Job summary
The Senior Mental Health Practitioner role is a core part of the HFEH Mind Complex Needs Hub providing flexible and evidence-based episodes of crisis care and treatment. This role will include the facilitation and coordination of mental health support and psychoeducation for CYPs who are experiencing acute crisis. The Circle Mental Senior Mental Health Practitioner will work in partnership with the Circle team and other agencies to alleviate MH Wellbeing and offer crisis de-escalation; identify and co-produce back-up support systems; facilitate psychoeducation; problem solve, create and facilitate relaxation/mindfulness events; facilitate conversations with other agencies to alleviate CYP distress and assist CYP to navigate community support primarily through the MSS base.
You will facilitate this by providing a systematic, collaborative individualised needs-based psychosocial approach to CYP mental health that will include:
- De-escalation and relaxation in the hub as a therapeutic space
- Creating and agreeing the risk formulation
- Co- production of safety plans with the CYP, parents and/referrer.
- Working collaboratively with other members of the team to alleviate crisis presentation through appropriate containment and support the co-production of alternative responses and/behaviors.
Main duties of the job
The purpose of the Circle is to help alleviate mental health and
wellbeing during heightened arousal or crisis through supportive therapeutic
provision within the local community facilitated by the Circle team. As a MH Practitioner, you
will be a core member of the Circle team working with Children and Young People
(CYP) between the ages of 5 - 18 years old who present or are referred to the Circle.
This role would suit a Health Care
Professional (HCP) such as Nurse (RMN, RLDN), Social Worker (SW), Occupational
Therapist (OT) with formal training in CBT/DBT/ interventions, experience of
working within a multi-disciplinary CYP MH team with experience in managing
CYPs presenting in a MH crisis/acute MH presentations with a special interest in
developing their crisis response therapeutic practice and working creatively on
effective evidence based de-escalation in the community.
The Circle will deliver short-term support in crisis using evidence
based therapeutic treatment modalities on- site. There will also be ongoing support for these CYP
facilitated through liaison with HFEH
Minds in-house social prescribing services to ensure a
seamless onward transition to self-management, relevant specialist Community
Mental Health services, Social Care or other relevant partner agencies where
required.
About us
Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind are a specialist mental health provider and part of the Mind Federation. We provide support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
The lived experience of people with mental health problems is at the heart of everything we say and do.
We campaign to improve services and are committed to empowering local residents, promoting wellbeing and supporting recovery.
We work to transform understanding of mental health in the workplace, in schools and public services.
We do this by providing a range of services that are empowering, recovery focused and preventative.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Service Delivery:
- Work as a senior member of a multi-disciplinary team by providing containment and care to service users attending the Circle under the direct or indirect leadership of the Team Manager.
- Contribute to the effective functioning of the Circle Team through attendance at relevant internal and external meetings, taking responsibilities within the service as appropriate and negotiated with the line manager.
- Design and implement the delivery of programmes of care working in partnership with children, young people, their families aged 5-18 and other agencies to develop interventionplans, agree interventions and monitor outcomes.
- Contribute to the effective running of the Circle Team by deputizing or acting up for the Team Manager to cover any periods of absence as required.
- Provide direct therapeutic work, consultancy, workshops and representation at network meeting as required.
- The post holder will work to manage service waiting times effectively.
- Carry out mental health & risk assessments on children & young people in your care routinely and work to manage these situations effectively.
- Awareness of local community resources and facilitate the appropriate signposting or referrals for service users where the need for additional support or a different response is identified and agreed with CYP, CYPs parent or carer.
- Design and implement the delivery of workshops and peer discussion groups as required.
- Manage safeguarding situations; be aware of and adhere to safeguarding guidelines; take the lead in informing and sharing concerns with the wider Circle team and raising safeguarding alerts.
- Observe, report and appropriately respond to any changes in the service users physical, mental health and behaviour and discuss them with the Circle team in consultation and as part of handover huddles.
- Support other HFEH Mind Youth Service delivery when required and agreed by Team Manager.
- Coordinate the development of the Circle service tools, materials and services including carrying out audits and preparing service data for stakeholder presentation, training and wider service presentations.
- Assume responsibility for own cases in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of crisis interventions as an autonomous practitioner.
- Lead, facilitate and participate in the regular case and service reviews or discussions and have key worker responsibilities for cases.
- Utilise therapeutic skills flexibly and effectively to ensure interventions can be creatively thought through and facilitated in the Circle or other appropriate settings.
- Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice according to HF Mind policies and procedures
- Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with line-manager on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development
- Participate in individual performance reviews and respond to agreed objectives in both a supervisor and supervisee capacity.
