Urgent Care Practitioner

Sussex Partnership Nhs Foundation Trust; Chichester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Chichester is seeking an urgent care practitioner to provide support for individuals facing mental health crises. The role entails conducting assessments, developing risk management plans, and ensuring safe discharges while working flexibly across day and night shifts. Ideal candidates will have relevant UK professional registration and experience in acute care settings. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Benefits

Excellent starting salary

NHS Pension contributions

27 days holiday allowance plus bank holidays

Flexible working patterns

Child care vouchers

Excellent training and development opportunities

NHS discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act required.
• Experience in crisis intervention and mental health assessment beneficial.
• Ability to collaborate within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct biopsychosocial assessments and develop risk management plans.
• Support clients in creating safe discharge plans.
• Liaise with mental health services and acute inpatient units.

Skills

Knowledge of the Mental Health Act (1983/2007)

Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005)

Safeguarding procedures expertise

Evidence-based approach to care

Organising and prioritising workload

Education

Appropriate UK professional registration (e.g., RMN/LD, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist)

Job description

Overview

If you enjoy the complexity, challenge and fast pace of working in acute mental health this role is for you. As a member of the multi-disciplinary Mental Health Liaison Team at St Richards Hospital in Chichester you will be supporting people experiencing a Mental Health crisis in addition to those who may be experiencing relapse in their diagnosed mental illness. The team operates the Core 24 Liaison Model and is a 24/7 service. The urgent care practitioner would work day and night shifts. The Working Adults and Older Persons teams are integrated, with Older Persons Liaison Nurses Monday to Friday. The role involves working alongside acute hospital colleagues and health professionals including drugs and alcohol services, Social Services and charitable organisations involved in patient care and ongoing support.

Responsibilities

• Provide full biopsychosocial assessments and risk management plans for patients with mental health needs.
• Establish client-centred safe discharge plans or signpost patients to appropriate services.
• Care for patients with both physical and mental health needs and liaise with other mental health services and agencies, in addition to acute inpatient units.
• Work flexibly to enable 24/7 service delivery in line with Core 24, including day and night shifts.
• Collaborate within the multidisciplinary team (Team Leader, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Liaison Consultant Psychiatrist, Counselling Psychologist, Urgent Care Practitioners, and Older Persons Mental Health Liaison Nurses) and with partners such as Social Services and voluntary organisations.
• Receive regular supervision and participate in personal and professional development; access to psychologist support and monthly reflective practice.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act (1983/2007).
• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), including FACE documentation, DOLS and Best Interests decisions.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures for children and adults.
• Experience in organising and prioritising workload; evidence-based approach to care; robust assessment and risk management.
• Appropriate UK professional registration (e.g., RMN/LD, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist).

Desirable experience and attributes

• Previous experience in acute care (inpatient setting, crisis team, or mental health liaison team).
• Commitment to compassionate, accountable and optimistic values.

What we offer

• Excellent starting salary
• NHS Pension contributions
• 27 days holiday allowance plus bank holidays
• Flexible working patterns
• Child care vouchers
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• NHS discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme

Additional information

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to a diverse workforce and safeguarding. Applications from Black and Minority Ethnic, disabled communities are welcomed. If you have not heard within three weeks of the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful. The Trust may close the vacancy earlier in the event of excessive applications. Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant range unless prior NHS experience warrants considering otherwise. The Trust provides funded lifelong learning opportunities from GCSE to Masters level.