Mental Health Liaison Officer

Job responsibilities

Manage safeguarding concerns appropriate to your role and level of training.

To liaise with and act upon referrals from patients and members of the team within the organisation.

The post holder will take a lead role in promoting partnership working around mental health, both internally and externally.

The post holder will have responsibility for mental health specific clinical governance activity within organisation which will include the monitoring of standards of care and service, staff support, continuous professional development, supporting practice education, clinical supervision and the implementation of policy and clinical guidelines.

The post holder will provide crisis intervention to patients.

Works in partnership with General Practitioners, Consultants, Nursing and Social Care colleagues to manage patients with a range of acute, non-acute and chronic mental health conditions.

Refers patients as appropriate to other members of the multidisciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations.

Provides and promotes evidence based care in line with appropriate clinical guidelines and works within clinical protocols, professional guidelines and codes of conduct.

Works within all relevant policies and procedural guidelines.

Where the post holder is an independent prescriber- prescribes, administers and supplies medication without own competence.

Challenge professional and organisational boundaries, identify areas for skill/knowledge development and apply these to practice to provide continuity and high quality patient health care.

Communicates highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives and carers.

Audits outcomes of care against standards and initiates changes as necessary.

There will be a necessity to provide street outreach services as part of this role which will involve providing services for patients in locations outside of the surgery environment.

Proactively works with the community and other statutory and voluntary agencies empowering, enabling, encouraging and supporting individuals, families and groups to address issues which affect their health and social well-being.

Initiates and carries out programmes of health screening.

Uses developed communication, negotiation, conflict management skills which require empathy, reassurance and persuasive skills where there can be significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome.

Keep accurate, contemporaneous documentation and care plans in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, local and national guidelines.

Develop effective communication links with other professionals and agencies across all boundaries, at all levels of the organisation including users, carers, social care and the voluntary sector to insure effective delivery of care that provides the best outcome possible for service users.

To listen and empathise with the needs of individuals interfacing with the service adjusting communication styles accordingly. Work effectively with interpreters.

To maintain competencies and professional development by regularly attending appropriate up dates and workshops to ensure a high standard of quality care is delivered.

Works collaboratively and in partnership with other practitioners on care practices, delivery and service development.

Plans and delivers own clinics.

Acts as a role model for nursing staff within the team and provides strong leadership across the organisation.

Research and facilitate change in practice designed to improve clinical outcomes and meet the needs of patients and care givers that are consistent with local/national standards and current research.

Works collaboratively as a team member to achieve the objectives of the team.

To recognise ethical and legal issues which have implications for nursing practice and clinical governance and contribute to the implementation of systems to ensure clinical governance processes.

Partakes in clinical supervision for own development.

Attendance at MDTs to advocate for service users and the Housing Needs Service from a health perspective. Actively participates in clinical and practice meetings.

Acts as mentor for nurses, HCAs and other professionals.

Leads on setting standards and promotes best practice around mental health.

Acts with honesty and integrity at all times and acts as a positive ambassador for Bevan Healthcare. Understands the social enterprise model and ethos.

Undertake appropriate mandatory training.

Participate in networking and sharing practice events with other nurses within the locality.

Working within the guidelines and protocols of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, foster an empowering attitude with colleagues.

Lead and manage projects as appropriate including outreach services.

Provides expert advice on educational opportunities relating to specialist knowledge and skills in clinical practice at an individual, team and organisational level to facilitate and ensure the development and support of both standard and advanced nursing practice.

Assist with the recognition, assessment and development of the learning needs of colleagues, participating in the creation, delivery and evaluation of learning opportunities that fulfil these requirements.

Obtain, analyse, share and use current information for decision making.

Use information as a basis to raise standards of practice and service delivery.

Participate in research and clinical audit projects/QOF/KPPIs.

Foster a culture of lifelong learning to colleagues and students.

Regular involvement in research/evaluation and/or development work which may be as part of one or more formal research programmes or activities.

Identifies, applies and disseminates research findings relating to clinical practice.

Supports practitioners to undertake audit within service specific areas.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrate the application of evidenced based practice.
• Able to demonstrate a depth and breadth of current issues and policies within the NHS and inclusion healthcare and have the ability to translate into practice.
• High level of clinical skills and competency relevant to the role.
• Understanding and experience of interagency working and adult and child safeguarding.

Desirable

• Evidence of research being published.
• Public health experience.
• Experience of working with vulnerable migrants, homeless and other vulnerable groups.
• Experience of teaching or mentoring students or groups.
• Experience in research, audit and benchmarking.
• Experience of clinical governance and risk assessment.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse - Mental Health.
• Degree in relevant subject or willing to work towards.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Mentor qualification.
• Independent prescriber.

Skills

Essential

• Able to communicate highly complex, highly sensitive and/or contentious information, including where there are barriers to understanding.
• Demonstrate high level of self-awareness i.e. strengths and weaknesses, personal qualities and skills.
• IT skills.
• Able to communicate with a wide range of people at all levels of the organisation.
• Demonstrates motivation, reliability and commitment to team working and development of others.
• Flexibility, commitment and adaptability. Can demonstrate an ability to value others opinions.
• Committed to the social enterprise model of business and patient care.
• Frequent periods of concentration. Work pattern unpredictable and multi-tasking required.
• Occasional requirement for prolonged concentration.
• Occasionally required to work outside normal working hours and across other sites within the organisation.
• Able to deal with exposure to distressing circumstances, or highly emotional events.
• Able to cope with exposure to aggressive behaviour.

Desirable

• Experience of working with interpreters.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities.

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).