- Attend relevant educational opportunities in line with identified professional objectives as agreed and set out in appraisal.
- Ensure adherence to organisational policies and procedures, NICE guidelines and evidence based-practice in the design and delivery of interventions.
- Carry out additional tasks as required by the Circle service and core HFEH Mind service.
- Where agreed following a risk assessment facilitate the transportation of CYPs from other community sites including A&E or schools within the borough to the Circle for interventions or appropriate support within the service constructs.
Partnership Working:
- Maintain and nurture a positive working relationship with partner agencies providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
- Take the lead establishing, developing and sustaining positive partnerships and relationships with other services.
- Manage the escalation of identified referrals for CYP with more complex needs to appropriate services.
- Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with patients, relatives and carers, where there may be barriers to understanding. Ability to deal effectively with patient or carer concerns, complaints and anxieties as they arise.
- Work autonomously and participate in the delivery and development of patient centered, evidence-based care as appropriate, using a range of advanced skills and knowledge for patients with both diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions
Administration:
- Communicate effectively with CYPs, their families, the MDT and wider professional networks. They will also clearly document assessments and subsequent decision-making.
- Facilitate and participate in regular group and 1:1 supervision clinical and management supervision and participate in appraisal processes as required.
- Attend handover meetings; case review meetings and/consultation; regular team and handover meetings as required.
- Travel across boroughs within London (predominantly Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow) where required and agreed with supervisor or team manager for the purpose of Team representation, redeployment or specific service user needs.
- Attend mandatory in-house and relevant external training opportunities, to support own ongoing development.
- Facilitate staff supervision, appraisals and case consultation as required by the service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Service Delivery:
- Work as a senior member of a multi-disciplinary team by providing containment and care to service users attending the Circle under the direct or indirect leadership of the Team Manager.
- Contribute to the effective functioning of the Circle Team through attendance at relevant internal and external meetings, taking responsibilities within the service as appropriate and negotiated with the line manager.
- Design and implement the delivery of programmes of care working in partnership with children, young people, their families aged 5-18 and other agencies to develop interventionplans, agree interventions and monitor outcomes.
- Contribute to the effective running of the Circle Team by deputizing or acting up for the Team Manager to cover any periods of absence as required.
- Provide direct therapeutic work, consultancy, workshops and representation at network meeting as required.
- The post holder will work to manage service waiting times effectively.
- Carry out mental health & risk assessments on children & young people in your care routinely and work to manage these situations effectively.
- Awareness of local community resources and facilitate the appropriate signposting or referrals for service users where the need for additional support or a different response is identified and agreed with CYP, CYPs parent or carer.
- Design and implement the delivery of workshops and peer discussion groups as required.
- Manage safeguarding situations; be aware of and adhere to safeguarding guidelines; take the lead in informing and sharing concerns with the wider Circle team and raising safeguarding alerts.
- Observe, report and appropriately respond to any changes in the service users physical, mental health and behaviour and discuss them with the Circle team in consultation and as part of handover huddles.
- Support other HFEH Mind Youth Service delivery when required and agreed by Team Manager.
- Coordinate the development of the Circle service tools, materials and services including carrying out audits and preparing service data for stakeholder presentation, training and wider service presentations.
- Assume responsibility for own cases in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of crisis interventions as an autonomous practitioner.
- Lead, facilitate and participate in the regular case and service reviews or discussions and have key worker responsibilities for cases.
- Utilise therapeutic skills flexibly and effectively to ensure interventions can be creatively thought through and facilitated in the Circle or other appropriate settings.
- Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice according to HF Mind policies and procedures
- Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with line-manager on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development
- Participate in individual performance reviews and respond to agreed objectives in both a supervisor and supervisee capacity.
- Attend relevant educational opportunities in line with identified professional objectives as agreed and set out in appraisal.
- Ensure adherence to organisational policies and procedures, NICE guidelines and evidence based-practice in the design and delivery of interventions.
- Carry out additional tasks as required by the Circle service and core HFEH Mind service.
- Where agreed following a risk assessment facilitate the transportation of CYPs from other community sites including A&E or schools within the borough to the Circle for interventions or appropriate support within the service constructs.
Partnership Working:
- Maintain and nurture a positive working relationship with partner agencies providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
- Take the lead establishing, developing and sustaining positive partnerships and relationships with other services.
- Manage the escalation of identified referrals for CYP with more complex needs to appropriate services.
- Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with patients, relatives and carers, where there may be barriers to understanding. Ability to deal effectively with patient or carer concerns, complaints and anxieties as they arise.
- Work autonomously and participate in the delivery and development of patient centered, evidence-based care as appropriate, using a range of advanced skills and knowledge for patients with both diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions
Administration:
- Communicate effectively with CYPs, their families, the MDT and wider professional networks. They will also clearly document assessments and subsequent decision-making.
