Mental Health Practitioner Liaison Psychiatry

Job summary
Torbay Psychiatric Liaison Service are offering a further opportunity for a Band 5 clinician to develop their knowledge and skills with a view to achieving a Band 6 role after a minimum of 12 months practice.

The post holder will deliver high quality mental health services. The focus will be providing assessment, risk planning and a treatment plan to people with mental health difficulties and their carers. The post holder will be an effective member of the multi-disciplinary team.

The position offered is a band 5 developmental post. You will have a qualification in mental health or in occupational therapy and will be working in an expanding multi-disciplinary team here at Torbay District General Hospital. Post will be for 37.5 hours per week and the shift pattern will cater for a 24/7 service, including night shifts on a rota basis. This is a development role in Liaison Psychiatry services.

We are seeking to appoint a Band 5 clinician with a view to development towards a Band 6 opportunity after a minimum 12 month period with the service. It would be desirable if the applicant has at significant experience of post qualification at Band 5, prior to applying.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will deliver high quality mental health services. The focus will be providing triage, assessment and recovery focused planning, referral and signposting treatment to people within the general hospital.
• Contribute to the teams liaison with other professionals.
• Impart complex and sensitive information:
• Patients and families/carers re assessment, care planning, treatment and review
• Multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the provision of consistent well care
• Primary care teams regarding client care
• Externalagencies also involved in the provision of care e.g.: voluntary and private sector, police, social services, housing, employment etc
• Provide and receive information some of which may be contentious, sensitive andcomplex to and from individuals and their families/carers and actively seek supportas appropriate.
• Actively contribute to multi-disciplinary team working.
• Facilitate fair access to social care services and promote social inclusion regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
• Undertake risk assessments and determine the appropriate course of action, which has taken into consideration a range of possible options. Where necessary, ensure that consultation with senior colleagues is undertaken.
• Undertake bio-psycho-social assessments and develop a working formulation and diagnosis which will lead to the development of personalised care packages.

About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

• Contribute to the teams engagement including liaising with a wide range of other professionals and agencies.
• Impart complex and sensitive information to :
• Patients and families/carers re assessment, care planning, treatment and review
• Multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the provision of consistent well-coordinated care
• Primary care teams regarding client care
• External agencies also involved in the provision of care e.g. voluntary and private sector, police, social services, housing, employment etc
• Service user/carer groups
• Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service including the handling of clinical enquires.
• Provide and receive information some of which may be contentious, sensitive and complex to and from individuals and their families/carers and actively seek support as appropriate.
• Provide a high standards of written and verbal communication that is clear and in line with professional documentation standards
• Participate in clinical meetings, professional meetings, and clinical risk meetings.
• Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable for service users and carers, working in line with practice standards and operational policies.
• Actively contribute to multi-disciplinary team working.
• Facilitate fair access to social care services and promote social inclusion regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability
• Undertake risk assessments and determine the appropriate course of action which has taken into consideration a range of possible options. Where necessary, ensure that consultation with senior colleagues is undertaken.
• Have an awareness of your own clinical competencies, knowledge base and experience, and ensure that you practice within this and seek support as required.
• Responsible for managing own workload to ensure the needs to the individuals who use our services are met, taking the wider needs of the team into consideration.
• Ensure that interventions are planned in an integrated and co-ordinated manner, this may include liaison with external agencies.
• Plan their own workload and the workload of junior colleagues (e.g. Band 3 colleagues) to ensure that the care provided is high quality and cost efficient.
• Understand social factors that impact upon mental health
• Ensure that all interventions have clear outcomes and that these are taken into consideration when sourcing the resources to best meet the individuals needs.
• Deliver services using a recovery and strengths approach where the needs of the individual and their carers are held as central and their involvement is proactively encouraged.
• Deliver care in line with evidence based practice and employ engagement and therapeutic skills that are appropriate to the clinical situation presented.
• Provide specialist advice to referrers/other multi-disciplinary staff in relation to the care of individuals.
• Ensure that appropriate action is taken to safeguarding adults and children. This will include attending safeguarding meetings and implementing relevant care plans under the guidance of a Senior Mental Health Practitioner.
• Ensure that assessment and treatment plans are holistic, outcome focused and take into account the physical health and social needs of the individual, including input of significant others
• Ensure the monitoring and review of mental health medication taking into consideration interactions with physical health needs.
• Ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all clinical activity in line with professional guidance and best practice.
• Practice in a way that actively minimises dependency and promotes recovery.
• Contribute to clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided, this will include ensuring performance targets are met to provide high quality care.
• Engagement in the development of mental health services as guided by line management
• Demonstrate and role model excellent clinical skills.
• Ensure that core training is maintained and you participate in training and development opportunities, in line with the Directorates Workforce Plan, and to meet professional requirements.
• Work without direct supervision but within parameters of role. Take accountability for your own actions

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• An appropriate up to date professional mental health qualification eg RMN, OT or Social Worker of the appropriate professional body register and hold current registration with no restrictions.
• Training to level 2 in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff.

Desirable

• Post registration training in relevant field.
• Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.

Experience
Essential

• Completion of post qualification preceptorship
• Evidence of post preceptorship experience in mental health setting
• Managing a caseload of clients with a range of mental health problems.
• Demonstrates sound theoretical knowledge of mental health practice

Desirable

• Working within a community setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.
• Demonstrates experience of, and relevant professional practice qualification in mentoring/assessing students and learners

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.