and facilitate discharge once physical health needs have been addressed. You will act as a liaison to acute care colleagues for YP with MH needs that are admitted to A&E or acute pediatric wards. It will be your responsibility to provide specialist mental health assessments and interventions to these young people and to provide advice and consultation on appropriate mental health care planning to support a holistic care and discharge plan (including risk and safety).

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy or Nursing/Social Work
• Evidence of post qualification study
• Registration with the HPC, NMC or Social Work England
• Training in the use of standardized assessment tools

Knowledge/Experience

• Broad experience of working with young people with a range of mental health problems
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of supervising staff and students
• Experience with Looked after and Adopted children
• Experience of multi-agency work
• Experience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of clinical approaches

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants, the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children’s social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarize themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.