- Facilitate and participate in regular group and 1:1 supervision clinical and management supervision and participate in appraisal processes as required.
- Attend handover meetings; case review meetings and/consultation; regular team and handover meetings as required.
- Travel across boroughs within London (predominantly Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow) where required and agreed with supervisor or team manager for the purpose of Team representation, redeployment or specific service user needs.
- Attend mandatory in-house and relevant external training opportunities, to support own ongoing development.
- Facilitate staff supervision, appraisals and case consultation as required by the service.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Direct experience delivering interventions for CYP aged 5-18 with mild moderate mental health difficulties.
- Experience of routine outcome monitoring
- Experience of clinical risk assessment
- Understand child development and psychosocial influences
- Experience working in a multi-disciplinary mental health team
- Experience responding to safeguarding concerns for CYP and adults
- Experience of engaging a range of stakeholders (young people, families, mental health providers, schools etc.)
- Excellent communication, organisational and time management skills.
- Extensive experience of using Microsoft Office package
- Experience in delivering programmes and workshops to groups
- Working knowledge of child and adult safeguarding
- Experience of working with parents and carers.
Desirable
- Experience using CYP IAPTUS patient record system.
- Experience of working with and providing therapeutic interventions for CYPs presenting with difficulties in language and speech, motor skills, behaviour, memory, learning, or other neurological functions within the context of a formal Neuro Developmental Disorder diagnosis including ADHD.
- Experience of working with children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions
- Experience engaging school professionals including SLTs, educational psychologists and SENCOs.
- Experience in co-producing activities and campaigns with young people.
- Experience of working within a multi- disciplinary team
- Experience of supporting young people experiencing heightened stress/distress
- Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to tailor messages to a variety of audiences.
- Experience working in partnership with other agencies to achieve a common goal.
Qualifications
Essential
- Must have a minimum two years post qualification experience of working children and/young people in a mental health service as an HCP with relevant professional registration in one of the following:
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)
- Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse (RLDN)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Social Work (SW) -HCPC accredited with MH & CAMHS work experience and an identified therapeutic treatment modality.
- Art Therapy -HCPC accredited with MH & CAMHS work experience and an identified therapeutic treatment modality.
- Must hold a current formal qualification from an accredited body to deliver evidence-based interventions for CYP like CBT/DBT/APT crisis training/Narrative Therapy.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Working understanding of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity issues and the ability to integrate into employment policies and practices
- Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to organise and prioritise workload.
- Ability to work flexibly according to the needs of the service and to support work/life balance and improving working lives.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Direct experience delivering interventions for CYP aged 5-18 with mild moderate mental health difficulties.
- Experience of routine outcome monitoring
- Experience of clinical risk assessment
- Understand child development and psychosocial influences
- Experience working in a multi-disciplinary mental health team
- Experience responding to safeguarding concerns for CYP and adults
- Experience of engaging a range of stakeholders (young people, families, mental health providers, schools etc.)
- Excellent communication, organisational and time management skills.
- Extensive experience of using Microsoft Office package
- Experience in delivering programmes and workshops to groups
- Working knowledge of child and adult safeguarding
- Experience of working with parents and carers.
Desirable
- Experience using CYP IAPTUS patient record system.
- Experience of working with and providing therapeutic interventions for CYPs presenting with difficulties in language and speech, motor skills, behaviour, memory, learning, or other neurological functions within the context of a formal Neuro Developmental Disorder diagnosis including ADHD.
- Experience of working with children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions
- Experience engaging school professionals including SLTs, educational psychologists and SENCOs.
- Experience in co-producing activities and campaigns with young people.
- Experience of working within a multi- disciplinary team
- Experience of supporting young people experiencing heightened stress/distress
- Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to tailor messages to a variety of audiences.
- Experience working in partnership with other agencies to achieve a common goal.
Qualifications
Essential
- Must have a minimum two years post qualification experience of working children and/young people in a mental health service as an HCP with relevant professional registration in one of the following:
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)
- Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse (RLDN)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Social Work (SW) -HCPC accredited with MH & CAMHS work experience and an identified therapeutic treatment modality.
- Art Therapy -HCPC accredited with MH & CAMHS work experience and an identified therapeutic treatment modality.
- Must hold a current formal qualification from an accredited body to deliver evidence-based interventions for CYP like CBT/DBT/APT crisis training/Narrative Therapy.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Working understanding of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity issues and the ability to integrate into employment policies and practices
- Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to organise and prioritise workload.
- Ability to work flexibly according to the needs of the service and to support work/life balance and improving working lives.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
