Associate Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary
To provide low intensity mental health interventions and support for men under Mental Health Services within HMP Woodhill.

These interventions will primarily be delivered in group format, but there is scope for 1:1 assessment and intervention. To provide support to your Mental Health team colleagues in the delivery of clinical care.

Main duties of the job

• To support Mental Health colleagues in designing and preparing low intensity mental health interventions, both group and individual. To co-facilitate time-limited low intensity mental health groups and, when appropriate, time-limited individual interventions.
• To help deliver initiatives promoting mental wellbeing across primary care and the prison.
• To work in a highly emotive atmosphere with clients with offending histories and / or mental health problems on a regular basis, and be able to communicate sensitive and complex information, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• To work closely with senior colleagues to ensure information in relation to risk is collected and communicated sensitively and comprehensively.
• To attend and contribute to other prison meetings, and to present the view of Mental Health Team for relevant clinical issues. To ensure any actions taken from these meetings are met or that the appropriate individual to carry out the action is informed.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific patient group and mental health.

About us
Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.

We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we're hoping to find our future leaders and we'll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more - whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

Job responsibilities

• To provide low intensity mental health interventions to clients under the supervision of a qualified nurse (and supported by the Clinical Psychologist).
• To support other members of the Mental Health team in the delivery of clinical care within the prison.
• To support the mental health team in liaising with primary care and the prison to deliver mental wellbeing initiatives
• To work independently according to a plan agreed within supervision and within the overall framework of the clinics policies and procedures.
• To liaise with other professional services (resettlement workers, probation, CMHT) sharing information where appropriate.
• To assist in clinically related administration and conduct of audits or project work.

Qualifications
Essential

• Achieved or working towards an upper second class honours degree in relevant subject.

Desirable

• Second class honours degree in psychology or nursing. Further training in relevant areas of mental health practice.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or offending behaviour problems and/or other disabilities

Desirable

• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience of working in prisons or secure settings.
• Experience of co-facilitating psychosocial groups.
• Experience of working within a team

Personal
Essential

• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to establish and sustain engagement with people who have mental health problems and severely challenging behaviours including violence and sexually harmful behaviours.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
• Knowledge of our business and how it supports patient care.

Desirable

• An interest in working with people with forensic histories, mental health problems.

Other
Essential

• Ability to accept and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPS policy and procedure - to obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance.
• Application must be clearly tailored to the post and Person Specification

Knowledge & Skills
Essential

• High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses service user's particular needs.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.

Desirable

• High standard of report writing skills
• Knowledge and experience of using SPSS for windows

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.