Senior Practitioner

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to join their Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team in London. This role involves providing intensive support to patients during mental health crises, ensuring continuity of care, and conducting meaningful assessments. Ideal candidates will possess the necessary clinical qualifications, a strong commitment to patient care, and effective communication skills. The position also includes opportunities for professional growth and development within a dedicated team.

Qualifications

• Experience in a range of clinical areas post-registration.
• Involvement in multi-disciplinary team collaboration essential.
• Evidence of continued professional development reported.

Responsibilities

• Triage referrals and allocate work to junior staff.
• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments.
• Formulate and implement Recovery Care Plans with patients.

Skills

Effective communication

Leadership

Risk assessment

Time management

Teaching and assessing

Education

Current registration with professional body (RMN, Social Worker or OT)

Post-registration qualifications

Tools

Microsoft Word

Email

Internet

Job description

Job Overview

Working as part of the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team to offer intensive support and treatment to patients in the community in the acute phase of a mental health crisis as an alternative to inpatient care. To act as gate keepers to all admissions. To support early discharge from hospital.

Main duties of the job

• To triage referrals and allocate work to junior staff as appropriate.
• To provide a comprehensive mental health assessment for complex patients in the acute phase of a mental health crisis.
• To assess current risks and identify how the risk and patients mental health needs would best be met.
• To formulate, implement and review individualised Recovery Care Plans with patients and their carers that aim to address their psychological, physical & social needs.
• To build and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers and involve them in drawing up care plans.
• To work with patient care co-ordinator/ lead professional as appropriate to ensure continuity of care.
• To provide information and advice to carers to support them through the crisis period.
• To administer, supervise and monitor prescribed medication, advising patients and carers on storage, administration and possible side effects.
• To have a sound understanding and knowledge of current legislation and its application to service users with mental health problems, e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Human Rights Act, Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act.
• To attend MDT meetings, Ward Rounds, Discharge CPA’s and Mental Health Act Assessments
  
  

Working for our organisation

Equal Opportunities

All employees of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust are expected to be aware of and adhere to, the provision of the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy (Employment), Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy (Service Delivery), Disability Policy (Employment) and Disability Policy (Service Delivery), and to carry out their associated duties and responsibilities under these policies. As a Two Ticks employer, the Trust guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a vacant post.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Communication

• To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with all professionals and services to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service.
• To communicate complex and emotionally sensitive information to patients and their carers regarding diagnosis, plans of care and interactions with outside agencies.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers, using a wide range of verbal and non-verbal skills including negotiation and persuasion to maximise motivation and engagement.
• To participate in all relevant team, staff, departmental and organisational meetings.
• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date electronic documentation, in line with legal and Trust requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment outcomes to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
  
  

Management

• To assist the Team Manager/ Team Leader in recruitment and retention as required.
• To assist the Team Manager in developing the strategic and operational management of the Home Treatment service as required.
• To take a role in the assessment of performance and continuing development of junior staff and support workers contributing to appraisals and personal development plans.
• To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work through the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, audit and outcome measures.
• To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the team.
• To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing, updating and implementation of these as appropriate.
• To appropriately delegate work to junior staff and supervise as appropriate.
• To fully participate in on-call rotas and shift systems to ensure service delivery.
• To support the Team Leader and deputise in their absence, as required
• To act as a Sign Off Mentor/Fieldwork Educator for student Nurses/OT’s on fieldwork placement within the CRHTT and offer learning opportunities for students from other disciplines.
• To effectively manage own time in relation to clinical and non-clinical activities
  
  

Continuing Professional Development

• To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
• To be an active member of the in-service training programme by the attendance and delivering of presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions in-house and by attending external courses and using reflective practice.
• To participate in the Trust appraisal system as an appraisee and set personal objectives for continuing professional development.
• To participate in regular professional and managerial supervision and critically reflect on own performance.
• To support and take part in research and keep abreast of current nursing trends and research applicable to the clinical field.
• To attend courses, workshops, meetings etc. as necessary to achieve a high level of clinical proficiency
  
  

Person specification

Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• IT skills i.e. Microsoft word, Email, Internet
  
  

Education & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Evidence of continued professional development
• In post-registration qualifications
• Current registration with professional body (RMN, Social Worker or OT)
  
  

Desirable criteria

• A post registration qualification in Adult Mental Health
• ENB 998
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Post-registration experience in a range of clinical areas
• Experience of working as member of a Multi –disciplinary team
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of managing/supervision of staff.
• Experience of working in a community setting
• Experience of working with dementia
• Experience of working with older adults
  
  

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of CPA, Risk Assessment and Risk Management Processes
• Knowledge and understanding of the needs and rights of service users and their carers.
• Knowledge of ethical/legal requirements within mental health nursing.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation relating to the care of Adults with Mental Health problems in the community
  
  

Skills And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Effective communication skills both verbally and through written reports
• Ability to assess complex risk and produce care plans to manage this
• Effective leadership skills
• Ability to take responsibility for managing a caseload
• Ability to manage complex decision making situations.
• Ability to organize and prioritise own workload
• Ability to supervise junior staff and students
• Teaching and assessing skills.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Ability to work effectively in stressful and emotionally charged situation
• Able to manage personal stress.
• Previous experience of audit and research.