Senior Mental Health Practitioner SPA Team, Melksham

NHS; Melksham; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The NHS is seeking a Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner for maternity leave cover in Melksham. The role offers a chance to provide consultations for children and young people, supported by a dynamic team. Ideal applicants will be qualified, possess mental health qualifications, and demonstrate excellent communication and organizational skills. A commitment to continuous professional development and teamwork is essential to ensure effective service delivery in a challenging yet rewarding environment.

Benefits

Excellent opportunities for career progression

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

NHS Discounts

Lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Staff accommodation

Regular team wellbeing activities

Qualifications

• Qualified Mental Health Professional with experience.
• Experience in a mental health setting with young people.
• Trained in clinical supervision and mentoring.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessments and consultations for young people's mental health needs.
• Utilize clinical knowledge to support decision-making.
• Participate in team meetings and maintain accurate records.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Mental Health or equivalent professional health qualification (OT, RMN Nurse, Social Worker)

Leadership training

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

We are seeking a Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner (must be a qualified SW, OT or Nurse) to provide maternity leave cover on a fixed term basis. This is an exciting role if wanting to try something different for a limited time, you never know you might want to stay!

The CAMHS SPA is a centralised service to support enquiries and referrals for Children and Young People across BaNES and Wiltshire CAMHS.

The service is the first point of contact for all new referrals and enquiries; we support self, parent/carer and professional referrals. Our robust system of working ensures all contact is reviewed clinically and timely to ensure the appropriate support is offered at the right time by the right service.

As a member of the team, you would be supported by a dynamic and enthusiastic team who are passionate about meeting the needs of children, young people and parents/carers. The role requires working alongside our colleagues in the core CAMHS team, other professionals in wider CAMHS and those external to the service.

The SPA team is based in at Melksham Hospital in Wiltshire; adopting a hybrid model of working to balance regular face to face contact with SPA team members.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will be delivering phone/virtual consultations to children and young people, parent/carers and professionals with the aim to gather more information to understand their mental health needs and risk, to determine the appropriate support whether this be within CAMHS or best met by another agency.

We will need you to possess excellent interpersonal/communication skills; be calm and organised to embrace the changes that can occur in the SPA. You will need to be efficient in completing documentation and have a sound working knowledge of Excel and Word. Whilst the role can be challenging, the support and experience you will be surrounded with creates a safe positive working environment.

We embrace learning from our colleagues via regular training and supervision to contribute to our up to date knowledge. The role also provides virtual consultation to secondary schools/colleges in Wiltshire and school nurses in BaNES & Wiltshire.

As a trust all staff are required to undertake 4-6 weekly clinical and managerial supervision; as a team we have implemented monthly peer supervision to actively learn from one another; along with adherence to structured quarterly safeguarding supervision. Also, importantly we value our own wellbeing; we do this by engaging in regular team wellbeing activities to allow the time to pause and enjoy coming together as a team.

About us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Job responsibilities

In the SPA you will have variation across the week, consistently supported clinically and administratively to ensure we are responsive and work within specified time frames.

A comprehensive induction programme, which will include a range of shadowing opportunities to fully support you in understanding and delivering the role.

BSW we have a strong commitment to staff development and progression; we have developed a comprehensive CAMHS specific training programme for all staff at all levels.

Multiple internal trainings relevant to CAMHS, linkage with external trainings funded through HEE.

Managers work closely with all staff to ensure they have the right trainings to enable them to confidently and competently deliver high standard interventions to CYP.

You will be encouraged and supported to access all training appropriate to the role to support you to confidently and competently deliver high standard interventions to children and young people. This will also be supported via engagement in yearly PDRs which is valued activity in the trust.

You will be required:

1. To provide SPA support through an individualised job plan to cover the needs of the service.

2. To provide phone and digital consultations to CYP, parent/carers and professionals to assess the current mental health presentation and additional wider needs to consider the most appropriate pathway of support.

3. To utilise the internal network of CAMHS professional knowledge and expertise to support clinician decision making

4. When required, triage/screen referrals with the support of a senior clinician.

5. To participate in clinical meetings, case discussions and professional meetings as required.

6. To compile letters, written reports as required and to generate and maintain accurate treatment records.

7. To monitor and evaluate the service provision and support the provision of reports as required.

9. Provide virtual consultations to education and school nursing team to consider emotional wellbeing needs of students.

10. Support junior staff and students.

11. Offer a can do and adaptable approach to working in the SPA and embrace the team culture we thrive on.

Please do contact me should you want to talk through the role and find out more about the SPA: Sarah Reeves email: [e-mail] Mobile: [phone]

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Mental Health or equivalent professional health qualification e.g. OT, RMN NURSE, SOCIAL WORKER
• Leadership training

Experience

• Post qualification experience in a mental health setting, which includes working with young people with mental health needs.
• Experience of mentoring and clinical supervision of others
• Evidence of delivering mental state examination and risk assessment to inform pathways of care.
• Experience of working with children and young people who present with Neurodiversity.
• Experience of trauma informed approach to your work

Knowledge

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Understanding of the legal and social policy issues influencing the work environment.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.